Brucetown Estate Planning Lawyers

Hi, I'm Matthew.



I approach the practice of law with a focus on helping my clients understand an often complicated legal system. Working collaboratively allows me to anticipate my clients' needs, while also aiding my clients by providing them an informed view of all the potential dangers and rewards of each unique case. My primary practice areas are Divorce, Child Custody, Trusts & Wills and Bankruptcy. However, I also provide legal support for small businesses looking to incorporate, resolve disputes with employees or review potential contracts and business transactions.

Chuck has practiced in Winchester and throughout northern Virginia since 2007. He is both a lawyer and a Certified Public Accountant (with an LL.M in Tax and Estate Planning) and worked in public accounting before attending law school. Chuck’s practice focuses on complex estate planning and administration matters, resolving tax disputes, business planning, choice of entity, conservation easements and other business matters. Chuck has extensive training in complex estate and business matters and his practice focuses primarily on business owners and families with more than $1 million in liquid assets. Chuck regularly works to resolve family disputes, establish business...

J. Douglas McCarthy is a founding partner of McCarthy & Akers, PLC. His practice focuses on transactional law dealing with Estate Planning, Real Estate and Corporate matters. Prior to founding McCarthy & Akers, PLC, Mr. McCarthy was a partner in the Winchester, Virginia law firm of Groves and McCarthy.

Mr. McCarthy received his J.D. from the Keller School of Law at The University of Dayton, in Dayton, Ohio, where he earned honors in the fields of Taxation, Wills and Trusts. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, where he majored in Political Science.

Ms. Fine has practiced law for 35 years, the last 28 in Virginia. Her business law experience started immediately after graduating from Boston College Law School in 1982 when she worked at a 50-attorney Boston law firm. In 1989 she joined the Costello Dickenson firm in Winchester, Virginia, and in 1990 opened her own firm.

Ms. Fine has extensive practice drafting business contracts, including buy-sell agreements, employment agreements and non-competition agreements, and, balancing that experience, she reviews and litigates contracts drafted by other attorneys.

Her Wills, Trusts and Estates practice involves planning, drafting estate documents and probate litigation.

Her equine practice is an...

Vincent J. Mata attended the University of Notre Dame and the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum for undergraduate studies in the classical humanities. He obtained a Master's degree at The Catholic University of America in philosophy, and earned his Juris Doctor at George Mason University School of Law, now Antonin Scalia Law School. Vincent is a founding partner and attorney at Mata & Hill PLC. He focuses his practice primarily on estate and elder law issues. Mata & Hill PLC additionally offers real estate, business, and civil litigation services, and serves clients throughout the Northern Shenandoah Valley.

Andrew P. Hill is a founding partner and attorney with Mata & Hill PLC, a full-service civil law firm serving the beautiful northern Shenandoah Valley. Mr. Hill concentrates his practice in the areas of real estate, estate planning and administration, litigation, and business.

Mr. Hill received his undergraduate degrees from Northwestern University and his law degree from the College of William and Mary. Prior to forming Mata & Hill PLC, he worked with small but highly-respected law firms in Northern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley.

Mr. Hill is licensed to practice law in the state courts of Virginia,...

Nate L. Adams, III, was admitted to the Virginia State Bar in 1981. Since that time, he has tried or argued cases at every level of the Virginia Courts and, with the sole exception of the U.S. Supreme Court, the Federal Courts. He concentrates his practice in business law, incorporation law, workers' compensation, creditor's rights, employment law for both employers and employees, domestic relations, and personal injury.

Mr. Adams is a graduate of the College of William and Mary (A.B., 1977) and the Washington and Lee University School of Law (J.D., 1981).

Mr. Adams is active in the Winchester community, currently...

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...

I represent small, medium, national and international businesses, non-profits and individuals on a wide variety of corporate and business matters, including forming companies, drafting and negotiating contracts, dealing with employment matters, handling real estate and land use issues, collecting receivables, and defending and prosecuting litigation. I also assist many clients with their elder care, estate planning and estate administration needs, including drafting wills and trusts, assisting with the appointment of guardians and conservators, and the Virginia probate process. I strongly believe that clients receive the best legal services from an attorney who is intimately familiar with their businesses and goals....

Eleven years’ legal experience in business law, corporate formation, compliance, complex consumer litigation, regulatory, contracts and bankruptcy law. Local experience in family law; advocate for domestic violence survivors. Four years in Am Law (top 100 American law firms) located in DC, with business, bankruptcy and commercial litigation focus. Experience in automotive and construction fraud litigation. Fifteen years’ corporate experience, gained as business owner, award-winning author and airplane owner. Advanced knowledge of and experience working with UDAAP, Bankruptcy rules...

Rebecca began her business with the goal of helping families through a range of family issues from divorce and separation to creating cohesive estate plans. Through a strong focus on people - both clients and employees - the firm has grown and expanded into new markets. Our offices now serve northern Virginia, Richmond, Virginia Beach, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Tampa. Florida. Whether you need assistance with family law matters or estate planning, our dedicated team is here to support you every step of the way. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and see how we can protect your family, finances,...

My philosophy as a lawyer is to establish a strong attorney-client relationship. My goal is to connect with each client and deliver quality work, personalized service, and exceptional value. As your counselor and representative, you can be confident that everything possible will be done to protect your rights.

You will receive individual attention through every part of the legal process in order to achieve your goals quickly and efficiently. Please contact me to discuss your legal issues, strategies, and solutions in a straightforward and collaborative manner.

I am currently located in Fairfax, Virginia and serve the Northern Virginia area....

Jean Galloway Ball is certified in Elder Law by the National Elder Law Foundation. She does life care and estate planning: preparing powers of attorney, Wills and Trusts for seniors and their families. She assists families with planning for disabled adult children. She advises on families on planning for long term care expenses. She is a recognized litigator in the area of fiduciary litigation including guardianship, Will contests, trust administration, claims against estates, accounts from fiduciaries, undue influence and financial exploitation.

Benjamin is a Northern Virginia native and Partner of Robinson Law's Personal Injury Division. Benjamin has been representing individuals charged with criminal and traffic matters in Manassas and throughout Virginia for the last 14 years. He has secured hundreds of thousands of dollars for victims in injury lawsuits, and he has assisted clients for over 16 years on estate planning matters.

He handles cases in Prince William County, Fredericksburg, Stafford, Spotsylvania, Fauquier and Fairfax. Benjamin has handled every kind of criminal matter, from serious felonies to traffic infractions. He has handled homicides, serious sexual offenses, drug crimes, theft crimes, violent crimes,...

Madison Glossner is an attorney who is passionate about protecting the rights of those charged with criminal offenses. She graduated from Liberty University School of Law, and earned her degree in Criminology with a concentration in Law and Society, cum laude, from George Mason University. During her undergraduate career she focused on the flaws in the criminal justice system and spent time interning in both a Commonwealth Attorney's office and a Public Defenders office. She is admitted to practice in state and federal courts of Virginia.

Madison enjoys representing clients in all types of cases, from simple traffic infractions to felonies....

The Law Offices of Richard S. Sternberg is dedicated to the principle that bigger is not always better. Instead, it rests on a tradition that actually antedates the rise of the “mega-firm”-the solo practice. Emulating a country lawyer in a big-city environment allows Mr. Sternberg to provide more individualized service to his clients, and, at the same time, pursue more collegial relations with other members of the Bar. Since 1984, Mr. Sternberg has dedicated his practice to representing individuals and smaller businesses. For those corporate clients who have larger needs, he is affiliated with the Metropolitan Washington Law Consortium,...

Benjamin has always stood up for what’s right – he finds real meaning in helping the good guys win! He’s always been guided by a clear sense of right and wrong, from his time in the U.S. Army to his time as a Commonwealth Attorney (prosecutor), to his current position at J. Madison PLC.
Before starting at J. Madison PLC, Benjamin worked at the Arlington Commonwealth Attorney’s Office for five years. As a Commonwealth Attorney, he helped the victims of violent, non-violent, and financial crimes find justice. He also tried hundreds of traffic cases and specialized in DUI cases. ...

Sheri R. Abrams, Attorney at Law, has been practicing Social Security Disability Law, Estate Planning, Elder Law and Special Needs Planning for more than 20 years. Sheri is rated “AV Preeminent”, the highest rating possible by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, and was named a “Super Lawyer,” one of the “Best Lawyers in America,” one of Virginia’s “Top Rated Lawyers” and one of Virginia’s “Legal Elite.” Sheri is active in many different professional organizations including the Virginia State Bar, District of Columbia Bar, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), the Virginia Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (VAELA),...

The laws touch everyone's life, but not everyone feels like they can access the law when they have problems. Almost everyone has an encounter with housing issues, aging and elder law, special needs, estate planning or probate, but not everyone feels like they can find the right attorney. I focus on making the law accessible to people who need help vindicating their rights and benefiting from the legal system. As a Virginia licensed attorney with more than a decade of experience, I have represented and successfully counseled and advocated for a diverse group of clients,...

Gene received his B.S. degree in Material Science from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Columbia University. He received his J.D. degree from Georgetown University Law Center and served as Senior Editor for the Georgetown Journal on Poverty and Policy. Through competitive selection processes, Gene was selected as a Super Lawyers Rising Star (2009, 2011, 2012, 2013 - (DC/VA), 2014 (DC)(Law & Politics Magazine) and as Virginia Business Magazine’s Legal Elite (Taxes, Estates and Trusts, 2008, 2010, & 2013). Featured on Fox News and other media outlets, he also is an active member of...

JD is an associate attorney at Cook Craig & Francuzenko, PLLC. JD joined Cook Craig & Francuzenko after previously working for Stern & Eisenberg. JD concentrates his practice on constitutional rights, civil rights, business, and commercial law. JDis licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia. He is a member of the Virginia Bar Association, Fairfax Bar Association and the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association. JD appears primarily in the Ciricuit and General District courts of Northern Virginia. JD obtained his Bachelors of Science in Political Science from University of Maryland Global Campus, while living in the...

James M. Johnson graduated from James Madison University in with degrees in Biology and Economics. He received his Juris Doctor from the George Mason School of Law. James Johnson has worked at the outstanding law firms of Pfitzner & Morley, Johnson Ford Law, and now he is the managing attorney at the Johnson Law Firm, PC. He is admitted to practice in all Virginia courts, as well as the Federal and Bankruptcy courts of the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia.

After passing the Virginia State Bar, Mr. Kondori became an associate attorney at Pikrallidas & Associates, involved with all types of cases, ranging from personal injury, divorce and family law, contract review & consulting, the ever changing immigration field, as well as civil and traffic matters. Kia aims to continue representing his clients to the best of his abilities as one of the founding attorney's at Kondori & Moorad, LLP. Currently, Mr. Kondori, handles various matters related to real estate, estate planning, business law, landlord & tenant law and medical and dental practice sale and acquisition. Mr. Kondori is a...

I am a sole practitioner dedicated to serving my clients by providing excellent legal representation with flexible payment options. I believe everyone deserves to have legal counsel, and for that reason, I am willing to work with clients who may require alternative payment options and who cannot afford the typical attorney fees.

In practice since 1987, Attorney Evan Farr is widely recognized as one of the leading Elder Law, Estate Planning, and Specials Needs attorneys in Virginia, DC, and Maryland, and one of foremost experts in the Country in the field of Medicaid Asset Protection and related Trusts. Evan Farr has been quoted or cited as an expert by numerous sources, including the Washington Post, Newsweek Magazine, Northern Virginia Magazine, Trusts & Estates Magazine, The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the American Bar Association, and has been featured as a guest speaker on television and numerous radio shows, including Fairfax...

My passion is helping individuals, families, and business owners achieve peace of mind by developing and implementing creative, customized, and yet cost effective plans. As part of my goal oriented estate planning process, I first seek to understand your goals and needs. My advice focuses on how your estate planning documents advance your goals. I use plain English and easy to understand visual aids, so you know what you need to do in order ensure that your plan works the way you intend. My personal mission is to make estate planning as accessible, efficient and streamlined as possible...

Mary Ellen Lench is the principal of M.E. Lench, P.C., and her practice is concentrated in estate and trust administration and business planning. Mary Ellen has been in practice for more than 18 years, representing clients in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area, and she focuses on personal service to her clients. She has been teaching estate planning classes through Loudoun County Adult Education for the past eight years and was recently voted among the Legal Elite for Trust/Estate/Elder Law Attorneys by Virginia Business Magazine. Mary Ellen received her J.D. from American University, cum laude, and was Editor of the Law Review. Following...

Attorney Anita Paka primarily practices in Wills and Estates law in Virginia. Anita started her legal career working as a paralegal and law clerk in Virginia, and Washington, DC where she gained insight into the inner workings of the legal system. Subsequently she started her solo practice where she practiced primarily in Estate planning. As a mother of two, Anita understands firsthand the desire of parents to build a secure future for their loved ones. She can customize estate plans and trusts to accommodate special needs, desire, or contingency, including (but not limited to): Special Needs Trust (providing for a family member...

Name and co-founding partner Michele L. Burton was born and raised in Portsmouth, Virginia. She attended the University of Virginia where she obtained Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and Anthropology. Shortly thereafter, Michele graduated from Old Dominion University with a Master of Arts in Humanities with a focus on Race and Law. In May 2012, she graduated from the College of William and Mary School of Law with a Juris Doctorate and passed the bar in October of that year. Upon graduation, Michele worked as a magistrate in Norfolk, Virginia for two years where she conducted probable cause...

Kerri Castellini is primarily a DC-based attorney with a focus on estate and trust administration, guardianship for incapacitated adults and minors, and estate planning. She brings her legal experience to the Trusts and Estates Practice Group and is currently admitted to practice law in Washington DC, Maryland, and before the supreme court. She is passionate about providing a high level of attention to her clients to come up with a plan that is best for their unique circumstances.

REPRESENTTIVE CASES - United States v. Bosyk, 933 F3d 319 (4th Cir. 2019) cert denied, 140 S. Ct. 1124 (U.S. Feb. 24, 2020)(No. 19-860), 2019. - Shepherd v. Conde, 797 S.E.2d 750 (Va. 2017) - Chacey v. Garvey, 781 S.E.2d 357, (Va. 2015) - Weatherholt v. Commonwealth, 839 S.E.2d 492 (Va. 2020) - Spell v. Commonwealth, 851 S.E.2d 83 (2020) - St. John v. Thompson, 854 S.E.2d 648 (2021) CLASSES/SEMINARS - Land Use and Zoning: Navigate Land Use/Zoning Regulations, Permitting Issues, Disputes and More; National Business Institute, July 20, 2017 - How to Get Your Social Media, Email and Text Evidence Admitted (and Keep Theirs Out), National Business Institute,...

Wayne M. Zell, Esq. is the founder of Zell Law. He has spent his legal, public accounting and business advisory career counseling clients in a broad range of industries, including technology companies of all types and investor groups, as well as non-profit organizations. His clients also include for-profit and non-profit executives, service providers and high-net worth individuals.

Mr. Zell has extensive experience in representing clients in complex estate planning and business planning matters. In estate planning matters, Mr. Zell routinely advises clients in structuring and preparing intricate revocable and irrevocable trusts, basic estate planning (i.w., wills, medical directives and powers...

I practice in the areas of family law, guardianships & conservatorships, estate planning, and estate administration. My clients are my first priority and I focus on achieving the best outcome possible for them. I am well-versed in a full range of legal services including litigation, agreements, mediation, and collaborative divorce.

Mr. Craig is a partner in the Law Firm of Cook Craig & Francuzenko, PLLC. Previously he was a partner in the firm, Sparks & Craig, LLP after serving 10 years as an associate attorney in the predecessor law firm of Herge, Sparks & Christopher from 1995-2004.

Prior to 1995, he served as a legislative analyst for the government affairs firms of Albers & Co., Inc. and the Center for State Policy Research.

Mr. Craig represents companies, corporations, partnerships and individuals in business, contract law, intellectual property, and a wide range of other practice areas to include estate/trust planning and administration, election...

I believe in taking a client-centered approach to the practice of law. I want to make sure that you as a client are seen and heard, and that your concerns are fully addressed every time we connect. I also believe in taking a measured and efficient approach to advocacy, one that maximizes your resources and time. It gives me great satisfaction to assist clients with their estate planning matters. I want to make sure that you and your loved ones are kept at ease when planning for the future. In addition to estate planning, I handle probate and estate administration matters,...