Business Details
21 Years
experience
Your Trusted Partner for Estate Planning & Business Law Solutions
Founded in 2005, J S Burton is a boutique law firm dedicated to providing comprehensive legal solutions in estate planning, asset protection, elder law, and business law. Our attorneys bring decades of combined experience and a personalized approach to clients across Virginia and Washington, D.C. We prioritize building lifelong relationships, offering tailored strategies to secure clients' financial futures and preserve generational wealth. With offices in McLean, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, and Washington D.C., we serve individuals, families, and businesses through a holistic, client-focused philosophy.Our team's expertise spans complex trusts, probate administration, Medicaid planning, and business succession, ensuring clients receive informed counsel and skilled representation. We emphasize transparency, ethical standards, and multigenerational planning, fostering trust through consistent, compassionate service.
Services
Estate Planning
Asset Protection
Business Formation
Trust Administration
Probate Administration
Special Needs Trusts
Medicaid Planning
Business Succession
Details
- Year established: 2005
Highlights and features
- We offer over 20 years of experience in estate and business law.
- Our team provides personalized service with a multigenerational approach.
- We deliver free, no-obligation initial consultations for estate planning.
- Our attorneys are recognized for expertise in complex trusts and probate.
- We maintain client-focused care with confidential, timely communication.
What people say
Trustworthy and skilled professionals
Excellent estate planning attorney
Friendly and personable service
Patient and answers all questions
Seamless coordination with planners
Services
Estate Planning
We create customized estate plans including wills, trusts, and advance directives to ensure your assets are distributed according to your wishes. Our attorneys help minimize estate taxes, avoid probate, and protect beneficiaries through tailored strategies. Clients receive comprehensive guidance on guardianship, power of attorney, and healthcare directives.
Business Formation
We assist entrepreneurs in selecting and establishing optimal business structures, including LLCs, corporations, and partnerships. Our services cover tax strategy, compliance, and shareholder agreements to protect assets and ensure long-term success. We provide ongoing counsel for corporate transactions and regulatory requirements.
Trust Administration
Our team manages trust administration processes, ensuring proper asset distribution and compliance with legal standards. We handle revocable and irrevocable trusts, including special needs and Medicaid-compliant trusts, to protect beneficiaries' interests while minimizing tax implications.
Probate Administration
We guide executors through probate proceedings, handling asset inventory, debt settlement, and tax filings. Our goal is to streamline estate administration, resolve disputes efficiently, and ensure adherence to Virginia and D.C. probate laws while protecting client interests.
Medicaid Planning
We develop strategies to qualify for Medicaid benefits while preserving assets. Our attorneys create irrevocable trusts and implement gifting techniques to meet eligibility requirements, ensuring access to quality long-term care without compromising financial security.
People
John S. Burton
Founder & Attorney
John S. Burton founded the firm in 2005 after practicing estate planning and business law since 2003. He specializes in multigenerational wealth preservation, with expertise in complex trusts, probate, and business succession. Clients praise his patient, thorough approach and commitment to personalized solutions.
Fallon F. Whidden
Attorney
Fallon F. Whidden focuses on estate planning and trust administration, known for her responsive service and attention to detail. She helps clients create living trusts, wills, and Medicaid plans, ensuring clear documentation and compliance with Virginia and D.C. regulations.
Pat Trompeter
Attorney
Pat Trompeter specializes in business law and estate tax planning. With experience in corporate transactions and charitable entity formation, he advises clients on entity structuring, contract negotiations, and succession strategies to protect business interests and family legacies.
Christopher Walker
Attorney
Christopher Walker handles probate administration and trust litigation. He represents executors and beneficiaries in estate disputes, focusing on resolving conflicts efficiently while upholding client interests through meticulous legal analysis and advocacy.
Questions
What estate planning documents should I have?
A comprehensive plan includes a living trust, will, durable power of attorney, healthcare directives, and HIPAA authorization. These documents ensure asset distribution, incapacity management, and medical decision-making alignment with your wishes.
How do I name a guardian for my children?
Designate a primary and alternate guardian in your will. The court typically honors these nominations, ensuring your children's care by trusted individuals if both parents are incapacitated or deceased.
What does my estate include?
Your estate encompasses all assets: real estate, business interests, retirement accounts, life insurance policies, and property held in trusts where you maintain control.
Why is estate planning important?
Estate planning prevents intestacy laws from dictating asset distribution, minimizes taxes, avoids probate delays, and ensures your wishes are followed, protecting loved ones from disputes and financial strain.
Can estate planning protect my business?
Yes, through succession plans, buy-sell agreements, and trusts, ensuring business continuity, protecting assets from litigation, and facilitating smooth ownership transitions during incapacity or death.
How often should I update my estate plan?
Review your plan every 3-5 years or after major life events like marriage, divorce, or significant financial changes to ensure it reflects current circumstances and legal requirements.
