Focused counsel
Wills & Trusts
Build an estate plan that clearly expresses your wishes and protects the people you care about.
Focused counsel
Special Needs Trusts
Protect quality of life for beneficiaries with disabilities without undermining public-benefits eligibility.
Focused counsel
Elder Law
Support seniors and their families with planning around care, housing, asset protection, and contingencies.
Focused counsel
Guardianships
Help families understand when court-supervised decision-making authority may be necessary.
Focused counsel
Probate
Navigate court-supervised estate administration with practical guidance and steady communication.
Focused counsel
Estate & Trust Litigation
Resolve disputes over validity, interpretation, and enforcement with strategic, fact-driven counsel.
Detailed Services
In-depth guidance across our core practice areas.
01
Service Focus
Wills & Trusts
Build an estate plan that clearly expresses your wishes and protects the people you care about.
A will provides instructions for how someone wants property treated after death. It applies to assets owned solely in that person’s name, while jointly owned property or assets with beneficiary designations may pass outside the will.
Trusts are independent entities that can own and convey assets. Used properly, they can help avoid probate, reduce taxes, and protect family members while supporting broader financial and family goals.
Common focus points
- Surveying your assets and ownership structure
- Coordinating wills, trusts, and beneficiary designations
- Reducing probate friction where possible
- Planning for family protection and long-term control
02
Service Focus
Special Needs Trusts
Protect quality of life for beneficiaries with disabilities without undermining public-benefits eligibility.
Persons with disabilities may be entitled to Medicaid and other public benefits, but eligibility often depends on satisfying strict asset limits.
Assets held in a properly structured special needs trust generally are not counted in the Medicaid needs test. That allows beneficiaries to remain eligible for benefits while still receiving support from the trust.
Common focus points
- First-party and third-party planning considerations
- Protecting Medicaid and public-benefit eligibility
- Selecting trustees and defining trustee responsibilities
- Creating support structures that improve quality of life
03
Service Focus
Elder Law
Support seniors and their families with planning around care, housing, asset protection, and contingencies.
Some senior adults benefit from focused guidance around finances, living arrangements, and long-term care decisions. Effective elder law counsel requires sensitivity to both legal needs and family realities.
The practice often involves planning around accessible housing, Medicaid availability, asset protection, and the steps families can take to preserve quality of life while preparing for uncertainty.
Common focus points
- Planning for care transitions and capacity changes
- Helping families think through housing and accessibility
- Asset protection and Medicaid-related strategy
- Addressing abuse-prevention and contingency planning
04
Service Focus
Guardianships
Help families understand when court-supervised decision-making authority may be necessary.
Disabled adults who are unable to manage property or make health care decisions may need a court to designate someone else to act on their behalf.
In Maryland, that process begins with a petition for guardianship; in the District of Columbia, conservatorship may also come into play. Judicial oversight can protect vulnerable adults and create accountability for those appointed to serve them.
Common focus points
- Assessing whether guardianship is the right path
- Preparing petitions and required court materials
- Handling contested guardianship matters when disputes arise
- Supporting fiduciaries after appointment
05
Service Focus
Probate
Navigate court-supervised estate administration with practical guidance and steady communication.
When someone dies, the court supervises how assets pass to survivors. If there is a will, the will is admitted to probate and used to direct the distribution of the estate.
If someone dies without a will, property is distributed under the laws of intestacy. The probate process also helps ensure taxes and estate obligations are addressed in the proper order.
Common focus points
- Guiding families through probate filings and deadlines
- Coordinating with personal representatives and heirs
- Reducing avoidable financial and emotional burdens
- Managing questions about taxes, title, and administration
06
Service Focus
Estate & Trust Litigation
Resolve disputes over validity, interpretation, and enforcement with strategic, fact-driven counsel.
People may challenge whether a will or trust is valid, disagree with its interpretation, or question how it is being enforced. These disagreements can become emotionally charged and financially significant.
When possible, the firm encourages alternatives to litigation. When court involvement is necessary, the goal is to chart the strongest course based on the legal, financial, and personal circumstances of the case.
Common focus points
- Will and trust contests
- Questions about fiduciary conduct or enforcement
- Interpretation disputes and family conflicts
- Strategic evaluation of litigation versus negotiated resolution
Next Step