Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins addressed many community concerns in the inaugural “Ask the Mayor” session with ALXnow on Friday (April 4), highlighting her first 100 days in office, the city’s response to federal uncertainty, and much more.
The conversation, hosted by ALXnow Publisher Ryan Belmore, marks the beginning of a new monthly ALXnow series designed to provide residents with direct access to city leadership.
On Tuesday, April 8, from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., Ben & Jerry’s is throwing its annual Free Cone Day celebration, serving up free scoops of ice cream to fans worldwide. During the much-loved tradition, Ben & Jerry’s aims to spread some joy globally, one ice cream-filled cone at a time.
Last year, fans showed up in record numbers, helping Ben & Jerry’s scoopers nationwide serve over 1 million scoops of free ice cream; if you laid those cones down end to end, it would create an ice cream trail 130 kilometers (80 miles) long! This year, we want to go just as big, giving thanks to our fans with as much joy as possible in the form of chunky, swirly flavors.
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.
Welcome to Friday in Alexandria. What a week we’ve been having.
To start things off, ALXnow broke the story of an Alexandria Police Department’s arson and burglary investigation after Sunday morning’s (March 30) shopping center fire that shuttered multiple businesses in the 5200 block of Duke Street.
It’s going to be a smooth election season for Alexandria’s Democrat Commonwealth Attorney Bryan Porter and Sheriff Sean Casey.
No Republicans or other Democrats filed respective primary bids for both seats by the April deadline. That means that the only opposition the Porter and Casey face is from write-in candidates on election day in November, according to the city registrar’s office.
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?
Facing no opposition in November, Virginia House Majority Leader Charniele Herring (D-4) launched her reelection campaign in Alexandria on Thursday night (April 3).
Herring was joined at Clyde’s (1700 N. Beauregard Street) in the West End by prominent Democrats, including U.S. Reps. Eugene Vindman (D-7th) and Don Beyer (D-8th), members of the General Assembly, as well as Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins and members of City Council.
ALXnow will launch its new monthly interview series featuring exclusive one-on-one live virtual video conversations with Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins today (April 4) at 2 p.m.
The “Ask The Mayor” series will provide Alexandria residents with regular opportunities to hear directly from Mayor Gaskins on pressing city issues and to submit their questions for consideration.
Finding the right audience in a vibrant city like Alexandria is key to business growth, and ALXnow provides a direct connection to the heart of the community.
Since launching in 2019, ALXnow has become a trusted news source, rapidly growing to reach over 250,000 engaged monthly visitors (as of our 2024 data). This readership isn’t just passing through; they are the people who live, work, and invest in Alexandria and its surrounding areas, actively seeking local information – making ALXnow the premier digital platform to place your message for maximum local impact.
Alexandria’s Healthy Homes Network has unveiled a new action plan to tackle the city’s top home condition issues. The plan addresses problems like mold, smoke, pests, and hoarding.
This comprehensive strategy results from extensive community input, including a 2023 survey and nine focus groups where residents shared their experiences and proposed solutions. The Healthy Homes Network, a coalition of nearly 30 organizations and city agencies, used this feedback to develop five key strategies:
Here’s a look at what’s happening around Alexandria this weekend; enjoy!
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