Merrifield Wills & Probate Lawyer, Virginia

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Roy James Baldwin Lawyer

Roy James Baldwin

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Wills & Probate, Estate, Divorce & Family Law, Bankruptcy & Debt

Roy J. Baldwin, Esq. was born in Nacogdoches, Texas, and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Nebr... (more)

Loretta Morris Williams

Elder Law, Estate, Power of Attorney, Trusts, Wills & Probate
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Karl W. Pilger

Government Agencies, Wills & Probate, Labor Law, Corporate
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M. Bruce Hirshorn

Business Organization, Gift Taxation, Estate Administration, Estate Planning
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John L Melnick

Real Estate, Wills, Wills & Probate, Estate Planning
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Nestor E. Cruz

Tax, International, Wills & Probate, Gift Taxation
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Paul H. Melnick

Real Estate, Wills, Wills & Probate, Estate Planning
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Andrew Mark Christopher

International, Health Care, Estate Administration, Estate Planning
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Judith A Mitnick

Wills & Probate, Government Agencies, Health Care, Wills
Status:  In Good Standing           Licensed:  47 Years

Helen Cohn Needham

Wills & Probate, Health Care, Wills, Trusts
Status:  Retired           Licensed:  52 Years

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LEGAL TERMS

DISINHERIT

To deliberately prevent someone from inheriting something. This is usually done by a provision in a will stating that someone who would ordinarily inherit prope... (more...)
To deliberately prevent someone from inheriting something. This is usually done by a provision in a will stating that someone who would ordinarily inherit property -- a close family member, for example -- should not receive it. In most states, you cannot completely disinherit your spouse; a surviving spouse has the right to claim a portion (usually one-third to one-half) of the deceased spouse's estate. With a few exceptions, however, you can expressly disinherit children.

DISTRIBUTEE

(1) Anyone who receives something. Usually, the term refers to someone who inherits a deceased person's property. If the deceased person dies without a will (ca... (more...)
(1) Anyone who receives something. Usually, the term refers to someone who inherits a deceased person's property. If the deceased person dies without a will (called intestate), state law determines what each distributee will receive. Also called a beneficiary.

TRUST CORPUS

Latin for 'the body' of the trust. This term refers to all the property transferred to a trust. For example, if a trust is established (funded) with $250,000, t... (more...)
Latin for 'the body' of the trust. This term refers to all the property transferred to a trust. For example, if a trust is established (funded) with $250,000, that money is the corpus. Sometimes the trust corpus is known as the 'res,' a Latin word meaning 'thing.'

DOWER AND CURTESY

A surviving spouse's right to receive a set portion of the deceased spouse's estate -- usually one-third to one-half. Dower (not to be confused with a 'dowry') ... (more...)
A surviving spouse's right to receive a set portion of the deceased spouse's estate -- usually one-third to one-half. Dower (not to be confused with a 'dowry') refers to the portion to which a surviving wife is entitled, while curtesy refers to what a man may claim. Until recently, these amounts differed in a number of states. However, because discrimination on the basis of sex is now illegal in most cases, most states have abolished dower and curtesy and generally provide the same benefits regardless of sex -- and this amount is often known simply as the statutory share. Under certain circumstances, a living spouse may not be able to sell or convey property that is subject to the other spouse's dower and curtesy or statutory share rights.

EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT INCOME SECURITY ACT OF 1974 (ERISA)

A federal law passed to protect pension rights. ERISA: sets minimum standards for pension plans, guaranteeing that pension rights cannot be unfairly denied to o... (more...)
A federal law passed to protect pension rights. ERISA: sets minimum standards for pension plans, guaranteeing that pension rights cannot be unfairly denied to or taken from a worker provides some protection for workers in the event certain types of pension plans cannot pay the benefits to which workers are entitled, and requires that employers provide full and clear information about employees' pension rights, including the way pension benefits accumulate, how the company invests pension funds, and when and how pension benefits can be collected.

STATUTORY SHARE

The portion of a deceased person's estate that a spouse is entitled to claim under state law. The statutory share is usually one-third or one-half of the deceas... (more...)
The portion of a deceased person's estate that a spouse is entitled to claim under state law. The statutory share is usually one-third or one-half of the deceased spouse's property, but in some states the exact amount of the spouse's share depends on whether or not the couple has young children and, in a few states, on how long the couple was married. In most states, if the deceased spouse left a will, the surviving spouse must choose either what the will provides or the statutory share. Sometimes the statutory share is known by its more arcane legal name, dower and curtesy, or as a forced or elective share.

SPENDTHRIFT TRUST

A trust created for a beneficiary the grantor considers irresponsible about money. The trustee keeps control of the trust income, doling out money to the benefi... (more...)
A trust created for a beneficiary the grantor considers irresponsible about money. The trustee keeps control of the trust income, doling out money to the beneficiary as needed, and sometimes paying third parties (creditors, for example) on the beneficiary's behalf, bypassing the beneficiary completely. Spendthrift trusts typically contain a provision prohibiting creditors from seizing the trust fund to satisfy the beneficiary's debts. These trusts are legal in most states, even though creditors hate them.

CHARITABLE TRUST

Any trust designed to make a substantial gift to a charity and also achieve income and estate tax savings for the person who creates the trust (the grantor).

TRUSTEE POWERS

The provisions in a trust document defining what the trustee may and may not do.

SAMPLE LEGAL CASES

Matthews v. Matthews

... Present: All the Justices. OPINION BY Justice S. BERNARD GOODWYN. In this case, we consider whether the circuit court erred in failing to dismiss a probate appeal when the party appealing the probate order of the clerk had also submitted a different will for probate. ...

Schilling v. Schilling

... In this appeal, we consider whether Code § 64.1-49.1, effective on July 1, 2007, applies to a writing made in 2005 but not offered for probate as a holographic will until after the maker's death in September 2008. I. BACKGROUND AND MATERIAL PROCEEDINGS BELOW. ...

Keener v. Keener

... The purpose of this Trust is to reduce or eliminate probate costs to the extent possible while maintaining complete control of my assets. ... Debra went to the clerk's office of the Circuit Court of Prince William County to ascertain whether her father's will had been offered for probate. ...