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Best Estate Planning Lawyers in Virginia Beach, VA

Our Recommended Top 5

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Our goal is to connect people with the best local professionals. We scored Virginia Beach Estate Planning Lawyers on more than 25 variables across five categories, and analyzed the results to give you a hand-picked list of the best.

110Reviewed

68Curated

5Top Picks

Learn about our selection process.

Providers

featured provider = Featured Provider

Virginia Beach, VA 23462

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Facebook
5.0 (3)

Why choose this provider?

Wilson Law PLC, in Virginia Beach, Virginia provides service in the practice areas of asset protection planning, probate, estate planning, estate tax planning, legacy preservation and special needs planning, among others. Donna L. Wilson of Wilson Law PLC is also a probate lawyer with 16 years experience in estate law. The firm takes pride in their dedication to delivering quality and dependable service.

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Donna Wilson - Founderactive55 yrs

Virginia Beach, VA 23462

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Avvo
5.0 (61)
Facebook
4.9 (53)
Yelp
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Johnson Gasink & Baxter LLP are premier estate planning and probate attorneys serving the Virginia Beach area and its nearby communities. Their main areas of practice include estate planning, probate, and business law where its team of lawyers assist their clients in finding solutions for their current problems and create plans for their future. The firm has received a 10.0 Superb Avvo Rating.

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Jeremy Johnson - Partneractive55 yrs

Virginia Beach, VA 23452

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Facebook
5.0 (8)
Avvo
5.0 (6)

Why choose this provider?

Using a collaborative effort to help each client, Carrell Blanton Ferris Associates, PLC focuses on understanding the needs of each case and fostering innovative strategies for timely and cost-effective solutions. Founded in 1993, they hold locations in Virginia Beach, Fredericksburg, Williamsburg, and Richmond. The company provides services that include business succession planning, litigation and dispute resolution, business law, elder law, estate planning, special needs planning, and more.

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Daniel Carrell - Founding Principalactive55 yrs
M. Eldridge Blanton - Principalactive55 yrs

Suffolk, VA 23435

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.4 (15)

Why choose this provider?

Timothy K.Palmer, P.C. Elder Law Solutions is an elder law firm serving Suffolk, Virginia and its surrounding communities. Practice areas include estate planning, estate administration, Medicaid/long-term care planning as well as fiduciary and estate dispute resolution. Timothy K. Palmer, P.C. takes pride in his commitment to providing affordable legal solutions for the problems typically encountered by elderly clients and their families.

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Timothy Palmer - Principalactive55 yrs

Hampton, VA 23666

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Facebook
5.0 (4)

Why choose this provider?

Promise Law, an estate planning law firm serving Hampton, Virginia and its surrounding areas, offers legal counsel in estate planning, probate and estate administration as well as adult guardianship. Their professional team of lawyers guide their clients through the process of providing security in their current situation and future.

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Geneva Perry - Principal/Founderactive55 yrs

Compare our Top Estate Planning Lawyers

NameExpertise RatingAddressPromotionsLearn more
Wilson Law PLC
Virginia Beach, VA 23462
Johnson Gasink & Baxter LLP
Virginia Beach, VA 23462
Carrell Blanton Ferris & Associates, PLC
Virginia Beach, VA 23452
Timothy K. Palmer, P.C. Elder Law Solutions
Suffolk, VA 23435
Promise Law
Hampton, VA 23666

Disclaimer:  Consumers utilizing Expertise.com are free to communicate and contract with any lawyer they choose. Expertise.com is not involved in the confidential attorney-client relationship. Featured lawyers pay a reasonable advertising cost to market their legal services with Expertise.com and must meet similar selection criteria as other lawyers. All cases are different. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

FAQs

  • What does an estate planning attorney do?

    An estate consists of the total assets that form an individual’s net worth, no matter how large or small. Estate planning attorneys use their in-depth knowledge of state and federal laws to help people best manage what will happen with their estates after they die or become incapacitated. Estate planning attorneys can prepare wills, form trusts, reduce estate tax burdens, and decrease or eliminate the need for probate court.

  • What are valuable estate planning services an attorney can provide?

    With the many intricacies of assets, taxes, and state and federal laws that can affect a person’s estate, an estate planning lawyer can be a valuable professional asset, no matter how large or small a person’s estate may be. An estate planning attorney can:

    • Create a comprehensive plan to protect a client's legacy, that includes a will, power of attorney, trusts, life insurance, and advanced medical directives
    • Optimize an estate plan as tax laws, life events, assets, and goals change over time
    • Protect a client’s loved ones by preventing assets from entering probate
    • Help clients designate a person to make important health decisions for them if they become incapacitated

  • Can estate planning attorneys help create trusts/wills?

    Estate planning attorneys can create trusts and wills. Through a will, an attorney can help a client designate their estate’s beneficiaries and assign an executor to represent the will in probate court. These attorneys can also create trusts, allowing a client to assign a trustee to oversee the estate, potentially avoiding probate court and holding assets to be distributed over time.

  • Is estate planning the same as drafting a will?

    While both estate plans and wills officially document how their owners wish to allocate certain assets after their death, there are key differences. In estate planning, a will is often just one of several documents that form a comprehensive plan. In a will, people must designate a person responsible for executing their will after their death. The will can include guardians for their children when they die and beneficiaries to receive an inheritance of money, property, and other assets.

  • What are the steps involved in estate planning?

    To create a thorough and effective estate plan, individuals should follow these steps:

    • Prepare a will that designates an estate executor; indicate who will receive what assets, and assign a trust and guardians for any children. Consider using an attorney if the will is in any way complex.
    • To avoid probate, have an attorney create a revocable living trust.
    • Assign beneficiaries to other assets, such as life insurance policies, retirement plans, and securities.
    • Use an attorney to prepare a living will, name a health care proxy, and create a HIPAA release form.
    • Update the plan every five years.

  • How long does the estate planning process last?

    The length of the process can vary greatly depending on the size and complexity of the estate, the specific law office, and whether there’s an emergency or urgent need. If you’re using an attorney, you can generally expect it to take one to five weeks. You may be able to speed up the process by immediately providing your attorney with any bank statements or other documents they need.

  • What is a trust?

    A trust is an agreement between a grantor, a trustee, and a beneficiary. In this agreement, the grantor allocates funds or real property assets to the trustee to be held either until the grantor passes away or until a specific, agreed-upon date. At that point, it's the responsibility of the trustee to distribute funds or property to the beneficiary or beneficiaries. While there are similarities between a will and a trust, a will is a more comprehensive document that typically requires probate court, while a trust allows assets to pass to the beneficiary without probate.