Estate Planning and Elder Law

You deserve the confidence of knowing that you and your loved ones will be provided for, no matter what happens. At The Gillispie Law Firm, we assist our Northern Virginia and Northern Kentucky clients with planning for all aspects of life transitions.

Our experienced estate planning lawyers in Leesburg, VA and Florence, KY can identify and implement the tools that will work to protect you and your family both throughout your lifetime and after you have departed this life. 

We understand the emotional challenges that sometimes come with managing major life events, but our skilled team is prepared to provide the compassionate guidance you need to achieve your goals and move forward.

Whether you are new to estate planning or have existing documents, we are ready to offer comprehensive and personalized assistance. After listening to your concerns, our team of Leesburg estate attorneys will explore all relevant solutions and walk you through what each tool can accomplish. 

Our estate planning attorneys in Leesburg, VA and Florence, KY can assist you with:

• Wills - In your last will and testament, you can specify who will receive your property, who will take care of your minor children, and who will oversee the estate administration process. Every adult should create a will and update it throughout their life. Wills must be properly witnessed and signed to be considered enforceable. We can help you draft, modify, and validate your will.
• Trust Documents - Trusts are flexible instruments in which a trustee manages the trust’s assets on behalf of chosen beneficiaries. A revocable trust is modifiable and can function like a will. Irrevocable trusts are not modifiable but can be used to achieve asset protection or minimize the impact of estate taxes. Trusts enjoy several key advantages over wills, including enhanced customization, privacy, and the avoidance of probate. After evaluating your objectives, we can design a trust tailored to your unique needs.
• Advance Medical Directives - Also referred to as a “living will,” an advance medical directive allows you to provide enforceable instructions should you become incapacitated and unable to communicate. You can request certain types of palliative care or specify what types of medical care you would like to receive or not receive, such as whether you wish to be resuscitated or intubated. Our team can help you prepare your advance medical directive and ensure your wishes are clear and unambiguous.
• Powers of Attorney - When you appoint someone as your power of attorney, you give them the authority to act on your behalf in a capacity that you define. Powers of attorney can be used throughout your lifetime but become especially vital if you become incapacitated. A financial power of attorney can be instructed to handle your financial affairs and complete certain transactions, such as paying your bills. A medical power of attorney will generally work to enforce the instructions in your advance medical directive. We can assist you with drafting and formalizing your powers of attorney authorization documents.
• Special Needs Trusts - Individuals with special needs must meet restrictive income and asset holding requirements in order to qualify for crucial public benefits. Simply giving or leaving assets to a loved one with special needs can jeopardize their eligibility for these government programs. We can help you implement a special needs trust that allows you to provide for your loved one without endangering their benefits.
• Probate - When someone passes away, their estate must be settled through the court-supervised probate process. A personal representative will be appointed to inventory the deceased’s estate, settle outstanding debts, file the deceased’s final tax returns, and distribute assets in accordance with the will’s instructions. Our firm can assist appointed personal representatives with their responsibilities or serve as your estate administrator. Because this probate is known for being expensive and burdensome, we can also help you take proactive steps to avoid this process as much as possible.
• Guardianships and Conservatorships - If a child is left without a capable parent to take care of them, we can help you navigate the process for requesting guardianship. If an adult loved one is no longer able to adequately care for themselves due to advancing age or a disability, we can help you seek a conservatorship with the applicable court.
• 
  

Our firm also recognizes that extreme financial hardship can make it difficult to accumulate assets, prepare for the future, and leave a legacy. Our Leesburg estate attorneys are committed to helping clients overcome these difficulties.