Our Woodstock Wills & Trusts Services

Our Woodstock will and trust attorneys provide everything from crafting a will package and power of attorney to creating complex trusts and alternative estate planning documents.

Wills vs Trusts

There are a number of differences between a will and a trust. These are just a few:

• A will goes into effect after you die, while a trust becomes active as soon as it’s created and can govern your affairs while you are alive and after your death.
• A will is in the public records, while a trust can be held privately.
• A trust can pass property without probate.
• A trust provides for disability while you are alive.
• A trust can determine terms of inheritance for minor children or beneficiaries.

McCarthy & Akers, PLC focuses on you.

We believe that the best estate plans are the result of a balanced collaboration between client and attorney. No two people or families are alike, and therefore, there are no “one-size-fits-all” estate plans.

That’s why we look at each situation individually, and work closely together with our clients to create a customized estate plan for their current and ongoing needs.

We are different from many will and trust attorneys in Woodstock in that our firm is focused on estate planning and has over 50 years of combined experience. Let us help you create your estate plan to protect you, your beneficiaries, and your assets.

A will is a legal document that determines who should receive your assets after your death. This document allows you name guardians for dependent children, as well as ensures that your property is distributed according to your wishes. A will may be modified or revoked during the lifetime of its maker.

A will is necessary to ensure that your wishes are honored after your death. While its primary purpose is to distribute any property you own upon your death, it can also specify other provisions. These wishes can ensure that your spouse or partner receives all your possessions, and guardians are named for your minor children.

In most states, the minimum age to legally write a will is 18. Deciding at what age to write a will is a personal decision, but there are certain practical considerations that can help you determine the right time.

If you are married, have children, or have a positive net worth (assets exceeding $100,000), it’s almost always easier on your family to have a will or trust in place.

The term for when a person dies without a will is “intestate”. Intestacy laws of the state where you reside will determine how your property is distributed upon your death. This includes any bank accounts, securities, real estate, and other assets you own at the time of death.

While intestacy laws vary, in general, each state’s laws provide a list of the decedent’s next of kin in the order while they will receive a portion of the estate. This process typically goes: spouse, children, parents (in the event the individual is single and childless), siblings.

A living will is an advance healthcare directive. It is a document that lets people state their wishes for end-of-life medical care, in case they become unable to communicate their decisions. This living will is a set of instructions or an expression of wishes and desires that specifies the use or non-use of medical treatments and procedures that would artificially prolong life.

When creating a will, most attorneys will typically ask for a list of information. This includes information birth, marriage and divorce certificates, deeds and mortgages, bank account numbers, investment portfolio, insurance policy information, your beneficiaries’ full names, addresses and other contact information, your Social Security number, and the birth or adoption papers for any minor children you have.

You may also be required to list your advisors, such as your banker, accountant, investment dealer, and insurance agent.

The cost of a will depends on whether you're preparing yourself, getting something off the shelf from a big box store, or you're paying an attorney. For an individual preparing their will with an attorney, fees will range anywhere from $400 to $800 depending on the complexity of the will.

1. Find the Will. The first step is to take the will to the clerk of the court, who will then file it.

2. Meet with your estate attorney. Prior to filing a will or making an appointment to meet with the Probate Clerk, you should always first consult with an estate attorney.

3. Take the will to the courthouse and file it. The clerk will then determine if there are assets within the estate that would need to be probated with a fiduciary; an executor or personal representative, to be qualified. You may be required to post a bond, and may need to arrange for an insurance agent to meet with you at the Clerk’s office at the time of qualification.

4. Open the bank account. Once the executor is qualified, he/she will open an estate account, to hold the funds of the estate.

5. Pull together the assets of the estate. The executor then begins to compile a list, called an inventory of all of the assets and determines what's to be done with the assets. This includes whether or not they need to be sold, distributed outright to the beneficiaries, or used to pay all of the bills and taxes of the deceased person.

6. Pay off all debts of the estate, distribute all assets, and file final accounting.

There is no time limit.

You don’t need to record a will prior to death. You only would be required to record or file a will after death if there's property that would need to be probated.

There are two types of wills in Virginia:

• A holographic will, which is written entirely in the handwriting of the person making the will, and signed at the end with their legal signature.
• A print will (the typical will) is typed up, signed at the end, and dated by the person making the will and witnessed by at least two witnesses. These witnesses affirm the fact they saw the person sign the will.

It's also best to have a notary notarize having asked the witnesses that they signed in each other's presence and saw the will being signed. This call a self-proved will, which is ideally the best and most ironclad will.

A holographic will is a will written out in your own hands (handwritten, not typed), dated and signed on the date that you wrote out the will.

Yes. A holographic will -- written, signed and dated entirely in the hand of the person that's making it, and preferably witnessed by two witnesses -- is sufficient to be considered a will.

An original copy of the will, with an original signature is taken to the clerk's office and presented to the probate clerk. The clerk will then certify that it meets all the criteria under the statute and file it or record it among the court records in that jurisdiction.

A joint will, or contractual will, is one will made for both a husband and wife. They're out of fashion these days, since they often create more problems than they solve. A joint will would be a will that both spouses enter into under the same terms, and they are contractually bound to them regardless of who is the first to die. We typically advise against them, however, since in most cases, a trust will do a much better job of handling contractual issues.

Once wills are filed, they are public record, but only after they've been filed with the clerk.

No. The best and most ironclad type of will is what's known as a self-proved will. This is a will signed by the person making the will and witnessed by two witnesses and a notary.. If notarized, the notary is merely attesting to the fact that they saw the witnesses sign the will in the presence of each other and the person making the will. It makes the will very difficult to contest, but it is possible to still have a will signed by the person making it and just the two witnesses.

Wills do not have to be probated in Virginia, unless there's property that would require probate, at which point you would probate the will. If a person dies without any assets whatsoever or all of their assets have beneficiary designations on them, then you would not have to probate a will even if it existed.

Our firms attorneys are:

• Admitted to practice before all the Courts of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the State of West Virginia; the Federal District Court for Western District of Virginia and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
• Members of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
• Members of the Virginia Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
• Members of the Virginia State Bar
• Members of the West Virginia State Bar
• Members Winchester/Frederick County Bar Association
• Members of the Warren County Bar Association
• Members of the Fairfax County Bar Association
• Members of the Prince William County Bar Association
• Members of the Thomas More Law Center

• Named among Virginia’s “Legal Elite” by Virginia Business Magazine
• Lead Counsel Rated
• Awarded the Distinguished Member designation by the Thomas More Law Center

Our attorneys have tried cases at all levels of the Virginia Courts including appeals before the Virginia Supreme Court.