Catherine F. Schott Murray

Begin the Begin – Once you begin you are closer to the end than had you not begun at all. With that statement, Catherine F. Schott Murray appreciates that every client’s situation is unique and requires solutions that are adapted to their particular needs, goals, and objectives once the planning process has begun. She takes the time to carefully listen to her clients and discuss decisions that are not always straightforward, ultimately reaching an appropriate resolution that is pertinent to each client. Catherine is professional, yet compassionate, while carefully explaining complex matters during potentially trying times.

Catherine’s practice focuses on trust and estate planning as well as business planning. She advises clients with respect to the creation and implementation of simple and complex estate plans, including incapacity planning; elder law; guardianships and conservatorships; special needs trusts; health care decision making; estate and trust administration; probate administration; wealth preservation; asset protection; entity formation and maintenance, gift, estate and generation-skipping transfer tax planning; charitable planning; irrevocable trusts; donor advised funds; private foundations; family limited partnerships; and limited liability companies.

Prior to joining the firm, Catherine assisted individuals with estate planning and Medicaid planning as well as represented lenders and closely-held companies in commercial and financial transactions, commercial lease negotiations, mergers and acquisitions, bankruptcy, commercial litigation, and collections. She also participated in the University of Pittsburgh School of Law Elder Law Clinic where she provided legal services to elderly indigent clients, including drafting guardianship petitions, advance planning for incapacity, estate planning, and medical assistance/Medicaid eligibility for long term care.

Catherine has received an AV rating, the highest rating given by Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ for her legal ability and general ethical standards. She was also included among Virginia Business Magazine’s 2014″ Legal Elite” Young Lawyers. She is an active member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) and serves on the Board of Directors for the Virginia Chapter of NAELA.