Area of His Practice
If you are looking for an attorney in Winchester, VA, you have come to the right place. Charles R Alton has been practicing law in Winchester since 1992 and you can trust him to help you with your legal needs and problems. For over 20 years, he have gained the trust of his clients due to his commitment to high standards of client satisfaction.
Areas of practice include estate planning, estate administration or probate, business law, and tax law. More specifically, legal services extend to preparation of wills, trusts (both revocable and irrevocable), and power of attorney (durable and contingent, medical directives including health care powers of attorney and living wills). Charles Alton prepares articles of incorporation and articles of organization, bylaws, operating agreements, and written consents in lieu of organizational meetings. He drafts and reviews buy/sell agreements, contracts, prepares corporate resolutions, and serves as registered agent for corporations and limited liability companies.
Charles Alton also advises clients on tax consequences of proposed actions and assists them in dealing with the Internal Revenue Service as well as the city and county tax authorities. He also advises and helps establish churches and charitable organizations. In some circumstances, Mr Alton can come right to your home to meet with you.
- Prepares Documents Ranging From a Simple Will to a Complex Trust
- Trusts, Wills, and Estate Planning
- Power of Attorney
- Estate Administration
- Business Law
- Tax Law
We maintain strict codes of confidentiality. All communications are covered by attorney-client privilege and, therefore, are confidential For legal services, call 540-722-4401 today.
Trusts, Wills, and Estate Planning
Charles R. Alton prepares wills, trusts, powers of attorney, advance medical directives, and healthcare powers of attorney and related documents as the primary part of his estate planning work. If you wish to make the choice of where your property goes when you die, a will or trust can ensure that your wishes are followed. Proper planning saves substantial expense and unhappiness for the Client and for the family of the Client. Lack of the appropriate documents can result in more taxes being paid by an estate with less money going to the surviving family and friends.
Charles Alton prepares a variety of trusts that are designed to address the varying circumstances of families and individuals. Trusts can reduce legal fees, any money spent on taxes including probate taxes, eliminate the probate process with its related delays and expenses, offer greater privacy than a will, reduce the chances of your wishes being overturned by a court, and plan for relatives or other recipients who may be inclined to spend money unwisely or otherwise not be good money managers. Trusts are especially useful if the grantor or settlor (the person establishing the trust) or any other beneficiary becomes incapacitated and unable to manage money and other property.
For estate planning assistance or for preparation of a will or trust, call Charles Alton at 540-722-4401.
Power of Attorney
One type of document designed to help someone who may become incapacitated is a power of attorney. A power of attorney gives authority to someone you pick to act for you or represent you in conducting your private affairs, business, or other legal matters. Some powers of attorney are limited such as a power of attorney authorizing an agent to act for you in a real estate closing while some are designed to address nearly all financial situations. The person giving the power is called the principal while the person designated to act on behalf of the principal is called the agent or attorney-in-fact. Virginia has recently changed it’s laws on Powers of Attorney; Charles Alton prepares documents that reflect these changes.
Planning For Your Own Incapacity
Charles R. Alton is committed to helping you protect your family and look out for your own needs. He helps you deal with current problems and plan to avoid or minimize future problems. Without a power of attorney and health care power of attorney the chances of having a guardian appointed to manage your person and a conservator appointed to manage your assets if you become incapacitated are greatly increased. An incapacitated person does not pick his or her guardian and conservator; a court makes those selections. The legal process for appointing a guardian and conservator is generally very expensive. It also often involves disagreement and contention between family members.
Charles Alton believes that the right legal documents can empower his clients to deal with the limitations created by physical and mental incapacity. His services cost far less than the judicial process to appoint a guardian and conservator. Among the most important documents prepared by Charles Alton are the power of attorney and the medical directive.
Living Will, Healthcare Power of Attorney, and Advance Medical Directive
A living will states your wishes about how you should be cared for if you are incapacitated. A living will usually addresses resuscitation and desired quality of life and end of life treatments including identifying treatments you do not want to receive. A health care power of attorney is a document that grants authority to an agent to make health care decisions for your benefit if you are unable to make such decisions or unable to communicate such decisions. Because it is difficult to anticipate every health care decision that might have to be made, a health care power of attorney gives your agent broad authority to make health care decisions. A health care power of attorney is generally broader in scope than a living will or an advance medical directive that does not include a health care power of attorney.
However, an advance medical directive often includes both a health care power of attorney and a living will. Charles Alton prepares health care powers of attorney, living wills, and advance medical directives that include both a healthcare power of attorney and a living will. He takes the time to discuss your beliefs and concerns with you before preparing the type of document that you believe will best meet your wishes.
For professional and experienced legal assistance in preparing powers of attorney, living wills, health care powers of attorney, and advance medical directives, call Charles Alton at 540-722-4401.
Probate and Estate Administration
Probate is the court process by which a Will is proved valid or invalid. In Virginia the executor appointed under the Will takes the Will to the Virginia Circuit Court for the city or county where the decedent resided at time of death to be recorded. Probate has also become the name for the process of Estate Administration. Estate Administration generally includes preparation and submission of an inventory of the deceased person’s real and personal property and annual accountings to the Commissioner of Accounts for the city or county jurisdiction where the deceased person lived. It can also include a Debts and Demands Hearing held by the Commissioner of Accounts and a Show Cause Hearing in Circuit Court.
Estate Administration can be time consuming and expensive. Charles Alton advises people on making the estate administration process as simple and short as possible. He also provides guidance on problems that occur in the estate administration process both before and after they arise.
For legal services in estate administration and probate, call Charles Alton at 540-722-4401. We can come visit you, if required, or you can visit us at our convenient location in Winchester, VA.
Business Law
Are you considering going into business in the Winchester, Frederick County, or the Northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia? Or are you already in business and having problems with competitors or with co-owners of your business? Charles R. Alton provides counsel to businesses and their owners in different areas. He has prepared the documents to establish corporations and limited liability companies for a wide range of businesses. Charles Alton serves as registered agent for limited liability companies and corporations that are established in Virginia and in other states that do business in Virginia. He also establishes and serves professional corporations and professional limited liability companies. Charles is experienced in business law and taxation issues that can arise in forming and in conducting a business. He was formerly employed by the Internal Revenue Service in the areas of S Corporation and Partnership Taxation.
For professional and experienced legal assistance regarding your business, call Charles Alton at 540-722-4401.
Tax Law
Charles R. Alton represents individual and businesses in income, transfer, and property tax cases before the Internal Revenue Service, the Virginia State Department of Taxation, and local governments. He is admitted to and has litigated cases in the United States Tax Court. He provides counsel to businesses and their owners as well as estate tax planning for individuals and families.
Charles Alton was employed by the Office of Chief Counsel of the Internal Revenue Service. He worked in the estate and gift tax area as an Attorney Advisor and Assistant Branch Chief. He also worked in the areas of income taxation of trusts, estates, S corporations, and partnerships and takes practicing tax law seriously. Charles Alton also worked as a lawyer in the Washington, D.C. Internal Revenue Service District Counsel’s Office. His experience in taxation matters has proven valuable to accountants, other lawyers, and many different clients as they confronted tax problems.
For legal assistance regarding tax issues, call Charles Alton at 540-722-4401.
Skip to content