Estate Planning
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Wills, Trusts, and Estate Planning in Chesapeake Made Simple
At John W. Lee, P.C., we believe everyone—not just the wealthy—deserves peace of mind when it comes to their future. Our experienced estate planning attorneys in Chesapeake help individuals and families protect their assets, honor their wishes, and reduce stress on their loved ones.
Many of our clients are everyday people—working professionals, retirees, and families who want to ensure their affairs are in order. We offer clear, affordable estate planning solutions tailored to your needs.
Top 10 Reasons to Create an Estate Plan in Chesapeake
1. Avoid the Cost and Delays of Probate
A properly prepared estate plan—without necessarily needing a trust—can help your family avoid time-consuming and expensive probate proceedings in Virginia.
2. Ensure That Assets Go to the Right Beneficiaries
In Virginia, remarriage can redirect your assets to a new spouse or their children. A solid estate plan ensures your assets pass to your children or chosen heirs.
3. Appoint a Guardian for Minor Children
If you have young children, a Last Will and Testament allows you to nominate a trusted guardian to care for them in the event of your passing.
4. Prevent Family Disputes
A clear will reduces confusion and family conflict during emotional times—helping everyone understand your wishes.
5. Reduce Stress on Loved Ones
Losing a loved one is hard enough. A well-prepared estate plan can ease the burden on family members trying to manage your affairs.
6. Plan for Incapacity or Disability
With documents like a Durable Power of Attorney and Advance Medical Directive, you can ensure someone you trust will manage your finances or health decisions if you become incapacitated.
7. Protect Your Assets
Even if you don’t consider yourself wealthy, your home, retirement accounts, and savings are worth protecting. Estate planning helps safeguard them for the future.
8. Stay Organized
You may know where everything is—but your family might not. Organizing your finances and legal documents now can make things far easier later.
9. Express End-of-Life Wishes
Establish your preferences for life-sustaining treatment or designate someone to make those decisions with a legally valid advance directive.
10. Minimize Future Tax Impact
Most Virginians won’t owe inheritance tax, but estate planning can still help minimize taxes and legal fees. Our team can help you understand your options.
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 life tenants and one or more remainderman. The life tenants can live in the property, generally, until they die, and then the remaindermen become the exclusive owners of the property. Normally, the life tenant pays for all maintenance, insurance, and taxes on the property while they reside in the property.
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, allows the beneficiaries to avoid probate. The RLT holds the assets of the Grantor while the Grantor is still alive and gives instructions to his Successor Trustee on how to manage the assets upon the Grantor’s death. When you establish a RLT you will transfer many of your assets, including real property and investment accounts, into the RLT.
Last Will and Testament
An attorney should always be a part of your estate planning and the setting up of a simple and/or living will… and it doesn’t cost you a lot of money. A lawyer can help you properly draft a Last Will and Testament so that it will be accepted by the probate court, saving your loved ones time and money. A Last Will and Testament done by a lawyer should have witnesses, notary seals and a self proving affidavit. Talk to us about these and other details for establishing or updating a will.
The Living Will
Living wills offer a method for individuals to express their preferences about the medical care they receive or decline in the event they are unable to do so because of a serious illness or injury. Consulting with an attorney will ensure you cover all aspects of Virginia’s Advance Medical Directive criteria.
Powers-of-Attorney
The Virginia Uniform Power of Attorney Act defines a power of attorney as a written document designating an agent to act on behalf of a principal who signed it. The document grants as much or as little authority to the agent as is specified by the principal. This can grant a trusted person with a considerable amount of leverage over your affairs, thus it is always wise to consult with an estate planning attorney when taking this into consideration.
Virginia Advance Medical Directive Attorney
People want to take charge of their health care decisions. No one understands this better than the attorneys at The Law Offices of John W. Lee, P.C. They believe it is important for individuals to have a Virginia advanced medical directive to make their wishes known in the event a medical condition or injury makes it impossible for them to communicate with their physicians.
Legal Guardianship
Virginia law provides two methods for protecting adults who are no longer capable of handling their personal affairs. Guardianship and conservatorship create relationships between an incapacitated adult and someone granted the legal authority to manage the adult’s affairs. Call the estate planning attorneys of John W. Lee, P.C. for assistance in setting up a legal guardianship for you.
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.
Final Remains Directive
Your estate planning attorney can help you draft and execute a document that will instruct the funeral home to accept direction from the one person that you trust to honor your wishes with regards to your funeral arrangements. If you are concerned about who may make decisions about your funeral arrangements, then the attorneys at John W. Lee, PC can assist you with preparing the proper forms to ensure your final wishes are complied with.
The Law Firm of John W. Lee, P.C. services Estate Planning clients in the following Hampton Roads cities and counties:
We are Estate Planning Attorneys serving the Virginia Peninsula cities of Hampton, Newport News, Poquoson, Yorktown and Williamsburg including York County, Gloucester County and James City County. We also serve the Southside cities of Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Suffolk and Smithfield.