At Antonoplos & Associates, we’ve spent over 20 years helping Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia families avoid estate planning pitfalls. Skip the plan, and you’re handing your loved ones a ticking time bomb—aka the family feud starter kit. In D.C.’s high-stakes world of rowhouses, businesses, and legacies, no estate plan means chaos, court battles, and broken bonds. Here’s what happens when you leave your family to fend for themselves—and how we can stop the drama.

Probate Takes the Wheel

Die without a will or trust in D.C., and probate court runs the show. It’s a six-month minimum slog—public, pricey, and ripe for fights. Your Capitol Hill condo, Shaw café, or Bethesda savings? They’re frozen while the District’s intestacy laws decide who gets what. Spouse gets a chunk, kids split the rest—stepkids, partners, or best friends need not apply. No plan, no say.

The Heir Showdown

Intestacy laws don’t care about your wishes—or family dynamics. A Foggy Bottom parent passes with no will, and their estranged sibling claims half, leaving the grieving kids stunned. A Dupont Circle couple assumes their long-term partner inherits—wrong, without marriage or a plan, they’re out. Siblings bicker over who deserves Mom’s jewelry; a cousin you never met surfaces for a slice. Cue the lawyers, tears, and years in D.C. Superior Court.

The Tax Trap

D.C.’s estate tax hits at $4 million (adjusted yearly), and with no trust to soften the blow, your heirs could lose big. A Georgetown business owner dies intestate; the IRS and D.C. take their cut, forcing a fire sale of the family shop. Peter Antonoplos’s Georgetown LLM in Taxation could’ve structured a trust to save thousands—but without a plan, it’s a free-for-all.

Kids Caught in the Crossfire

Got minors? No guardianship designation means the court picks who raises them. Your Adams Morgan sister might want custody, but your Chevy Chase in-laws disagree. A judge—who doesn’t know your kids—decides, maybe even placing them in foster care while it sorts out. Assets for their future? Squabbled over or mismanaged without a trust’s guardrails.

Digital Disarray

Your X account, crypto wallet, or Logan Circle photo stash could vanish. No plan means no access—platforms lock them, and intestacy ignores them. A Bethesda blogger’s life’s work fades; a Hill staffer’s Bitcoin sits unclaimed. Family fights escalate over who “deserves” the password—if they even find it.

Real D.C. Fallout

We’ve seen it: a Shaw family lost a rental property to probate costs after Dad died without a will—siblings sued each other, and the estate shrank. A Northwest D.C. widow watched her late husband’s estranged son snag half her home, sparking a two-year feud. No estate plan turned love into resentment—fast.

Stop the Feud Before It Starts

At Antonoplos & Associates, we defuse the kit:

• Will: Name who gets what—your rules, not D.C.’s.
• Trust: Skip probate, shield assets, and set terms (e.g., “Johnny only inherits if he finishes college”).
• Guardianship: Pick your kids’ caregiver, no court roulette.
• Digital Plan: Secure your online legacy with a will or trust.
• Updates: Keep it fresh—life shifts, so should your plan.

End the Drama Now

From Fairfax to the Eastern Shore, your family deserves better than a feud starter kit. Call us at 202-803-5676 for a free consultation with one of our skilled estate planning attorneys. Let’s craft a plan that keeps your legacy—and your loved ones—intact, no courtroom showdown required.