Practice Areas

The Law Office of Elizabeth L. Wildhack, PLC offers comprehensive estate planning, elder law, trust administration, and probate services, including advice regarding, and preparation of, revocable living trusts, wills, durable powers of attorney and advance health care directives. We also offer advocacy, guidance and estate planning services to enhance the lives of people with special needs, and to address the concerns of the elderly.

Estate Planning

We realize that every client's situation is unique, therefore every estate plan we prepare is customized to the needs and objectives of that particular client. We have significant experience in planning for families with young children, planning for beneficiaries with special needs, and elder law issues related to estate planning, including planning for incapacity. Our areas of representation include:

Wills
Revocable and Irrevocable Trusts
Special Needs Trusts (SNTs)
Financial Powers of Attorney
Advance Health Care Directives
Bypass or Family Trusts for Surviving Spouses
Qualified Terminable Interest Property (QTIP) or Marital Deduction Trusts
Generation Skipping Transfer (GST) Trusts
Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts (ILITs)
Qualified Domestic Trusts for non-citizen spouses (QDOTs)
Qualified Personal Residence Trusts (QPRTs)

Planning for Families with Children

We are frequently consulted by clients who are experiencing a change in lifestyle. For example, after the birth of a child, parents often come to us for advice and planning on naming a guardian for their children, creating trusts for children, and possibly doing some planning involving life insurance, utilizing Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts (ILITs).

Elder Law/Planning for Incapacity

A comprehensive estate plan takes into consideration the possibility of a client's subsequent incapacity. Trusts, durable powers of attorney and advance medical directives serve to protect our clients against subsequent incapacity. We have significant experience in the area of planning for incapacity, and routinely advise clients on elder law issues, including planning considerations, and representation regarding guardianship and conservatorship matters. We routinely prepare and administer Special Needs Trusts and also work with personal injury attorneys in establishing Special Needs Trusts for injured clients. Please see our Planning for Incapacity page for further information regarding this area of our practice.

Business Succession Planning

We are also brought into the planning process when a family business is being sold or when a family member is retiring from the business and wants to explore business succession planning options. We formulate tax savings strategies for the sale of a business and work in tandem with the client's other advisors to facilitate the transfer or sale while minimizing any tax implications.

Probate Administration

We have extensive experience in the area of probate administration, and have the experience and knowledge required to handle probate matters involving estates of all sizes and complexities, ranging from simple estates to large estates comprised of business interests, real estate and assets located in more than one state. Ms. Wildhack's experience and skill in the area of probate administration is evidenced by her appointment as Assistant Commissioner of Accounts in Arlington County, where she assists the court in determining and resolving issues that may arise during the administration of an estate. For further information on our probate administration practice, please visit our Probate page.

Trust Administration

We also offer complete postmortem trust administration, including post-death tax planning, including advice regarding the use of disclaimers. We prepare the documents necessary to effectuate the transfer of assets to the beneficiaries.

We welcome the opportunity to serve your estate planning, probate and trust administration needs. Contact the Law Office of Elizabeth L. Wildhack, PLC by e-mail or call (703) 237-0095 for a consultation.