ONGOING CARE
Your estate plan should grow with your life — not fall behind it.
A plan that grows with your life — and a team beside you each year to make sure it does.
Life changes. Relationships evolve. Laws are updated. Families grow. Your estate plan needs to keep pace so it always works the way you intend, for the people you love most.
The Guardian Program is our ongoing membership for clients who have completed a Trust-based Relational Estate Plan with our team. Together, we’ll help keep your plan current, so it continues to protect what matters most.
WHY IT MATTERS
A plan left on a shelf isn’t really a plan.
As your beneficiaries, personal representatives, agents, and assets change due to life events, the only way to keep your plan working is regular maintenance. Many people go through the work and expense of setting up a Trust-based Relational Estate Plan, then set it aside and let it fall out of date — which can leave a plan out of step with your wishes and unable to protect the people it was meant to serve. Changes in your relationships, finances, or tax laws can quietly make parts of your plan obsolete, often without you realizing it.
The Guardian Program helps prevent that — by keeping you connected to your plan and doing the hard work of tracking changes so you don’t have to. That peace of mind — knowing your plan is always current, always working, and always ready — is exactly what it’s designed to give you.
THE BASICS
What is the Guardian Program?
The Guardian Program is Relational Estate & Elder Law’s annual membership for keeping your estate plan current. Once you have a Trust-based Relational Estate Plan in place, the Guardian Program is how you maintain it: each year we review your plan, make the document changes you need, keep it aligned with current law and best practices, help keep your Trust properly funded, and stand ready to help your agents and personal representatives put the plan into action when the time comes.
It is ongoing care for a plan you have already built — not a new plan, and not a substitute for one.
WHO IT’S FOR
Is the Guardian Program right for you?
The Guardian Program is a good fit if you have created a Trust-based plan and want to know that:
Your Trust and other documents stay up to date and accurate
Your plan stays easy for your personal representatives to implement
Your plan will work the way you intend when the time comes
Your agents and personal representatives have professionals to call who already know your plan
If you’re not sure whether it fits your situation, we’re happy to talk it through — no pressure, just a conversation. Reach out to us at (540)-931-7078 to learn more.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
What’s included in your membership.
As a member, you and your team work together each year to maintain and update your plan, and assist your personal representatives and agents with implementing it when needed. Here’s what that looks like in practice.
Complimentary Changes to Documents
Once a year, we will revise the legal documents in your Trust-based Relational Estate Plan to make any changes you want to the beneficiaries, agents, or personal representatives in your documents.
Best Practice Updates
Every three years, we will prepare a new set of legal documents in your Trust-based Relational Estate Plan to ensure they stay up to date with the best practices in the industry.
Ongoing Trust Assistance
We will provide assistance with funding your Trust with any new assets that you receive.
Practical Documents Maintenance
Once a year, we will revise your Asset List, Estate Guide and Inventory and Gifts and Memories Lists to make any changes you request.
Questions
You can contact us at any time by phone or email with questions about your Trust-based Relational Estate Plan.
Meetings
You can schedule up to two thirty-minute meetings each year with one of our attorneys to review your Trust-based Relational Estate Plan and/or discuss any questions you or your loved ones have about your plan.
Free Consultation
We will provide one free one-hour consultation to your agents and/or personal representatives when they need assistance with implementing your Trust-based Relational Estate Plan. If they choose to engage us, we will be happy to provide additional assistance as well.
HOW IT WORKS
What being a member looks like.
Enroll
You can join from the time your Trust-based Relational Estate Plan is finished up to one year afterward. Enrolling takes one conversation — we confirm your plan is current and set up your membership.
Annual Review and Meeting
Each year, we'll remind you that it's time — then sit down together to review your plan against your life: your relationships, your assets, and any changes in the law.
We Update and Re-Fund
We make the document changes you need at no additional charge, keep your plan aligned with current best practices, and make sure your Trust stays properly funded.
We're There When It's Needed
When your plan has to work — at incapacity, death, or another life event — your agents and personal representatives have our team ready to help implement it.
MEET YOUR TEAM
The team behind your plan.
One philosophy across our team: planning built around the people you love. The attorneys and paralegals who build your Relational Estate Plan are the same people who maintain it through the Guardian Program.
Joshua E. Hummer, Esq.
FOUNDER & ATTORNEY · LICENSED IN VA & WV
Josh founded Relational Estate & Elder Law and leads the firm as both attorney and visionary. His passion is going beyond drafting documents to helping clients envision their futures — because high-quality legal work means real peace of mind.
B. Scott Livengood, Esq.
ESTATE PLANNING TEAM LEAD · ATTORNEY · LICENSED IN VA & NC
Scott leads our estate planning team and believes a well-crafted plan is a true gift to family — he’s devoted to helping clients create plans that reflect their values and secure their family’s future.
Heather C. Martin, Esq.
ESTATE PLANNING ATTORNEY · LICENSED IN VA, AZ & DC
Heather loves meeting new people and problem-solving — her favorite moments are when a client’s worry visibly lifts as their plan takes shape.
Plus a dedicated estate planning team: Meryl (Senior EP Paralegal), Caroline, and Teresa (EP Paralegals).
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Everything you need to know about joining.
How much does the Guardian Program cost?
The Guardian Program is an annual membership fee. Please contact our office for current pricing — we’re happy to walk you through the details and answer your questions before you decide. You can also review our overall approach to fees on our pricing page.
Is enrollment required?
No. Enrollment is completely optional. If you don’t enroll, please set aside time each year to review and update your Relational Estate Plan yourself, so it keeps working the way you want.
We want what is best for your family — whether that means enrolling in the Guardian Program or simply committing to an annual review on your own. Either way, we’ll support you.
When can I enroll?
You can enroll any time from the date your Trust-based Relational Estate Plan is finished up to one year afterward. If you’re approaching that one-year window, reach out soon, and we’ll help you decide whether the Guardian Program is still the right fit.
How do I cancel?
You can cancel any time by emailing or calling us. There’s no penalty and no complicated process — just let us know, and we’ll take care of it.
DON’T JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT
Why clients choose the relational approach.
Families across Northern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley trust us with what matters most because we combine legal expertise with genuine care and long-term support.
STAY CONNECTED
Stay connected. Stay prepared.
From blog posts and educational videos to webinars, we share practical guidance and thoughtful advice to help you plan with clarity and confidence — no pressure, just helpful information delivered with care. Join a community of families planning with purpose.
What you’ll get:
Plain-language articles on estate planning topics that matter to your family
Educational videos you can watch on your own time
Webinars where you can learn and ask questions directly
FROM THE BLOG
Guardian Program insights.
Maintaining Your Estate Plan: Our Guardian Program
Read article →Elder Care · Estate Planning · Guardian ProgramHow Often Should I Update My Estate Plan?
Read article →Estate Planning · Guardian Program · TrustTrust Funding: A Checklist for Funding Your Trust
Read article →YOUR FAMILY’S FUTURE
Your plan deserves to be maintained. Your family deserves the peace of mind.
The Guardian Program was built for families who want to know — not just hope — that their estate plan will work when it matters most. If you’re ready to take that next step, we’d love to talk.
Start a Conversation
The Guardian Program
- Annual Plan Review
- Complimentary Document Changes
- Trust Funding Support
- Standby Implementation Help
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