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Best Probate Lawyers in Durham, NC

Our Recommended Top 19

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

66Reviewed

47Curated

19Top Picks

Learn about our selection process.

Providers

featured provider = Featured Provider

2304 South Miami Boulevard, Durham, NC 27703

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.9 (8)
Avvo
5.0 (4)
Yelp
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

The Law Offices of Douglas E. Koenig, PLLC, is a solo practice serving clients in Durham and the surrounding areas. The firm has been helping executors and heirs deal with probate matters since 2010. Doug Koenig draws from a career in engineering, IT, and life sciences to bring his practice to those who need careful planning. He has a personal inclination toward families with Alzheimer's, dementia, or other illnesses but will help anyone who needs assistance in estate planning.

  • Trusts
  • Wills

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Douglas Koenig - Managing AttorneyActive14 yrs

123 West Main Street, Durham, NC 27701

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.0 (4)
Avvo
5.0 (2)
Yelp
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Judy Whisnant Attorney at Law PC is a probate attorney in Durham who has been representing clients across North Carolina since receiving her JD in 1984. Ms. Whisnant can help with standard probates, such as identifying and collecting the decedent's estate, but has particular experience dealing with contested will cases. The attorney has handled a wide range of cases, from claims of undue influence on the decedent to allegations of concealing parts of the estate.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Judy Whisnant - PrincipalActive32 yrs

201 Commonwealth Ct #100, Cary, NC 27511

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.9 (176)
Facebook
5.0 (68)

Why choose this provider?

Carolina Family Estate customizes legal services according to the unique objectives and needs of each Durham client. The law firm helps clients with probate and trust and estate administration processes by taking on challenging and detailed management tasks. Its legal team files petitions in the probate court, handles the payment of taxes, and distributes remaining assets to beneficiaries. Jackie Bedard established the firm in 2009 and has served on the boards of the North Carolina chapter of NAEA.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

155 Parkway Office Ct STE 200, Cary, NC 27518

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (347)
Yelp
1.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Cary Estate Planning offers legal support in probate matters to the locals of Durham and the surrounding communities. It guides its clients through the whole process and identifies any property held in the decedent's name. It gathers all assets, ensures that the decedent's final wishes are carried out with regard to asset division, and pays off any outstanding debts. Probate lawyer Amanda Honea previously administered thousands of estates as an assistant clerk of court in Wake County.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

2530 Meridian Parkway 3rd Floor, Durham, NC 27713

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (25)

Why choose this provider?

Palmer Estate Planning works with families and individuals throughout Durham in matters involving probate administration. It helps clients overcome the complexities of the probate process by managing relevant documents such as death certificates, creating public finance records, and filing on their behalf at courthouses. It also provides comprehensive legal counsel on powers of attorney, trusts, and living wills, as well as asset protection. Its team is led by Duffy Palmer, who previously served as a director for the Arc of the Triangle organization.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

5540 Centerview Drive Suite 200, Raleigh, NC 27606

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.5 (8)
Avvo
5.0 (5)

Why choose this provider?

Huston Law Firm, PLLC, works with Durham residents in need of estate planning assistance. Its attorneys utilize different legal tools to help individuals efficiently distribute their assets. These include documents such as powers of attorney, revocable living trusts, and wills. The professionals also handle contentious probate procedures by representing their clients' cases in court and addressing inheritance disputes. Its principal attorney, Kevin Huston, is a member of the National Care Planning Council and has previously advised clients with multi-million dollar estates.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

112 South Main Street, Roxboro, NC 27573

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Avvo
5.0 (3)

Why choose this provider?

Tolin & Tolin PLLC is a family-run firm of estate planning attorneys near Durham who have been serving clients throughout the metro area since 1974. The father-and-son attorneys offer sensitive support and guidance to individuals acting as executors for the wills of loved ones. They can guide clients through the complex processes of NC law and deal with more practical aspects, such as collecting the full estate, filing its tax returns, and managing creditors.

  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Jay Tolin - PartnerActive20 yrs

1910 Sedwick Rd Suite 100 B, Durham, NC 27713

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.3 (12)
Facebook
5.0 (2)

Why choose this provider?

TriCity Lawyers is a law firm that offers legal assistance and representation in probate matters to the locals of Durham and other surrounding areas. It guides its clients through the probate process and can help in proactively creating documents. It also handles other estate planning cases such as living trusts and last will and testament. G. Kevin Stewman and Jon Booker established the firm in 2010. Together, they have more than 40 years of legal experience combined.

  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Jon Booker - PartnerActive23 yrs
Jon Booker - PartnerActive23 yrs

3211 Shannon Road Suite 400, Durham, NC 27707

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.4 (7)

Why choose this provider?

McPherson, Rocamora, Nicholson, Wilson & Hinkle, PLLC, assists clients in Durham with trust and estate administration. It offers counsel to beneficiaries and executors regarding the court-supervised disposition of assets left by the decedents. The firm deals with filing the required probate forms. It identifies, collects, and distributes the deceased loved ones' estates. In addition, the firm prepares estate tax returns. Partner Larry H. Rocamora, a board-certified Estate Planning and Probate Law specialist, is also a certified public accountant.

  • Trusts
  • Estate Planning
  • Elder Law

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Larry Rocamora - MemberActive36 yrs

1829 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Yelp
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Founded in 1990, Roberson Law Firm PA is a multidisciplinary firm that focuses on white-collar practices, such as taxation, estate planning, and probate. The firm's attorneys have many years of experience helping executors perform their duties within the restrictions of NC law. The attorneys can also act as executors and administrators. Their services can include filing tax returns, ensuring heirs receive their portions of the estate, and filing final accounts.

  • Estate Planning
  • Estate Taxes
  • Trust Administration

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
A. Roberson - ShareholderActive28 yrs

880 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Ste 203, Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (16)

Why choose this provider?

Laskody Law offers legal services to individuals and families in Durham and neighboring communities. Its attorneys are equipped with the necessary skills and legal resources to handle probate, trust, and estate administration matters. They represent clients in simple and complex estate administration cases and help them deal with issues, such as undue influence, challenges or interpretation of a will, and misconduct of executors or beneficiaries. Its founder, Lee Laskody, has more than 20 years of litigation experience.

  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

501 Eastowne Drive, Suite 130, Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.9 (11)
Avvo
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Tillman, Whichard & Cagle, PLLC, provides legal services to clients in Durham. It assists in settling the decedent's estate, including fiduciary responsibilities, distribution of assets, tax planning, and the court probate process. It also provides drafting of wills, powers of attorney, health care directives, and trusts for minor children. Its team of lawyers handles intergenerational planning for non-traditional and same-sex families. Founding partner Beth Tillman is a board-certified specialist in estate planning and probate law by the North Carolina State Bar.

  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Beth Tillman - Founding PartnerActive31 yrs

50101 Governors Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27517

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.3 (22)
Avvo
4.5 (10)
Yelp
3.5 (6)

Why choose this provider?

Averett Family Law is a small firm of estate planning attorneys near Durham who can assist nominated executors and other interested parties in all matters concerning probate law. The attorneys' services include providing compassionate guidance for executors during what is typically a stressful period in their lives, administering the decedent's estate, which includes dealing with creditors, and handling challenges to the contents of the will and the actions of the executor.

  • Wills
  • Estate Planning
  • Trust Administration

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Melissa Averett - Managing AttorneyActive26 yrs

411 W. Chapel Hill Street Suite C 2, Durham, NC 27701

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Avvo
5.0 (30)
Google
5.0 (6)

Why choose this provider?

The Law Office of Jeffrey L. Austin offers probate services to individuals and families in Durham. It helps estate executors and administrators navigate the probate process so they can focus on their core responsibilities. It helps draft various estate planning documents, such as wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. It also assists same-sex couples with their estate planning needs. The firm's founder, Jeffrey L. Austin, serves the Legal Aid of North Carolina as a volunteer attorney.

  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

240 Leigh Farm Road, Durham, NC 27707

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.9 (51)
Facebook
4.3 (12)
Avvo
5.0 (5)

Why choose this provider?

Walker Lambe PLLC is a Durham-based law firm that's been providing legal services to clients across the state for more than 35 years. Its areas of practice include planning the transfer of estates and handling the distribution of estates to its heirs and other beneficiaries. The firm also handles non-standard issues, such as wills contested due to allegations of fraud, concealment of assets, and the alleged mental incapacity of the decedent when the will was written.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
William Lambe - FounderActive51 yrs

1000 Corporate Drive, Hillsborough, NC 27278

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (14)
Facebook
5.0 (4)
Yelp
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Hillsborough Wills & Trusts is a boutique practice founded by Colin K. Austin, a probate lawyer near Durham with more than 28 years of legal experience in North Carolina. Attorney Austin has successfully supported and guided many named executors tasked with managing a loved one's last will and testament. He has extensive experience in collecting the entire estate of decedents and investigating claims from creditors. Mr. Austin is a member of the North Carolina and Orange County Bar associations.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Colin Austin - Principal AttorneyActive32 yrs

2411 Old NC 86, Hillsborough, NC 27278

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Facebook
5.0 (14)
Avvo
5.0 (2)

Why choose this provider?

Steffan & Associates PC is a general law practice near Durham that's been representing clients throughout the surrounding areas since the firm started in 1986. Ms. Steffan has successfully represented will executors for many years, compassionately guiding them through the challenges of their roles and the complexities of probate law. Attorney Steffan is a University of North Carolina School of Law graduate and past president of the Orange County Bar Association.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Kim Steffan - PrincipalActive38 yrs

1414 Raleigh Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27517

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.9 (13)
Avvo
5.0 (9)
Yelp
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Clarity Legal Group is a law firm whose attorneys share more than 80 years of combined experience helping clients throughout Durham's metro area in matters of estate planning, trusts, and probate. Their standard services include collecting the decedent's entire estate, filing its tax returns, dealing with claims from creditors, and assisting named executors in the operation of their fiduciary duties. The attorneys also handle trust administration and take steps to help clients avoid the costs of probate.

  • Estate Planning
  • Trust Administration
  • Probate Litigation

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Mark Costley - FounderActive33 yrs

5003 Southpark Drive Suite 260, Durham, NC 27713

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.9 (151)
Facebook
4.9 (67)
Avvo
4.5 (2)

Why choose this provider?

Since 2010, Kreger Law Firm Attorneys At Law has been representing the Durham community in various legal matters. The firm's attorneys also handle wills, trusts, and estate matters. They provide estate planning services that protect the estate, finances, and healthcare decisions. They also take these matters for probate after a person's death. The firm also focuses on personal injury and civil litigation. Clients praise the firm for its effort to regularly update them about their case status by phone calls and emails.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Tom Kreger - Owner and FounderActive16 yrs

Compare our Top Probate Lawyers

NameExpertise RatingAddressPromotionsLearn more
The Law Offices of Douglas E. Koenig, PLLC
2304 South Miami Boulevard, Durham, NC 27703
Judy Whisnant Attorney at Law, P.C.
123 West Main Street, Durham, NC 27701
Carolina Family Estate Planning
201 Commonwealth Ct #100, Cary, NC 27511
Cary Estate Planning
155 Parkway Office Ct STE 200, Cary, NC 27518
Palmer Estate Planning
2530 Meridian Parkway 3rd Floor, Durham, NC 27713
Huston Law Firm, PLLC
5540 Centerview Drive Suite 200, Raleigh, NC 27606
Tolin & Tolin, PLLC
112 South Main Street, Roxboro, NC 27573
Tricity Lawyers
1910 Sedwick Rd Suite 100 B, Durham, NC 27713
McPherson, Rocamora, Nicholson, Wilson & Hinkle, PLLC
3211 Shannon Road Suite 400, Durham, NC 27707
Roberson Law Firm P.A.
1829 East Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Laskody Law
880 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Ste 203, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Tillman, Whichard & Cagle, PLLC
501 Eastowne Drive, Suite 130, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Averett Family Law
50101 Governors Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
Law Office of Jeffrey L. Austin
411 W. Chapel Hill Street Suite C 2, Durham, NC 27701
Walker Lambe, PLLC
240 Leigh Farm Road, Durham, NC 27707
Hillsborough Wills & Trusts
1000 Corporate Drive, Hillsborough, NC 27278
Steffan & Associates, PC
2411 Old NC 86, Hillsborough, NC 27278
Clarity Legal Group
1414 Raleigh Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
Kreger Brodish LLP
5003 Southpark Drive Suite 260, Durham, NC 27713

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 is the non-emergency contact number for the local police station in Durham, North Carolina?

    Call (919) 560-4600 to report non-emergencies to the local police station in Durham.

  • Is probate required if there is a will in Durham?

    Yes, probate is still required even if the person in Durham left a will before passing away. This is because a will cannot be legally recognized unless it goes through a court review, which is part of the probate process. To begin the procedure, the will must be officially submitted to the county court clerk.

  • Do all properties in Durham need to undergo probate?

    No, not all properties in Durham need to undergo probate. There are certain conditions under which a simplified process can be followed. A summary administration can be filed if the total value of the estate is $20,000 for a single person or $30,000 for a married person. This process is applicable when the spouse is the sole heir. Additionally, insurance benefits are automatically transferred to the beneficiaries stated in the policy and do not require probate.

  • What is the duration of the probate process in Durham?

    The duration of the probate process in Durham depends on factors such as the size and value of the property and any complexities that may arise. Straightforward estates usually take at least six months to settle because creditors have three months to make claims. However, if there are problems or the property is large, it can take many years to complete. It can also be delayed if the executor doesn't know much about probate.

  • Who should settle the debts of a deceased individual in Durham?

    After an individual passes away in Durham, their debts are typically paid from the funds in their estate. The executor is responsible for managing the deceased person's assets and using them to settle the debts in a specific order. However, if the deceased person's spouse or children are co-owners of a property or joint account holders, they may also be responsible for resolving the debts.

  • What is the process of selling a property in Durham when it is under probate?

    The process of selling a property in Durham when it is under probate involves appointing a personal representative or executor and assessing the actual value of the property. The executor must obtain permission from the court to sell the property through a hearing. Advertisements can be put out at this point and the court handles the bidding. If someone makes an offer, executors may demand the court to issue approval and they must inform the heirs about the sale. If someone disagrees, the sale may be stopped.

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