Practical legal guidance for wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives, tailored to your family, assets, and goals.
What Is Estate Planning
Estate planning arranges for the management and distribution of assets during incapacity and after death. It can combine a will or trust with decision-making documents and beneficiary planning to record your priorities and help the people responsible for carrying them out.
A complete estate plan addresses what happens if you become incapacitated, who makes decisions on your behalf, how your assets pass to the next generation, and how to minimize the tax and legal burden on your loved ones.
The right level of planning varies. Parents may want to nominate guardians, property owners may need to coordinate title and beneficiary designations, and adults may want to authorize trusted people to assist with financial or healthcare decisions. A lawyer can identify which documents fit the situation.
Why It Matters
Document how you want assets and decision-making responsibilities handled, and give loved ones clearer guidance during a difficult time.
Beneficiary designations, joint ownership, and properly funded trusts may allow some assets to pass outside probate. The right approach depends on the assets and state law.
Estate planning isn't just about death, it's about having the right people empowered to help if you become unable to manage your own affairs.
Clear documentation can reduce uncertainty by giving fiduciaries and family members a practical record of your instructions.
Where taxes are relevant, coordinated legal and tax advice can help evaluate available planning choices and their tradeoffs.
Within applicable law, your documents can state who should receive assets, when distributions should occur, and who should make decisions.
Services
From simple wills to complex trust structures, the full range is provided of estate planning services. Each plan is customized based on your family dynamics, asset composition, and long-term goals.
A will is the foundation of any estate plan. It specifies who receives your assets, names guardians for minor children, and designates an executor to carry out your wishes. Lawyers prepare both simple wills for straightforward situations and complex wills that address blended families, business interests, or tax planning considerations.
A revocable living trust can hold assets during your lifetime and provide instructions for their later administration. Assets properly transferred to the trust generally can pass outside probate, subject to applicable law. The trust can also address management during incapacity while remaining amendable or revocable during your lifetime.
An irrevocable trust may support tax, asset-management, or long-term transfer goals in appropriate circumstances. The consequences depend on the trust terms, retained powers, applicable law, and how the trust is funded. Lawyers help clients evaluate those tradeoffs before choosing a structure.
A financial power of attorney designates someone you trust to manage your financial affairs if you become incapacitated. This includes paying bills, managing investments, handling real estate, and making financial decisions on your behalf. Without this document, your family may need court intervention to access your accounts.
A healthcare power of attorney appoints someone to make medical decisions for you when you cannot communicate your own wishes. This person becomes your advocate with doctors, hospitals, and care facilities, ensuring your treatment preferences are respected.
Also known as a living will, this document specifies your wishes regarding end-of-life care, life-sustaining treatment, and comfort measures. It provides clarity for your family and medical team during difficult moments, removing the burden of guessing what you would have wanted.
Life insurance policies, retirement accounts, and investment accounts often pass to named beneficiaries rather than under a will. Lawyers review beneficiary designations alongside the estate plan to identify inconsistencies and questions for follow-up.
Proactive asset protection structures your wealth to minimize exposure to potential creditors, lawsuits, or other claims. This is particularly important for business owners, professionals in high-liability fields, and anyone with significant assets to protect.
A properly structured special needs trust may allow resources to supplement a loved one's care while preserving eligibility for certain means-tested benefits. Eligibility rules and trust requirements vary, so the plan must be tailored to the beneficiary and the benefits involved.
For many families, pets are beloved members. A pet trust can name a caretaker, set aside funds, and provide instructions intended to support an animal's ongoing care.
Federal health-privacy rules generally limit when covered providers may disclose protected health information. Lawyers prepare authorizations that identify the people and information covered so designated individuals can communicate with providers when the authorization and applicable law permit.
Virtual-First Model
Many planning steps can be completed through video meetings and the client portal, while in-person meetings remain available when preferred or required.
Video meetings can reduce travel and make it easier to include the people who need to participate.
Execution options are reviewed for your documents and jurisdiction. Some steps may be available remotely; others may require witnesses, notarization, or an in-person signing.
Prefer in-person? Client centers are also maintained for those who prefer face-to-face meetings. The virtual-first model gives you options, not limitations.
MyRelevant Client Portal
Keep available estate planning documents organized in your personal portal.
Communicate with the legal team through the client portal.
Book consultations and signing sessions at times that work for you, with automatic reminders.
Meet with your lawyer via video conference from anywhere, home, office, or while traveling.
Receive timely notifications when it's time to review your documents or when life changes warrant updates.
Use your account to access available portal documents and messages.
The Process
Estate planning doesn't have to be overwhelming. The structured process guides you through each step, with clear expectations and ongoing support.
The process starts with a comprehensive conversation about your family, assets, goals, and concerns. This can happen via video conference from anywhere or in person at one of the client centers. There's no pressure, just a genuine exploration of what matters most to you.
Using the MyRelevant portal, you'll provide details about your assets, beneficiaries, and existing documents. The questionnaires guide you through the process, and you can complete them at your own pace.
Your lawyer designs a customized estate plan based on your specific situation and explains each document's purpose and how the documents work together. Timing is scoped with you based on the plan's complexity.
A follow-up meeting reviews your draft documents together. You'll have the opportunity to ask questions, request changes, and confirm that the documents reflect your instructions.
Once finalized, the team coordinates execution in a manner permitted for the documents and jurisdiction involved. For clients with trusts, your lawyer provides funding instructions for transferring appropriate assets into the trust.
Your executed documents can be organized in your MyRelevant portal. You'll receive copies and guidance on document access and safekeeping.
Common Questions
Estate planning isn't just for the wealthy. If you have children, you need to designate guardians. If you want to avoid putting your family through probate, you need proper documents. If you become incapacitated without powers of attorney, your family may need expensive court proceedings to help you. Everyone over 18 should have at minimum a will, healthcare directive, and powers of attorney.
A will directs the disposition of probate assets after death and is administered through the applicable probate process. Assets properly titled in a revocable living trust generally may be administered outside probate, which can provide more privacy and continuity. A trust can also authorize a successor trustee to manage trust assets during incapacity. The result depends on funding, beneficiary designations, state law, and the plan's terms.
We recommend reviewing your plan every 3–5 years or whenever you experience a major life change: marriage, divorce, birth of a child, death of a beneficiary, significant change in assets, moving to a new state, or changes in tax law. MyRelevant clients receive periodic reminders to review their documents.
Many planning steps can be handled virtually through video meetings and the client portal. Whether signing, witnessing, or notarization can occur remotely depends on the document, jurisdiction, and circumstances. Client centers are also available if an in-person meeting is preferred or required.
Without effective powers of attorney or another available arrangement, a court proceeding for guardianship or conservatorship may be needed before someone can manage certain personal or financial matters. Advance planning can reduce that risk, although the result depends on the documents, institutions involved, state law, and circumstances.
Blended families often benefit from careful planning to address a current spouse and children from prior relationships. Lawyers may use trusts, specific gifts, beneficiary designations, and other provisions to document the client's priorities and account for applicable rights under state law.
Modern estate plans may need to address digital assets. Lawyers can include provisions for accessing and managing cryptocurrency, online accounts, digital photos, and other electronic assets, and help create an inventory so a fiduciary can locate relevant assets and instructions.
Estate planning fees depend on the documents, family circumstances, assets, and tax or business-planning needs involved. The team confirms the proposed scope and fee before legal work begins; contact your location for current pricing.
Lawyers currently serve clients in Virginia, Colorado, and Washington. The virtual model means you can work with lawyers from anywhere in these states. For clients with property or interests in other states, lawyers coordinate with local counsel as needed.
MyRelevant can organize available documents and messages, support appointment scheduling, and show document status. Available features and access may depend on the engagement and account.
Related Services
When a loved one passes, lawyers guide executors and trustees through probate and trust administration, handling court filings, asset distribution, and tax obligations with care and efficiency.
Learn moreStrategic giving that maximizes impact while providing tax benefits. Charitable trusts, donor-advised funds, and legacy philanthropy.
Learn moreCoordinated Planning
Estate planning can benefit from coordination with your complete financial picture. With your authorization, your lawyer can work with financial planners, CPAs, insurance professionals, and other advisors to align legal documents with broader planning.
Whether you work with a major wirehouse, independent advisor, or family office, the lawyers understand how to align legal structures with wealth management strategies. Your advisory team stays informed and involved.
For Wealth AdvisorsCoordination With
Wealth Management Teams
Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Charles Schwab, Raymond James, Fidelity, and independent RIAs
Financial Planners
CFPs and fee-only advisors focused on comprehensive planning
CPAs & Tax Advisors
Coordinating estate plans with tax strategies and business succession
Insurance Professionals
Aligning life insurance, long-term care, and estate liquidity needs
Relevant Law serves clients across Virginia, Colorado, and Washington. Explore a local page for estate planning lawyers in your area.
Start with the Client Intake Team to discuss your goals and the appropriate next step. Legal advice begins only after a lawyer engagement is established.