Legal planning protects individuals and businesses from uncertainty and unnecessary conflict. Proper wills, trusts, and business agreements reduce probate delays, clarify succession, preserve value, and help minimize tax exposure where lawful. Thoughtful planning also establishes decision-making authority for incapacity and lays out clear steps for owners to transition or sell a business smoothly.
Coordinated planning ensures assets are titled and documented to achieve intended protections and transfers. When business ownership, family inheritances, and trust arrangements are drafted to complement each other, you reduce the risk of unexpected tax consequences, gaps in authority, and obstacles to efficient succession.
Hatcher Legal offers dedicated attention to the intersection of personal and business planning, drafting clear documents that reflect your goals and comply with Virginia law. We emphasize communication, careful drafting, and a pragmatic approach to solve complex ownership and succession issues for families and businesses.
Life events and legal changes can alter the effectiveness of earlier plans. We recommend periodic reviews to update beneficiary designations, reflect property changes, address new business issues, and revise succession plans so documents remain aligned with current objectives and circumstances.
Hatcher Legal provides estate planning services including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, advance directives, and trust administration support, along with business law services such as entity formation, shareholder and operating agreements, buy-sell arrangements, and succession planning tailored to your goals and Virginia law. We also assist with commercial contracts, business transactions, and representation in civil litigation when disputes arise. Our approach emphasizes clear drafting, coordination between personal and business plans, and practical solutions that protect assets and support orderly transitions.
Cost varies based on complexity, document types needed, and whether coordinated business planning is required. Simple wills and basic powers of attorney are typically more affordable, while comprehensive estate plans involving trusts, tax planning, or complex asset structures will involve higher fees that reflect drafting and planning time. We provide transparent fee estimates after an initial consultation and can discuss phased or targeted engagements to meet budget constraints while addressing the most important legal protections first. Ask about typical fees during your initial intake call.
Forming a business entity in Virginia can often be completed within a few days to a couple of weeks depending on document preparation and state filing processing times. Choosing the appropriate entity type and preparing governing documents adds time but ensures proper protections and operational clarity from the start. Factors affecting timeline include the need for negotiated ownership agreements, waiting for federal tax ID numbers, or having multiple owners review drafts. We guide clients through each step efficiently to reduce delays and ensure compliance with state requirements.
Yes, you can update or revoke a will after it has been signed, provided you have the mental capacity required by law. Updates are commonly made after marriage, divorce, births, deaths, significant asset changes, or when personal wishes change. A codicil or a new will can accomplish revisions depending on the extent of the changes. We recommend reviewing and updating your will along with related documents like trusts and beneficiary designations to ensure consistency across your entire estate plan. We can advise on the best approach to amend or replace existing documents.
A will directs distribution of assets after death and often triggers probate, which is a public court process. A trust is a private arrangement that can manage assets during life and after death, often avoiding probate and providing greater control over timing and conditions of distributions to beneficiaries. Trusts can also address management for minors or persons unable to manage assets and offer flexibility for complex estates. The right choice depends on asset types, privacy preferences, and goals for distribution and management.
Yes, we handle civil and commercial disputes, including contract claims, shareholder disagreements, and business litigation that arise from governance or transactional conflicts. When disputes are likely, we advise clients on preventative drafting and alternative dispute resolution clauses to limit exposure and encourage negotiated solutions. If litigation is necessary, we represent clients in court and pursue efficient strategies to protect business value and client interests. Our litigation experience informs our drafting to minimize risks and create enforceable agreements.
Protecting business assets begins with proper entity formation, clear separation of personal and business finances, and well-drafted governance and contract provisions. Buy-sell agreements, indemnity clauses, and appropriate insurance are practical tools to manage risk and provide predictable outcomes if disputes or creditor claims arise. Asset protection must be implemented lawfully and consider timing, existing obligations, and tax consequences. We evaluate your situation to recommend legitimate structuring and contractual protections that help preserve value and limit exposure.
Bring any existing estate documents, corporate formation papers, deeds, trust documents, business agreements, insurance policies, recent account statements, and a list of assets and liabilities. Also provide names and contact information for family members, co-owners, or beneficiaries so we can understand relationships relevant to planning. If available, bring recent tax returns and organizational documents for any business interests. Providing thorough documentation at the first meeting helps us give practical recommendations and a realistic timeline for drafting and implementing plans.
Review your estate plan and business documents at key life events such as marriage, divorce, births, deaths, property or business transfers, or significant financial changes. In addition, periodic reviews every three to five years help ensure documents remain current with law changes and evolving personal or business circumstances. Regular reviews prevent outdated beneficiary designations or governance gaps and allow for timely updates to reflect new objectives, assets, or regulatory changes that could affect how plans operate in practice.
We work primarily with clients in Virginia and the surrounding region but can assist clients with multi-state concerns and coordinate with local counsel as needed. For clients who reside out of state, we advise on Virginia-specific matters and collaborate with attorneys in other jurisdictions to address cross-border or multi-state legal issues. When matters require filings or counsel in another state, we ensure coordination and clarity about which laws apply, how documents should be executed, and where filings are needed so your plan functions smoothly across jurisdictions.
