Virginia Elder Law Lawyers

Mike Hollingsworth is an aggressive, compassionate, honest attorney based in Old Town Alexandria, VA. He has extensive successful trial and appellate experience in state and federal court. Mike brings over a decade of experience to his practice in criminal and civil litigation and is rated a top lawyer by Northern Virginia Magazine, Super Lawyers® and Best Lawyers®. Mike advocates aggressively but compassionately for his clients with a keen sense for identifying the strengths and weaknesses of both sides of every case. Mike has achieved dozens of winning verdicts and case dismissals over his career.

Stephen Taylor earned his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from the University of Richmond School of Law, where he served as Allen Chair Editor of the University of Richmond Law Review. He was a member of the John Marshall Inn of Court and was inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa leadership honor society. Stephen's primary practice areas include Elder Law, Estate Planning, Business Planning, Estate and Trust Administration, and litigation in support of these practice areas. Stephen is licensed to practice in Virginia and North Carolina.

You're never too young or too old to start thinking about the legacy you will leave behind. Estate planning is necessary for the very young and the very old. It's necessary for those with many assets, and those with few. It's necessary for single people and married couples, with kids and without. Too many people think estate planning is for "someone else." But the reality is that estate planning is for everyone. It's not about your death, it's about the lives of those you love. We use a unique life-stage approach to estate planning; we consider your needs...

Deborah N. Arthur has built a long-standing reputation in the Fairfax County, Virginia community for being an attorney with a drive for success. Earning her B.S. in Business Administration from George Mason University in 1977, she continued her education, earning her J.D. from George Mason University in 1982, after spending two years at the Department of Justice. Since then, she has assisted those in need of legal representation in matters concerning divorce, bankruptcy, personal injury, family law, and estate matters. So, what separates Mrs. Arthur from the crowd? She understands that bad things sometimes happen to good people. That's why she...

Ari graduated cum laude from Boston College Law School, where he was the Managing Editor of the Boston College Environmental Affairs Law Review. Originally from Boston, MA, Ari relocated to Virginia in 2011 after meeting his bride, Garland, and joined the Stapleton Elder Law family soon thereafter. The couple wed in Clarke County in 2012 and live “happily ever after” in Charlottesville. Ari and Garland welcomed their first child, Elspeth Margaret, in March, 2015. While Ari’s focus in on Elder Law and Asset Protection, he is also an expert on Veterans benefits. Ari takes the time to listen to...

Sheryl Herndon is the owner and founder of Herndon Law, P.C., a client-centered firm that specializes in General Estate Planning, Elder Law, Estate and Trust Administration, Fiduciary Services, Long-Term Care and Medicaid Planning, Guardianships and Conservatorships for Incapacitated Adults, Veterans Benefits, and representing clients in Involuntary Civil Commitment Proceedings. A Richmond native, Sheryl received her undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech (GO HOKIES!) and graduated cum laude from the University of Richmond’s T.C. Williams School of Law where she was a founding member of The Richmond Journal of Law and Technology, the world’s first law review to be published exclusively online. ...

Coming to the Oast & Taylor team with valued legal experience, Ms. Smith adds significant skill and talent to our practice. Certified as an Elder Law Attorney (CELA) by the National Elder Law Foundation (NELF), she offers clients exceptional legal assistance in the areas of Elder Law, Estate Planning, Estate and Trust Administration, Asset Protection Planning, Special Needs Planning, Long-term Care Planning and Veterans Benefits Planning. Ms. Smith is a twenty year veteran of the United States Air Force. Her ongoing work with veterans in our community includes the preparation, presentation and prosecution of claims for veterans benefits...

Brad Brickhouse adds significant talent to the Oast & Taylor team and shows his commitment to our community by serving every client with a clear focus of their personal goals in mind. His primary areas of practice include Elder Law, Guardianships and Conservatorships, Financial Abuse, Estate and Trust Disputes, and Will Contests.

My legal practice involves both planning and litigation in my practice areas, all of which is done from Little Haven Farm, a 4-acre horse farm and my residence. Personal time is spent riding horses, working on my English gardens and playing the piano.

Sali Duling practices law in Mechanicsville, Virginia, with her husband, Jeffrey Duling.

I am an attorney in a general practice law firm. The focus of my practice is domestic relations and civil litigation. I represent clients in complex custody and visitation cases, divorces, modification and enforcement of court orders and negotiation of settlement agreements.

I bring my real life experience to the practice of law. As a divorced parent and step-parent, I understand the financial and emotional challenges which can arise and the demands of co-parenting and blended families. I am a strong advocate of "sparing the children" and I am committed to creative problem solving which allows...

Neal Knudsen is an experienced attorney at Vanderpool, Frostick & Nishanian, P.C. Over the course of many years of practicing law, Neal has exhibited a skill for working within the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts. Neal demonstrates a deep knowledge of the DSS system, and is able to work on sensitive child dependency cases with skill and attention to important time constraints.

Neil’s experience includes trial practice before the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts and Circuit Courts, as well as appellate practice before the Virginia Court of Appeals. Beginning in 2002, Mr Knudsen participated in, and presented before, statewide...

B.A. University of Richmond 1975 J.D. University of Richmond - T.C. Williams School of Law 1980

Rod Sutherland began his legal career in 1982, and emphasizes legal service concerning Estate, Will and Trust planning, as well as Business Succession planning. Rod understands that each individual's and each family's needs are different and that it is very important to create estate plans that are custom made for his clients.

Van Smith focuses his practice on family law and estate planning, including divorce, custody and support matters. He is the sole owner of SMITH | STRONG, PLC, with offices in Richmond and Williamsburg, Virginia. Van’s family law practice resolves complex divorce, related tax and business issues, custody and support plans, property distribution, integrated solutions for wealth preservation and management post-separation, civil litigation, defense of juvenile and domestic relations court criminal matters, and estate planning. He also practices elder law, assisting families with planning effectively for nursing home costs. We recognize many of our family law clients are in...

Tax Representation: Brooke provides tax planning, audit representation, and tax controversy services including negotiating an offer-in-compromise, installment agreement, abatement requests and FBAR compliance programs. She also regularly represents business owners with payroll tax issues and trust fund interviews. Corporate: She represents small to mid-size businesses in various industries and is experienced in determining the appropriate entity formation, performing business planning, corporate governance, contract drafting and negotiation and tax compliance services. When her clients make the decision to terminate their involvement with the business, whether it is though a liquidation, bankruptcy reorganization, asset purchase agreement,...

Jeremy Pryor is a Principal at Carrell Blanton Ferris practicing in the areas of elder law, estate planning, estate administration, and incapacity-related litigation. He focuses his representation on protecting assets from the costs of long term care and advising clients seeking qualification for Medicaid benefits or the Veterans Affairs “Aid and Attendance” benefit. In addition to working with seniors and these programs, Jeremy spends a significant portion of his practice in court, representing clients in becoming guardians and conservators, litigating the use or alleged misuse of powers of attorney documents, and serving as a guardian ad litem for incapacitated adults....

Travis is a native of Southwest Virginia. He graduated from Northwood High School in 2003. After high school, he attended the University of Virginia's College at Wise. He was member of the UVA-Wise Dearden Society, he was named to the Dean's List multiple semesters, and received the Joesph M. Scolnick Memorial Pre-Law Award. He graduated from UVA-Wise in 2007. Travis then studied law at the Appalachian School of Law. After being named to the Dean's List three consecutive semesters, Travis graduated from ASL, in the top of his class, in 2011. He took and...

Ken Golski concentrates his practice on general business matters such as contract review and negotiation, corporate formation, collection issues and other matters a small, large, or individual business owner may face. He also has extensive experience in employment law, civil litigation, and criminal law. Ken is a member of Golski Law Group in Norfolk, Virginia, was a Senior Trial Attorney for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, represented the City of Virginia Beach and the Virginia Beach Public Schools as a member of the Office of the City Attorney of the City of Virginia Beach, and served as...