Virginia residents like you may have put off making your will for a number of reasons. One of the biggest ones is that many people feel as though they are “not old enough” to have one. We at Craig P. Tiller, ESQ., attorney at law, will explain today why that simply...
Simple Wills
The essential pieces of information to include in your will
You may not need a complicated estate plan in Virginia. In fact, many people do not. However, you should at least have a will. A will allows you to make plans for when you die and also can help you to plan for a situation where you can no longer make decisions on your...
What are the basic requirements for a will?
Before you create a will in Virginia, it is essential to know what, under the law, makes a valid will. If you draft a will that does follow the legal requirements, then it may not hold up after your death. This means your wishes may not be carried out and you lose all...
Do you know that you can use your will to protect your child?
Young adults raising a family often do not create wills because they believe they do not have enough valuables. However, anyone who has minor children could benefit from creating a will.If you are a parent of a minor child, you can use your will to name a guardian for...
DIY estate plans may not be worth the lower costs
Many Virginians download inexpensive estate-planning documents via online websites. With a primary motive of saving money, the do-it-yourself legal option makes perfect sense. However, drafting a will, estate plan or power of attorney document without an attorney's...
Learn more about protecting digital assets
Some Virginia residents may have a variety of digital assets that need to be accounted for in an estate plan. Anything from a PayPal account to a social media page could be included in a will or other document. In most cases, a digital will is an informal item that...
What wills are not designed to do
Virginia residents who want to leave clear instructions for how to handle their estates should create a will. However, there are limitations as to what a will can do. For instance, it generally doesn't have any say over what happens to property left in a living trust....
Choosing the right executor for your will
Most people are uncomfortable talking about their own mortality, but it’s important to plan for your wishes at the end of your life. If you have a spouse, children or grandchildren, having a will in place will provide for your family’s future needs and...
What a will does in an estate plan
Unlike a trust, a will must be recorded so that somebody can be granted authority to transfer assets. This is not the case when a trust is created. That's why trusts may be better for some estate owners in Virginia. As with a will, trusts may contain instructions as...
The importance of signature requirements in a will
The Commonwealth of Virginia, like each state in the union, has its own statutory requirements for what constitutes a valid will. A testator, the person making the will, must be a minimum age of 18 and have the proper testamentary capacity. Testamentary capacity is a...
