Sarah Aviles

Sarah Aviles, a principal at McCandlish Lillard, brings an all-inclusive approach to her practice areas, which include estate planning, trust and estate administration, fiduciary representations, guardianships and conservatorships, and civil litigation. Operating out of her office in Virginia, her legal acumen extends to creating tailored estate plans that encompass everything ranging from revocable and irrevocable trusts to advanced medical directives. Her adept handling of estate tax planning, small business planning and special-needs planning ensures that each client’s unique financial and personal circumstances are meticulously addressed.

In her current role, Ms. Aviles has successfully prepared hundreds of estate plans and has been instrumental in guiding fiduciaries through the intricate post-death trust and estate administration process. Her extensive experience spans managing both insolvent estates and multimillion-dollar estates and trusts. Her proficiency also includes advising trustees and executors on compliance with federal and state estates, inheritance tax laws and post-death tax requirements, ensuring the smooth settlement and distribution of diverse assets.

Ms. Aviles’ qualities as an attorney are reflected in her deep commitment to her clients and her ability to navigate complex legal challenges. Her representation of executors from the initial steps of probating a will through the entire probate process highlights her thorough understanding and effective management of legal procedures. Furthermore, her litigation skills are evident as she represents various fiduciaries and handles civil cases across multiple law areas, demonstrating her robust legal insight and strategic thinking.

Beyond her direct legal engagements, Ms. Aviles is actively involved with prominent legal organizations. She is a member of the Fairfax Bar Association and has been a part of the Virginia Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Inc. Her written works are well-recognized in academic circles, where she contributed as a published member of the William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender, and Social Justice, and served as the editor-in-chief at her law school’s newspaper during her time at the William & Mary School of Law, where she earned her Juris Doctor degree in 2013.