1. Home
  2. /
  3. Estate Planning

Estate Planning Attorneys Serving Northern Virginia Including McLean, Arlington & Great Falls VA

estate-planningEstate Planning Attorneys at General Counsel serve clients throughout Northern Virginia including Fairfax, Arlington & Loudon providing comprehensive legal services including wills, trusts, estates, asset protection planning, succession planning, and much more.

Estate planning is the process of deciding and communicating what will happen to everything you own after you die.  But that is not all! Estate planning also includes planning for those times during your lifetime when you may be unable to communicate what you want (i.e., financial, health, and/or business decisions) because of an unfortunate event (i.e., becoming temporarily unconscious; or otherwise, incapacitated due to an accident or other condition).

While estate planning includes creating binding legal documents such as Trusts, Wills, and Powers of Attorney, best practices for estate planning also include creating a contingency plan for your life by considering responsibilities to others such as minor children, partners (personal or business), and even pets.  Thorough estate planning also considers the beneficiaries of your retirement accounts and insurance policies; current or future benefits (i.e., veteran, government, employment, expected inheritance); decisions about debt management; asset protection tools; tax implications; potential liability issues; and your values.  In short, estate planning is a battle plan for your life to protect yourself and your loved ones, and an opportunity for you to decide what you want your legacy to be.

An experienced estate planning attorney can help you prepare and guide you through the process of protecting your wealth and possessions and also provide strategies to leverage your chosen legacy and your values during your lifetime. Estate planning attorneys at General Counsel, P.C. can guarantee that you’ll feel more confident about your future after you’ve made your estate plan or updated your existing plan.  We would welcome the opportunity to help you navigate the estate planning process. Contact us today at 703-556-0411, email intake@gcpc.com, or if you’re ready to commit to protecting yourself and your loved ones, simply contact us to schedule an appointment, to have a conversation about how we can help!

Recent Estate Planning Articles

  • Virginia Refuses to Recognize Good Faith Exceptions to “No Contest” Clauses

    Virginia has long recognized and enforced “no contest” clauses for Wills in probate, but the Court of Appeals of Virginia recently refused to adopt a good faith and probable cause exception to no contest clauses. No contest clauses are strict provisions designed to deter bitter family disputes during probate. This exception would allow a beneficiary...

  • Ask General Counsel: Online estate planning — you get what you pay for!

    Published by Ask General Counsel on InsideNova, 1/12/2022 Image from Inside Nova In this edition of Ask General Counsel, the attorneys of General Counsel, P.C. discuss the risks of using online estate planning tools (and why you should work with an attorney). Estate planning is one of the most important things we can do to...

  • Online Estate Planning—You Get What You Pay For

    Estate planning is one of the most important things we can do to ensure that our assets are protected after death, our loved ones are taken care of, and our wishes are carried out according to our specific instructions. With the advent of websites offering estate planning documents, many have come to rely on this...

  • Ask General Counsel: Estate planning lessons from Queen Elizabeth

    Published by Ask General Counsel on InsideNova, 10/11/2022 Image from Inside Nova In this edition of Ask General Counsel, discusses estate planning lessons from Queen Elizabeth (and how her planning should be motivation for anyone that does not have a plan in place). Queen Elizabeth’s recent passing signals changes for the royal family. While most...

  • Court Refuses to Enforce Trust’s Arbitration Clause: A Trust is Not a Contract

    The Virginia Supreme Court recently held in Boyle v. Anderson, that a Trust is not a contract.  Therefore, the Trustee could not enforce the arbitration clause against the Trust’s beneficiaries. For background, the Grantor, Strother R. Anderson, created an Irrevocable Trust to be divided among three (3) surviving family members upon his death. The Trust...

  • Ask General Counsel: Celebrity estate battle pits Anne Heche’s ex vs. her estranged son

    Published by Ask General Counsel on InsideNova, 9/21/2022 Image from Inside Nova In this issue of Ask General Counsel, we discuss another lesson to be learned through celebrity estate mistakes. On Aug. 11, actress Anne Heche died unexpectedly at age 53 without a will or trust. She was taken off life support after only 48...

Estate Planning Videos


What People Are Saying About Working With Ann-Marie

Ann-Marie made everything so seamless.

Ann-Marie made everything so seamless. THANK YOU!!

R.O.

A good person who also knows what they are doing.

 I am so pleased and happy with the job that Ann-Marie did with my Will.  She is very professional with her knowledge, and I am very happy and satisfied that I met a good person that also knows what she is doing.  Well done, Ann-Marie.  Thank You.

~S.M.

Ann Marie was great-balancing my needs to get this documents

I needed legal documents (power of attorney/healthcare proxy) to cover our daughter when she turned 18 and was attending college in a remote location. Ann Marie was great-balancing my needs to get this documents and the many questions that my very inquisitive 18 year old (who was actually Ann Marie’s client) had for her. She was patient, ethical and understanding of two sets of divergent needs. I have recommended her several times to other parents of newly minted adult children.

A.C.

The entire experience with Ann Marie Murzin was extremely responsive

The entire experience with Ann Marie Murzin was extremely responsive to an urgent matter. I was extremely impressed with her expertise in the area which I need legal representation immediately. I am fully confident that she was more than the perfect decision. If there is any concern a lawyer may be needed I highly recommend to utilize the expertise of Ann Marie if you are looking for Legal counsel for a family matter. I would certainly suggest calling Ann Marie, she was empathic and showed a true sense of urgency.

J.V.

You will be in very good hands with Ann-Marie

Estate planning is something that most people put off because the whole process can feel overwhelming and arduous. The experienced General Counsel team will make you feel secure about such a detail-driven project while maintaining warmth and understanding about the stress that can come with estate planning. You will be in very good hands with Ann-Marie who is exceedingly knowledgeable and thorough while also remaining compassionate and understanding in helping you understand these complicated scenarios. 

T. & O.

Ann-Marie came highly recommended

“Ann-Marie came highly recommended from my Dad’s financial advisor and she far exceeded our expectations of outstanding service.  Ann-Marie was extremely organized and knowledgeable, thorough with excellent follow up skills.  She put Dad and I totally at ease with the entire process which could have seemed overwhelming and stressful — but was not due to Ann-Marie’s character and personality.  She is truly genuine, authentic and cares about her clients as if they are family.  I would highly recommend her services.

C.S.

Ann-Marie is a thorough and efficient attorney

“Ann-Marie is a thorough and efficient attorney who is also approachable and patient.  Her method includes building in future consultation, which is reassuring to both me and my family.  She made a difficult task relatively painless and seemed invested in my comfort and clarity.” 

M.G.

Ann-Marie is extremely knowledgeable and does an excellent job

“Ann-Marie is extremely knowledgeable and does an excellent job of explaining things. She’s very patient and answers all questions thoroughly. She really cares about making sure we have a thorough understanding and are doing what’s best for our situation.”

B.V.

Ann-Marie was patient, informative and highly efficient

“Ann-Marie was patient, informative and highly efficient from our first estate planning meeting until she handed us a large binder with all our signed paperwork neatly organized and notarized only two months later. She made a very complicated process that we’d put off far too long much easier, always there to answer our questions along the way and offer support.”

R.R.

Ann-Marie took all of the stress out of our first estate planning meeting

“Ann-Marie took all of the stress out of our first estate planning meeting. She put us at ease knowing she is an experienced expert, and we were in good hands. They say, ‘People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care,’ and Ann-Marie cares a lot!”

J.S.

Ann-Marie Murzin is equally knowledgeable, meticulous and personable

“Ann-Marie Murzin is equally knowledgeable, meticulous and personable. When it comes to modern estate planning, the attorney you choose, and their approach will determine how effective the planning is when it goes into effect. Ann-Marie cares about her clients and their families. You forget you’re working with an attorney due to her willingness to truly know you and what’s important to you—that’s until you see her final work and how well she carried it out.” 

S.D.

Ann-Marie took the time to get to know us and to help us

“Ann-Marie took the time to get to know us and to help us identify what was truly important to us. This resulted in estate planning that not only considered our assets but also was a real reflection of our values.”

J.M. and D.M.

Ann-Marie understood my situation quickly

Ann-Marie understood my situation quickly, and made serious decisions manageable. Thank You!

A.R.

 

TOP