Practice Areas
Wills, trusts and estates: planning ahead, settling an estate, and the gift and estate tax questions that come with both.
A practice focused on wills, trusts and estates
Gillis Law’s practice is focused on all things related to wills, trusts and estates: comprehensive estate planning, including probate avoidance and tax planning, estate administration, trust administration, and related matters such as deeds for real estate.
James advises executors and trustees as counsel. He also administers estates and trusts directly as fiduciary, which relieves the beneficiaries from having to do the work themselves.
Three practice areas
Each one is handled by James himself, from the first meeting to the last filing.
Estate Planning
A plan for the next stage of your family
You tell us who you want to protect and what you want for them. We turn that into documents written under Virginia law, explain each one in plain English, and check that your accounts and property match the plan.
Estate and Trust Administration
You have been named executor. Now what?
Gillis Law guides executors, administrators and trustees through each step, from qualifying at the courthouse to closing the estate. We tell you what is due and when, handle the filings, and keep the family informed.
Gift, Estate, and GST Taxes
Who should plan for estate tax
James handles both sides of the work. While you are living, we plan gifts and trusts that make full use of the exemption. After a death, we prepare the federal estate tax return and guide the executor through the tax decisions.
Not sure where to start?
Most people come to Gillis Law at one of these moments.
Still not sure? Call the office.
You are planning ahead
You want a will or trust, or your current documents are out of date.
Someone has died
You have been named executor or trustee and need to know what comes next.
Taxes are part of the picture
Your estate is near the federal exemption, you own real estate in Maryland or D.C., or you want to make gifts to family now.
James is an exceptional attorney who listens and explains options in a clear and concise manner.
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You work with James directly
When you call Gillis Law, you work with James Gillis directly. He meets with you and drafts your documents. He explains them in plain English and sees the plan through to the signing and the deeds. When a family member dies, he guides the executor or trustee from the first weeks to the final accounting.
Talk with James Gillis
Whether you are planning ahead or handling an estate, the first step is a conversation.