Family Law

• Divorce
• Guardianship
  Careful planning is necessary to preserve our assets for our future care, with the hope of having something left to pass on to our children and grandchildren. Allen & Carwile is experienced in guiding its older clients and their families through the legal minefields of Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care strategies, reverse mortgages and guardianship and conservatorship proceedings.

Criminal Law

• Criminal Defense
  Criminal law is the body of statutory and common law that deals with crime and the legal punishment of criminal offenses.
• DUI/DWI
  Virginia DUI/DWI law is tough and Virginia prosecutors are understandably under considerable pressure to deliver successful prosecutions.
• Traffic Violations
  Tim Carwile understands that you have responsibilities to your family, job and others that require you to drive. For over 40 years, he has served his firm’s clients, primarily in the central Shenandoah Valley — first, as a Waynesboro prosecutor for more than eight years; and, since then, in private, trial practice as a respected criminal defense lawyer, handling DUI, reckless driving and other serious traffic defenses.
• Misdemeanors

Business and Corporate Law

• Corporate Law
  One of the most satisfying aspects of corporate and business law is guiding clients through the process of establishing new business ventures. Our firm coordinates with the businesses accountants, banks and other professional advisors in developing a business plan and organizational structure that best fits the needs of our clients. We draft organizational documents for all types of business entities, including corporations, limited and general partnerships, limited liability companies, and business trusts.
• Business Disputes
• Limited Liability Companies

Property Law

• Real Estate Litigation
• Real Estate Transactions
  Mr. Watkins’ practice focuses primarily on commercial real estate transactions and complex estate planning and administration. He also engages in a full service business practice, which includes business planning, drafting, and litigation work.
• Land Use and Zoning

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  Estate planning is the process of accumulating and disposing of an estate to maximize the goals of the estate owner. The various goals of estate planning include making sure the greatest portion of the estate passes to the estate owner’s intended beneficiaries, paying the least amount of transfer taxes and avoiding or minimizing probate court involvement. Additional goals typically include providing for and designating guardians for minor children and planning for incapacity.
• Wills
• Trusts
  Trusts can be used in an estate plan to minimize one’s tax exposure. Trusts may also enable you to control the management of the assets of the trust. For example, a trust could be used to manage the inheritance of a young person who may not be mature enough to handle money, but permit the funds to be used for the youngster’s health, education, support and maintenance until he or she attains a certain age or level of education or training, at which time the remaining income and principal may be distributed. One can also distribute one’s assets for charitable purposes by creating an irrevocable charitable trust that may distribute the principal or the income of the trust much in the same manner as a private foundation with commensurate tax benefits. Special needs trusts may be designed to ensure that beneficiaries who are developmentally disabled or mentally ill can receive inheritances without losing access to essential government benefits.
• Power of Attorney
  Allen & Carwile regularly assists clients in obtaining guardianship and conservatorship for incapacitated adults. Guardians and conservators are appointed by the circuit court where the incapacitated person resides. It is often unnecessary to appoint a guardian and conservator if the incapacitated person executed a power of attorney. However, the power of attorney must be signed before the onset of the incapacity.
• Probate

Finance Law

• Bankruptcy
• Foreclosure
  When the unpaid obligation is a mortgage, banks and other real estate financers are entitled to foreclose on the collateral property. G. William Watkins serves as one of the Trustees for DuPont Community Credit Union and handles foreclosure actions on its behalf. The firm also guides other banks and individual creditors through the foreclosure process.
• Debt Collection