Good Monday morning, Alexandria!
🌥️ Today’s weather: Showers and thunderstorms before 3 p.m., then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., then scattered showers and thunderstorms after 4 p.m. Patchy fog before 11 a.m. High near 76 degrees. Light east wind becoming southeast 5 to 10 mph in the morning. The chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, except higher amounts are possible in thunderstorms.
The Alexandria Police Department (APD) is inviting the community to participate in Alexandria Police Week, a series of events that honor fallen officers and support their families.
The department shared details about the upcoming events on Facebook on May 3.
When a loved one passes away, families often face difficult decisions about funeral arrangements, finances, and the distribution of property. One common question is whether having a will automatically means the estate must go through probate.
Not necessarily. Whether probate is required in Virginia depends largely on how the deceased person’s assets were owned and whether those assets have another method of transferring to heirs or beneficiaries.
Understanding when probate is required—and when it can be avoided—can help families navigate estate administration with greater confidence.
Probate is the legal process used to administer certain assets belonging to a deceased person, or decedent. In Virginia, probate generally takes place through the circuit court in the city or county where the decedent lived.
When probate is necessary, the court recognizes the will, if there is one, and appoints a personal representative to handle the estate. The personal representative is responsible for identifying and collecting assets, addressing valid debts and taxes, and distributing the remaining property according to the will or Virginia’s intestacy laws.
Importantly, having a will does not automatically mean every asset must pass through probate. A will generally controls probate assets, while certain property passes directly to another person through ownership arrangements or beneficiary designations.
Probate is generally necessary when someone dies owning assets in their individual name that do not have another method of transferring ownership.
Examples can include:
In these situations, probate may be necessary to give the personal representative authority to transfer or distribute the property.
Some assets can transfer automatically after death and therefore may not need to pass through probate.
Jointly owned property: Assets held jointly with rights of survivorship generally pass to the surviving owner.
Beneficiary-designated accounts: Life insurance policies, retirement accounts, and certain bank accounts can pass directly to the beneficiaries named on the account.
Revocable living trusts: Assets properly transferred into a revocable living trust generally avoid probate because the trust owns the property rather than the deceased individual.
Virginia also provides a simplified option for certain small estates. Under Va. Code § 64.2-601, qualifying personal property valued at $75,000 or less may be transferred using a small estate affidavit rather than a full probate proceeding, provided the statutory requirements are satisfied.
This simplified procedure applies to qualifying personal property, not real estate, and can be particularly useful when an estate consists of modest assets such as a bank account or vehicle.
When probate is necessary, the personal representative must complete several steps before the estate can be closed. These typically include identifying and valuing estate assets, filing the required inventory, addressing creditor claims and taxes, and distributing assets to beneficiaries.
Virginia also imposes deadlines for certain estate filings. The inventory generally must be filed within four months after qualification, while the first accounting is generally due within 16 months.
Good Sunday morning, Alexandria!
🌥️ Today’s weather: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 2 p.m., then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 5 p.m. Patchy fog before noon. High near 75 degrees. South wind 8 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. The chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch are possible. Tonight – Showers and thunderstorms likely before 2 a.m., then scattered showers. Patchy fog after 10 p.m. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. Southeast wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm after midnight. The chance of precipitation is 60%—new rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts are possible in thunderstorms.
The National Weather Service has put out a severe thunderstorm watch for Alexandria and nearby areas, lasting until 10 p.m. tonight (Saturday)
The watch, which started at 4:37 p.m. today (Saturday), covers Washington D.C., parts of Maryland (11 counties), Virginia (20 counties), and one county in West Virginia.
If you are interested in learning more about Continuing Care Retirement Communities (also known as "Life Plan Communities"), whether for yourself or for a loved one, please join our free workshop on Wednesday, November 4 from 5:00-7:00 at the Arlington office of Long & Foster. We are hosting this workshop in conjunction with Lisa Bates of the Williamsburg Landing community, which is a particularly excellent model of the way these communities work, and one you may wish to consider!
– How do Continuing Care Retirement Communities work?
– What do they offer?
– How much do they cost, and what are the financial models offered?
– How do you how to evaluate them, and choose the one that's right for you?
– How do you make a plan for a move like this?
– How do you handle a lifetime's worth of possessions?
Good Saturday morning, Alexandria!
🌥️ Today’s weather: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 87 degrees. South wind 9 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. The chance of precipitation is 50%. Showers are likely and possibly a thunderstorm tonight before 2 a.m., then scattered showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66 degrees. South wind 5 to 7 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. The chance of precipitation is 70%—new rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, except higher amounts are possible in thunderstorms.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Friday that it is “unacceptable” that two commercial aircraft had to abort landings at a Washington airport this week because of an Army Black Hawk helicopter that was flying to the Pentagon.
In addition to the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration investigating what happened Thursday afternoon at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Duffy said he plans to talk to the Department of Defense to determine why rules were “disregarded.”
After a firestorm of criticism from city leaders and student journalists over proposed oversight changes to Alexandria City High School’s student newspaper, Theogony, this morning (May 2), the Alexandria School Board’s Governance Committee returned to the drawing board.
From reporting on a transportation controversy to investigations into the School Board, transgender policies, or even lampooning metal detectors in cartoons, Theogony student journalists take their roles seriously. Now, with City Council members warning of potential “censorship” and “authoritarian” behavior from the school system, student journalists are alleging a concerted effort from the administration of Superintendent Melanie Kay-Wyatt to suppress touchy or controversial stories from appearing in the monthly publication.
The debate over editorial control at Alexandria City High School’s student newspaper, Theogony, has drawn input from students, city leaders, and school officials after proposed policy changes raised concerns about censorship.
As the School Board committee sends the issue back for more discussion, we’re asking our readers to weigh in: Who should hold the authority to approve or reject student articles?
It’s been an intense week in Alexandria.
Here’s a look back on this week’s top stories. Our most-read post was on the shooting of three men in Arlandria on Sunday night (April 27). Police found the victims with gunshot wounds shortly after being called at around 9 p.m. They were transported to area hospitals, and no arrests have been announced. Witnesses heard a barrage of gunfire, and the Alexandria Police Department is asking for help in the investigation.
