The Life Estate Deed

The Life Estate Deed

The Life Estate Deed A life estate is a form of joint ownership, typically associated with real property.  Usually, a life estate is created by filing a deed or Last Will & Testament in the circuit court where the property is located. A life estate has one or more...
Revocable Living Trust

Revocable Living Trust

Revocable Living Trust A Revocable Living Trust (RLT) is an estate planning document that is sometimes used instead of a traditional Last Will and Testament. Unlike the Last Will and Testament, the RLT is effective while the grantor is still alive and, in many cases,...
Transfer on Death Deeds in Virginia

Transfer on Death Deeds in Virginia

Virginia allows its citizens to record a Transfer on Death Deed (TODD) prior to their death. This deed will automatically transfer the real property to the beneficiary named on the TODD upon the death of the property owner. Transfer on Death Deeds can be very useful...
Who is in charge of my Funeral?

Who is in charge of my Funeral?

What happens to your remains when you die? What if you are not married and have no children? Who gets to determine what happens to your remains? What if your children don’t get along and you know they won’t agree on how to handle your remains and funeral arrangements?...
Insurance and Annuity Exemptions

Insurance and Annuity Exemptions

Until recently when a debtor filed a chapter 7 bankruptcy he would not be able to exempt (protect from his creditors) the cash surrender value of his life insurance policy. If the debtor did not have enough room on his Homestead Deed, then he would have to turn over...