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Estate Planning and Administration

Virginia Estate Planning Lawyers for Business Owners

Keeping your success in the family may be the most important thing you can do for your business. Spotts Fain has extensive experience helping successful people preserve financial assets for family members and other beneficiaries.

Our estate planning and administration law group includes:

Our attorneys approach estate planning with an understanding that there are often very sensitive and private family matters involved in the decisions. We endeavor to provide our clients with an estate plan that meets not only the objectives of preservation of our clients’ estates, but also a plan that meets our clients’ objectives with regard to their family needs.

Contact us to discuss your specific estate planning, probate administration and business succession planning needs.

Our firm offers a full range of estate planning services and our experience includes:

  • Tax planning to minimize or eliminate estate and gift taxes
  • Succession planning to ensure the continuation of a business
  • Insurance trusts, usually Irrevocable Trusts, to provide funding for the payment of estate taxes without increasing those taxes
  • Living trusts to avoid probate, facilitate asset administration or to provide special planning for a loved one
  • Limited liability companies and family limited partnerships to minimize the amount of estate and gift tax on assets that are passed on to loved ones
  • Wills, revocable and irrevocable Trusts, Powers of Attorney, and Advanced Medical Directives (Living Wills)
  • Charitable Trusts, gifts and bequests
  • Other important estate planning techniques
  • Conservation easements

Contested wills and trust litigation

We also have extensive experience helping individuals and families mediate and litigate disputes arising from the distribution of assets through contested wills and trusts. Our lawyers serve as lead counsel in probate litigation cases, as well as local counsel in federal courts and Virginia state courts.

We also Assist our Clients in Estate Administration

If your family has established a financial trust for the distribution of assets, we serve as experienced, ethical trust administrators. Upon the death of an estate holder, we can also handle the tough legal details that often confront a family at a very emotional time. Our attorneys are familiar with the probate process in courts throughout Virginia.

Contact us to learn more about how we can help you with your estate planning and administration needs.

October 5, 2010 - Mike Rothermel will speak at a seminar in Richmond, Practical Guide to Zoning and Land Use Law

August 20, 2010 - Michael Yager, a Legal Assistant in our Litigation Section, spoke at a NALA LIVE! presentation on electronic discovery, "E-Discovery - Slow Down the Train" 

August 5, 2010 - Four Spotts Fain lawyers named in Best Lawyers in America, Meade Spotts, Hugh Fain, Robert Chappell and Dana McDaniel.

August 2, 2010 - Spotts Fain attorney, Lee Stephens assisted clients with first Fort Pickett Army Compatible Use Buffer (ACUB) conservation easement held by a State agency.

July 28, 2010 - Lessons on Charitable Conservation Contributions from Schneidelman v. Commissioner, by Robert Allen and Lee Stephens.

July 2010 - Spotts Fain congratulates Brian Marron, who begins his term as President of the Greater Richmond Bar Foundation.

July 9, 2010 - 'Much Ado About Nothing' - Bilski v. Kappos, by Bob Barrett.

June 23, 2010 - We are proud to announce that six Spotts Fain lawyers were named in the Virginia Super Lawyers list for 2010 and six named Virginia Rising Stars.

June 21, 2010 - Section 1031 Update - Exchange Facilitators Act is effective July 1, 2010, by John Anderson

June 19, 2010 - You may be required to notify your employees of their right to join a union, by Betsy Davis.

June 15, 2010 - Spotts Fain Creditors' Rights lawyers spoke at a Virginia Association of Community Banks Teleseminar on Bankruptcy and Collections

May 24, 2010 - Virginia Supreme Court Affirms Circuit Court Decision Confirming Arbitration Award in Dispute Involving a Limited Liability Company, by Andrew Oxenreiter and John Anderson.

May 18, 2010 - Health Care Reform - Priorities for Employers 2010 by Elliot Fitzgerald

May 13, 2010 - Mark With Care: The Rise of § 292 False Patent Marking Lawsuits, by Bob Barrett.

April 23, 2010 - Business people should be aware of the consequences for violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

April 23, 2010 - Bob Barrett presented The $612.5 Million Question: How to protect your intellectual property at the Greater Richmond Chamber.

April 7, 2010 - The Spotts Fain Intellectual Property Team welcomes Bob Barrett to our growing practice group.

April 1, 2010 - We are very pleased to announce that Connell Mullins has been elected a shareholder of the firm and Deborah Fourness has been elected a director. 

January 27, 2010 - We are proud to announce that Spotts Fain Managing Director, Hugh M. Fain, III has been elected Chair of the Board of Governors of the Virginia Bar Association

Spotts Fain Consulting Practice Areas