Bel Alton Estate Planning Lawyers

Alycia Stack has spent her career litigating in Southern Maryland, helping families and children through times of crisis. She concentrates her practice in family law, including divorce, child custody, and adoption. She most recently represented children in the child welfare system, throughout foster care, terminations of parental rights, and adoptions as a Staff Attorney at Maryland Legal Aid. Prior to that she represented victims of domestic violence in peace and protective order proceedings. Alycia has handled over 300 peace and protective order cases and has extensive training in domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, and trauma. She is active in...

Choosing a family lawyer is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. Nothing matters more than family matters. Your Family Lawyer must have character, emotional range and most important of all, the right temperament. You are looking for an attorney who has the litigation, mediation and accounting skills to win, but you also need an ally you can trust. When you have both, you can feel confident at every turn and every step of the way.

Mr. Ealley's practice focuses primarily on Consumer Bankruptcy and Estate Planning. In representing clients in bankruptcy, James understands the financial stress people are experiencing. He understands their concerns to protect their assets, rebuild their financial lives and create a better future for their families. James counsels clients to alleviate their worries and concerns and develop a plan to address their financial problems, whether it be stopping a foreclosure, repossession or garnishment, or erasing credit card, medical or tax debt. Doing so requires a thorough understanding of the Federal Bankruptcy laws. Since beginning his practice in bankruptcy in 2001, James has...

Benjamin Marcoux joined Houlon, Berman, Bergman, Finci, Levenstein & Skok, LLC in June of 2010. Prior to joining the firm, he worked with the Collaborative Law Group in Ellicott City, Maryland. He served clients in a variety of practice areas including: family, civil litigation, collaborative law, wills and probate, and personal injury. Ben has appeared before judges and masters in Montgomery, Prince George's, Howard, Anne Arundel, Calvert and Worcester counties. While in law school, Ben served as Dean's Fellow to Professor Rice, the former Evidence Master for the AT&T break-up litigation. Ben is a member of the...

Lorna Maloney, Esq. is the Founder and Managing Partner of Maloney & Hayes Law Offices, PC. with offices in Maryland and the District of Columbia. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology; Master of Arts Degree in Political Management and her Juris Doctorate Degree with honors. Ms. Maloney taught legal courses for several years before getting into private practice. She is committed to providing exceptional legal service to all of her clients.

Nicole devotes her law practice exclusively to building and protecting families. When working with her clients, she takes an educational approach so her clients fully understand their options and the steps they should take to achieve their goals. She takes the time to listen to your concerns and answer any questions you may have. As a result, she has a better understanding of your situation and can respond effectively with practical and sensible solutions. Nicole's unique assisted reproduction/surrogacy program is designed to give both Intended Parents and Surrogate Mothers support and peace of mind from the moment they contact her office...

Meredith Hill Law is a women run law firm that serves as legal concierge and general counsel for small businesses, as well as, assists individual clients with their estate plans. From the start of her legal career, Meredith knew that she wanted to start her own law firm. She wanted to create a business and brand of her own that would be a positive impact to others in her community. When she first began her firm, Meredith fell in love with running her businesses and it sparked a desire for her to help other business owners with their legal needs.

As...

Mark W. Oakley is an established litigation attorney concentrating on civil litigation, personal injury, construction law, and criminal and traffic defense. He also advises business clients, negotiates and drafts contracts, and handles a variety of litigation matters at all levels of the state and federal court systems. Mr. Oakley is trained and certified in the collaborative practice of law. Mr. Oakley is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law (J.D. 1987), and the University of Maryland, College Park (B.A. 1984). He is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association, the District of...

In an increasingly complex and specialized world, it is important to keep a specific focus. Our focus is the law involving estates and trusts. Within this practice area, however, we do it all: planning, administration, and litigation. We have over 30 years of experience advising individuals, families and closely held businesses on a variety of matters related to wealth accumulation, preservation and transfer. We prepare wills, trusts, powers of attorney, business planning documents, estate tax returns, and many other documents to address our clients’ estate planning and administration needs. We also litigate estate and trust matters and serve as the...

The National Law Center, George Washington University J.D., with Honors
University of Maryland, BA Major in Government & Politics, Minor in Psychology
Civic, Professional, Foundation and Corporate Affiliations:

Delegate to Democratic National Convention
Campaign Manager for Rep. Michael D. Barnes
Rockville Chamber of Commerce – Past President
National Capital Chapter of MS Society - Board of Trustees, and Past Chair
Shady Grove Hospital Fund Campaign - Major Gift Chair
Montgomery County Bar Association –Chair Judicial Selections; Member of Ethics, Fee Arbitration and Legislation Committees
Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce - Vice President
Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce - Liquor Control Evaluation
Rockville Alternative Community Service Commission
Montgomery County Volunteer MS Committee -...

Michelle Chapin, a member of the firm’s Estate Planning, Estate & Trust Administration, Tax and Corporate practice groups, advises individuals, families and small business owners regarding their estate and gift planning needs. Recognized as a Top Trusts and Estates Lawyer in Washingtonian magazine, Michelle excels at providing clients with easy to understand explanations of intricate legal and tax matters. She works closely with her clients to create comprehensive and customized estate and business succession plans to achieve their tax and non-tax wealth preservation objectives. She also helps clients implement lifetime gifting and post-mortem wealth transfer strategies and counsels fiduciaries on...

I am a dedicated attorney with a focus on family law, guardianship and elder law litigation. Known for my fierce advocacy, I am committed to ensuring that my clients achieve the most favorable outcomes in their legal matters. I approach sensitive family dynamics with understanding and patience, offering the support my clients need during challenging times. As a native of Baltimore, I deeply value family life and actively participate in community initiatives, reflecting my dedication to making a positive impact beyond the courtroom.

Paula Calimafde chairs the firm’s Retirement Plans, Employee Benefits and Government Relations practice groups and is also a senior member of the Estate Planning, Tax and Nonprofit groups. She has more than 35 years of experience advising companies and tax-exempt organizations on qualified and non-qualified retirement plans and employee benefits, including non-qualified deferred compensation, welfare benefit and cafeteria plans. She is a nationally recognized leader in the field of creative retirement plan designs for businesses and works closely with management and owners to prepare retirement plans, which suit the particular corporate needs.
Paula’s practice encompasses sophisticated estate planning and advising individuals...

The law firm of Pare & Assoc., LLC (formerly Law Offices of Alice Pare) is a 10+ attorney law firm with locations in Germantown and Silver Spring. We practice several disciplines, including all aspects of family law, Trusts and Estates, Probate, Criminal Law, Bankruptcy, and consumer protection. We strive for excellence and to counsel our clients to react to their circumstnaces with reason. We do our best to keep our fees low and affordable, and encourage our clients to work toward settlement. When settlement is not possible, then we aggressively pursue our clients goals through litigation. We strive to partner...

Wayne Eig refers to himself as a business and tax lawyer for individuals and closely held entities, providing advice to clients involved in various business, investment, financial and succession planning activities. Sometimes, his clients are individuals or families, sometimes entities and often a combination of individuals/families and affiliated entities working together. Sometimes, these businesses have great value, sometimes they do not – but all of these clients have needs which require legal attention.
Over the course of his career, Wayne has chaired some of the firm’s major practice groups – Estate & Trust Administration, Estate Planning, Tax, and Corporate. In forty...

Paul Marcotte, Jr. Chairs the firm’s Tax practice group and is a member of its Estate Planning, Estate & Trust Administration and Nonprofit groups. He concentrates his practice on federal, state and international tax matters (both planning and controversy), estate and wealth preservation planning, probate and trust administration, nonprofit organizations, and business counseling and succession planning. Paul helps his clients by putting complicated tax issues into simple English. He makes sure that the individuals, businesses and international clients he services have help navigating our complex tax systems and avoid potential minefields such as increased levels taxation and/or penalties.
Paul’s international...

Roy Niedermayer is a member of the firm’s Litigation, Appellate Practice and Government Contracts practice areas. He excels in risk management - he identifies and assesses risk in each of his cases and then discusses alternative strategies in light of probabilities of outcomes to determine what the best cost-benefit course of action is. He may create decision tree analyses, determining what factors affect risk, how to reduce risk, and assigns probability of success. When first meeting with a client, Roy finds out what the client is hoping to achieve and what their goals are - in doing this he understands...

Michael F. Callahan practices family law, estate planning and elder law in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. Mr. Callahan is the partner in charge of the firm’s estate planning and elder law practice.
He received his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University in 1987, and is a member of the Georgetown Chapter of Order of the Coif. He has practiced law for over thirty years.
He has been named among the top lawyers by Washingtonian Magazine and Maryland Super Lawyers
He lives with his wife, their children from time to time, and their cat in Arlington, Virginia.

My philosophy is a guiding principle in my law practice and I apply it in every facet of serving my clients. My practice is an extension of that philosophy as I help clients problem solve when they are in the throes of a crisis. My philosophy also guides me when I am helping clients to avoid a future crisis through strategic planning and when I help them set priorities to mitigate the impact of a future problem.

Attorney Robin Rucker Gaillard is adept at the law and her ability to listen closely and to provide strong counsel along with a solid...

Nakia Gray is a multi-faceted businesswoman and lawyer. She leverages her expertise in intellectual property law and brand strategy to give Black women business owners the legal strategies they need to package, protect and profit from their intellectual property. Having launched her law firm in 2014, Nakia has provided brand strategy and legal solutions to thousands of small business owners, and believes that with the right legal strategy a business can expand, grow and create a lasting legacy. For four years in a row Nakia has been named a Top Attorney by Washington, D.C.’s SuperLawyers magazine and has been featured on the...

As the founder and managing partner at Francois Legal Group, LLC, E. Regine Francois applies diverse legal and life experience to effectively represent individuals and businesses across a range of practice areas that include: estate planning, civil litigation, personal injury law, protective orders, and consumer matters.
With over a decade of legal experience, Regine understands the value of meticulous preparation to anticipate and avoid potential problems, while asserting her clients’ rights to the fullest extent. She truly cares about each client and views her role as effectively representing and counseling her clients about their options and the potential realities they face...

MD-DC licensed. Practicing for 35 years. Former securities attorney in DC, New York, Philadelphia. Moved to Calvert County 13 years ago and established private practice focused on estate planning and business law. Author, LIVE SECURE: FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR WOMEN. Regular columnist, Chesapeake Current's "Your Money Matters".

I practice in all aspects of estate planning and elder law. I have over a decade of experience in these and related areas of law. Some of the services I provide include: · Planning for high net-worth individuals · Handling nearly all types of probate, guardianship, and trust administration cases · Representing Personal Representatives of estates in every step of the probate process · Providing Powers of Attorney for healthcare and...

Jeffrey Kolender chairs the firm’s Estate Planning and Estate & Trust Administration practice groups. He concentrates primarily in those areas and also advises small businesses in tax business planning. Jeffrey recognizes that each client is different and enjoys the challenge of creating a plan that accomplishes the client’s unique goals. He advises clients about adequately providing for their family, including saving taxes, creating trusts for children, planning for disability, and the special planning issues involved in second marriages and same-sex marriages.
He understands that estate planning can be a complex and emotional process for clients. Jeffrey always takes the time to...

The attorneys at Schifanelli & Associates are tough-minded advocates, expert researchers and litigators, focused, and determined to solve difficult cases. Marc Schifanelli is retired US Army Special Forces veteran with enourmous experience in immigration and criminal defense. Gordana Schifanelli is licensed financial advisor, littigator and focues in family law, child custody and FINRA Littigation/Broker Fraud.

Founded in 2003, Simpson Law, PA provides a comprehensive, compassionate, and convenient way for busy parents and professionals to obtain vitally necessary estate planning services in MD, DC and VA. The standard package of documents provided includes a Will, Power of Attorney for Health Care, Power of Attorney for Finances, and a Living Will. Depending upon the client’s needs, trusts such as marital trusts, children’s trusts, and life insurance trusts are advised and prepared. Suzanne counsels clients with regard to strategies to reduce or eliminate estate tax liability, and makes recommendations regarding asset titling, life insurance, and...

Tom Downs is an Estate Planning Attorney who currently resides in Laurel, Maryland with his wife, Margie Lazzati Downs. They have three children, Patrick, Lauren, and Joseph Downs.

Patrick is married,  and is a civilian employee of the US Army, following five years service as an Army officer. He served a one year tour in Afghanistan, during which he lead numerous dangerous missions. We are proud of his service and thankful that he and his team made it home safely. We have a great appreciation for those who serve, and what they and their families do.

Lauren is married. She teaches at...

Gilda O. Karpouzian moved to Annapolis, Maryland 33 years ago. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Maryland in 1990 with degrees in Information System Management and Economics. After graduation, she worked for the Maryland Department of Legislative Reference for a year, then entered the University of Maryland School of Law where she obtained her Juris Doctor degree in 1996.

Ms. Karpouzian established her law firm in Annapolis, Maryland in1998 after few years of private practice in one of the larger law firms in Annapolis. She has represented clients from all Maryland cities, including Severna Park, Pasadena, Glen Burnie,...

Mr. Duvall received his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Baltimore in 1990. For over eighteen years, he has successfully represented business and individual clients in the Baltimore/D.C. corridor. Passionate about providing thorough and highly personalized service, Mr. Duvall works with clients to achieve both protection and planning for the future. Duvall Law Firm, LLC has dedicated staff who are ready to serve you in the following areas: Estate Planning Incapacity Planning Wills Trusts Specialized Wealth Transfer Trusts DynastyTrusts Charitable Trusts Gifting Trusts Estate Administration Trust Administration Asset Protection Disability Planning Business Planning New Business Formation Purchase or Sale of Businesses Succession Planning Contract Review Shareholder/Member Agreements Business Outside Counsel Providing small businesses with immediate access to legal...

Debbie Cohn’s keys to professional success are as diverse as her eclectic client base that consists of professionals, business owners, retirees, and non-U.S. citizens. Yet perhaps her most critical—and comforting—characteristic is an ability to explain complex concepts in a way her clients can understand. Debbie’s approach to estate planning is equal parts pragmatic and creative, which helps put her clients at ease with the knowledge that their families will be cared for and protected, and their asset protection and wealth management goals will be met. And her wealth of experience and vast knowledge of the law allow her to blend...

Mark Goldstein, one of the founders of the firm, is a member of its Corporate, Financial Services, Estate Planning and Estate & Trust Administration practice groups. He concentrates on corporate, business, estate and tax planning and advises large and small corporations, general and limited partnerships, associations and proprietorships on sophisticated business planning issues. He represents a large number of estate planning clients and is well respected for his ability to communicate and implement complicated plans in a practical manner. Mark has significant experience in structuring and negotiating business and financing transactions, reorganizations and private placement syndications. He has served as...

Linda Schwartz is a senior member of the Professional Ethics & Discipline, Estate Planning, Estate & Trust Administration, Corporate, and Real Estate practice groups. She has considerable experience in complex real estate and commercial transactions, business planning, executive succession planning, and estate planning and administration for both U.S. and non-U.S. citizens. For more than 30 years, she has served as counsel to prominent national, regional and local developers and business owners. In 2006, she was elected to the American College of Real Estate Lawyers.
Throughout her legal career, Linda has been active in public service. She is a former Assistant Attorney...

Chris is a partner at the firm, Dugan, McKissick & Longmore, LLC, whose practice areas include complex civil litigation, estate planning, zoning/land use and related real estate matters, and government contracts. His litigation practice focuses primarily on business and partnership disputes, construction-related contract disputes and other real estate related matters. He also represents clients in personal injury matters and leads the firm’s collections practice. Chris received his law degree, magna cum laude, from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1997 where he was Editor-in-Chief of the American Criminal Law Review and a Writing Law Fellow. Chris joined Dugan, McKissick and...

Further information is at www.beatsonlaw.com

I have been practicing law for over twenty-five years, and was selected as the attorney for several major legal service plans, including Chase Manhattan, American Express and Montgomery Wards Legal Service Plans, helping thousands of satisfied clients with their legal problems, and have been an AARP member attorney. In my legal practice, I have taken many cases to trial when necessary, but have settled many hundreds of disputes to the mutual satisfaction of my clients, sometimes involving hundreds of thousands of dollars. In the process, I have handled many cases in such areas of concentration as: Probate, Wills, Trusts, Estate Planning, Elder...