Monday - Friday8:30AM - 5PM
OfficesFairfax | Manassas
Honest Review · Special Situations
Already have a plan? Let us check it.
If you signed your estate plan years ago, we review what you have, identify what is out of date, and tell you plainly whether a full rewrite is the right move or whether a smaller update will do. No pressure toward the bigger project.
First call is a conversation, not a commitment.
The Short Answer
An estate plan reflects your life on the day you signed it. Life moves. A review is a chance to find out what still works and what has quietly gone stale, and to hear an honest answer about whether you need a small update or a clean rewrite.
How It Works
What a review looks at.
A review is a structured second look at the documents you already have. Here is the ground we cover before we tell you anything.
1
We read what you have
We go through your will, your financial power of attorney, your advance medical directive, and your guardianship designation, and we look at your beneficiary forms. We start from the documents, not assumptions.
2
We check the names
Executors, agents, guardians, and beneficiaries. People pass away, move away, or fall out of your life. We flag anyone named who no longer fits, and any role left without a backup.
3
We check the assets and the life events
Property you no longer own, new assets that are not covered, a marriage, a divorce, a birth, a death, or a move to a new state. Each of these can pull a plan out of date in ways that are easy to miss.
4
We give you a straight answer
We tell you plainly whether your plan is fine as is, needs a small update, or would be cleaner as a full rewrite. If it is fine, we say so. We do not push the larger project when it is not warranted.
i
Codicil, or clean rewrite?
Small changes can sometimes be handled with a codicil or an updated beneficiary form. But a will patched repeatedly over the years can get confusing for the family who has to follow it. When enough has changed, a clean rewrite is often easier and clearer than another patch. We help you weigh which one actually fits.
This page is general information, not legal advice for your situation. We base the recommendation on your actual documents.
Signs It Is Time
When a plan has drifted out of date.
If any of these sounds familiar, a review is worth the afternoon. These are the most common reasons a plan no longer matches the life it was written for.
01
A Major Life Event
A marriage, divorce, birth, adoption, or death in the family since you last signed. Each one can change who should inherit or decide.
02
Outdated Names
An executor, agent, guardian, or beneficiary who has passed away, moved away, or is simply no longer the right choice.
03
Changed Assets
Property you no longer own, or significant new assets, a home, an account, a business, that your plan never accounted for.
04
A Move
A move to or from Virginia. Estate documents are state-specific, and a plan written elsewhere may not fit cleanly here.
Worth Knowing
A reviewed plan, or an old one you hope still works.
An estate plan is not a one-time document. The honest question is whether yours still says what you would say today.
+ After a review
- You know exactly what still works and what does not
- Outdated names and missing backups are caught
- New assets and life changes are accounted for
- You get a straight answer on update versus rewrite
− Without one
- An old plan may name people who are gone or estranged
- Assets you have since acquired may not be covered
- A plan from another state may not fit Virginia cleanly
- The family inherits the confusion you did not resolve
Alisa Chunephisal, Esq.
Family Law Attorney
From the Attorney
"Sometimes the honest answer is that your plan is fine. When it is, we tell you that and send you home."
People are often nervous to bring in an old plan, expecting to be told they have to start over. Frequently that is not the case. A few small updates, a refreshed beneficiary form, and the plan is back in shape.
When a rewrite genuinely is the better move, we explain why in plain terms, usually because so much has changed that patching it would only confuse the family later. Either way, you get a straight answer, not a sales pitch. That is the whole point of an honest review.
The Full Plan
Explore the rest of the estate plan.
01 Last Will & Testament →
02 Power of Attorney →
03 Advance Medical Directive →
04 Guardianship Designation →
05 Beneficiary Coordination →
06 Testamentary Trusts →
07 Post-Divorce Updates →
08 Blended-Family Planning →
09 Special-Needs Provisions →
10 Business Owner Planning →
11 Non-Traditional Families →
12 Plan Reviews You are here
Questions Families Ask
Plain answers about plan reviews.
What is an estate plan review?
It is a focused look at the documents you already have to see what still works and what has fallen out of date. We read your will, powers of attorney, advance medical directive, and beneficiary designations, then tell you plainly what holds up and what needs to change.
How do I know if my plan is out of date?
Common signs are a plan signed before a marriage, divorce, birth, or death in the family, named people who have since passed away or fallen out of your life, assets you no longer own or new ones you do, or a move to or from another state. If any of those apply, a review is worth doing.
Do I need a full rewrite or just an update?
It depends on how much has changed. Small changes can sometimes be made with a codicil or an updated beneficiary form, while bigger life changes often call for a clean rewrite that is easier for your family to follow. We tell you honestly which one fits, rather than pushing the larger project by default.
How often should I have it reviewed?
A good rhythm is every three to five years, and any time a major life event happens. Marriage, divorce, a birth or adoption, a death, a significant change in assets, or a move to a new state are all natural moments to take another look, even if you only spent an afternoon on the documents originally.
When You Are Ready
Bring us what you already have.
Send us your existing documents and we will read them, flag what is out of date, and give you a straight answer on whether a small update or a clean rewrite is the right move. No pressure either way. Three Northern Virginia offices, one phone number.