When my father died my mother gave the POA of her estate and family business instead of my brother who works at the business or me, her daughter. I do not work at the family business
Many banks have trust departments. Some folks pick banks as their trustee, guardian or attorney-in-fact because the trust departments have skilled, knowledgeable, full-time, professionals who understand their fiduciary duties and all the reporting requirements. Money, and money management, can... Read more »
She was told she had to split the estate with 2 of my cousins from an already deceased sibling. Is this true? And if so, how much is she required to split it? 50-25-25, 33-33-33?
If a Virginia resident dies intestate, without a will, and without a trust, his or her real property not title in survivorship, and the surplus of personal property, will pass according to the course of descents or laws of intestate succession. If that resident has no surviving spouse, no... Read more »
The answer depends on who the "we" is that broke up. If the intended groom terminated the engagement, the intended bride keeps the gift. If it was the intended bride terminated the engagement, or the engagement was terminated by mutual decision, the gift should be returned to the groom.
Had property before marriage, added wife to deed but she’s not on the mortgage loan . I pay all the bills, gas , lights, water, HOA FEES, cellphone etc etc. what happens when we get divorced????
Title does not determine the classification of property in equitable distribution in Virginia, but it may create presumptions. Real property owned by a spouse in his or her sole name prior to marriage would be presumed to be separate property. A judge may find the property to be hybrid to the... Read more »
An award of a part of a spouse's 401K plan in a divorce case is transferred with a separate court order known as a Qualified Domestic Relations Order or QDRO. The award should also appear in the Final Decree. The QDRO must be signed by the judge and approved by the plan administrator. As QDRO... Read more »
A named executor in a will has limited statutory powers under Virginia Code Section 64.2-511 prior to qualification. A named executor is not required to become the acting, qualified, appointed executor. The process is not automatic. In order to become appointed, the executor or administrator... Read more »
My grandfather passed away in late 2019. His will says that all belongings should be divided equally between the 4 children. My uncle is named executor but he has yet to file the will into the probate court. Can he try and sell my grandfather's home to a family member for half of fair market value... Read more »
Real estate will pass under the will if the will so provides. With an incomplete will, there exists a possibility of partial intestacy - the will fails to address all the property in existence at the testator's death. If a person dies intestate, or partial intestacy exists with respect to the... Read more »
Can the house just be left in the step-father's name, and not be considered an asset of my father's?
Most real estate financing in Virginia is secured by a deed of trust rather than a "mortgage", although that term is used in a general sense for any loan secured by real estate. Title is determined by the deed and the chain of title, not who may or may not be liable on the note secured by the deed... Read more »
He has since moved out of state and has had no contact. How can I let the courts know that he has no intention of going through with the divorce proceedings? I want to start the process myself.
Many lawyers advise their clients to file an Answer and Counterclaim for the very reasons illustrated by your situation. A defendant spouse can file a motion for leave of court to file a late answer and counterclaim due to the failure to prosecute the case by the plaintiff. You would do much... Read more »
My ex and I divorced 6 years ago. We had a jointly titled exotic car. In our divorce decree, my ex was supposed to pay me for my share of the car before he could retitle it into his name alone. He made a few payments then stopped. He subsequently died and now the executor of his estate is... Read more »
Your question does not match your description of the legal problem. Joint property with a right of survivorship will pass to the survivor upon the death of a co-owner. In Virginia, divorce severs survivorship rights between spouses. The estate would now include your deceased ex-husband's... Read more »
There are no children involved in the 18-year relationship. We are more concerned with something unexpected such as an accident rather than separation.
No, durable powers of attorney and advance medical directives do not create the same rights and duties as marriage. The public policy of the Commonwealth support marriage as a fundamental institution of society in ways not enjoyed by mere parties to a contract. Spouses enjoy a number of rights and... Read more »
Jan 24 will be a year since we separated but our daughter was born in October. We both agree that we are never getting back together
The required separation agreement for a no fault divorce in Virginia is one year from the date of separation, with at least one of the parties intending for the separation to be permanent, and maintaining that intent continuously for the period of separation. If the parties have no minor children... Read more »
This to ensure my kids get half the house in case I pass first.
Most married couples in Virginia own their real property as tenants by the entirety with the common-law right of survivorship. This tenancy is based on the old common-law fiction that a husband and wife were a single legal unit. Each spouse owns the undivided whole. Upon the death of either, the... Read more »
arrested for "assault on family member"
Officer stated that VA code requires someone to be arrested if the police are called for a domestic issue. My husband threatened to leave with our child. I pulled his shirt to stop him and also beeped his horn so a neighbor would assist. They called... Read more »
It is not unusual in family abuse cases for the complaining witness to decline prosecution, after thinking the matter over. Nevertheless, a criminal offense is considered an offense against the state, not between two private parties, and the state could compel a witness to testify against that... Read more »
How do I go about getting money from my husbands account as an emergency? Someone said I can take a withdraw form and have him sign it and put thumbprint in front of witnesses. Is this true?
A person may act for an incapacitated person either as a guardian or conservator by virtue of a court order, a court appointed guardian ad litem, or pursuant to a durable power of attorney. The durable power of attorney must be signed by the principal before becoming incapacitated or during a... Read more »
My Father passed in January and left his personal property and his home to his children. The widow of 8 years is not
cooperating and I would like to sell the home to settle my Fathers affairs. The widow believes everything is hers and will not allow us to have the person family items.
You do not indicate in your question whether your father died testate - with a will - or intestate - without a will, whether his surviving spouse is claiming any statutory rights to his augmented estate or family residence. I would assume he died with a will because you do not recognize any rights... Read more »
we have been legally separated for 3 years. The complaint was filed in 2017 and the case is still active. My ex's attorney is demanding that I give him my SSN in order to file an affidavit to submit to the court. I don't think that I need to provide this confidential information.
The spouses's social security numbers appear on at least two forms in a divorce in Virginia, the VS-4 form for Vital Statistics and a Confidential Addendum for identification purposes. The Confidential Addendum is sealed and confidential in the case file, so members of the public cannot view it.... Read more »
Neither representing attorneys or judge adhered to the Federal Military Spouse Protection Act regarding community property. I would of been under the 1982 rules. I did not know about this federal act at the time.
Your question contains a mixture of somewhat complex issues and illustrates a conflict between federal and state law. The first issue is preemption. Preemption occurs when exclusive federal jurisdiction and law on specific areas of law prevent action under state jurisdiction and laws, for... Read more »
I was granted primary custody of a child in July. The other party appealed and they were granted a trial de novo in Circuit Court. We are both currently pro-se. I previously submitted admissions and interrogatories for the case in July. The other party responded but did not provide their own... Read more »
A witness can be impeached by prior inconsistent testimony or sworn responses in discovery. Impeachment requires a particular sequence of questioning that allows the witness to first give correct testimony, recollect instances of prior testimony, and then acknowledge prior inconsistencies. There... Read more »
Grandparents passed with a will stating equal distribution among the surviving children. One of their children passed without a will. Sale of grandparents real estate to be divided among children of the recently deceased. Fathered a child outside of wedlock. Child was left out of listing of heirs... Read more »
This is a somewhat complicated issue which should be discussed with an experienced Virginia probate lawyer with the benefit of an illustration of the family tree. Generally, a child or descendant of a child, born out of wedlock, has the essentially the same rights as an heir as the other children... Read more »
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