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Estate administration in Virginia typically runs 6–9 months for simple estates and 12–24 months for complex ones. The minimum timeline is largely set by the creditor claim period (12 months), during which the executor can't safely distribute assets. Living trusts bypass this entirely because they don't go through probate. The Virginia estate settlement checklist walks through the steps.
Virginia allows executors to receive "reasonable compensation," typically 2%–4% of the estateVa. Code § 64.2-1208 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified May 27, 2026. Executors can also waive their fee entirely or accept a reduced amount. When the executor is a family member who is also a beneficiary, waiving the fee is common because beneficiary distributions aren't taxed as income while executor fees are. See the Virginia executor fee calculator.
Estate planning attorneys in Virginia average $437 per hourClio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jan 1, 2025 for wills and estates work. Flat-fee packages run roughly $1,311–$2,622 for a simple individual will and $3,770–$5,655 for a basic revocable trust. Online and DIY services cost $30–$300 for the same documents — see the will cost calculator for a side-by-side comparison.
Virginia allows estates under $75,000 to use a simplified small estate affidavit procedure, which is a form rather than a court case and typically doesn't require an attorney. For larger estates, formal probate is involved enough that retaining counsel is usually practical — the procedural work is what they're there for. Use the Virginia probate calculator to estimate the costs.
In Virginia, the situations where retaining counsel is typically worth the cost are: blended families with children from prior relationships; ownership of a business, rental property, or significant investment assets; special-needs dependents who need a special-needs trust to preserve benefits; substantial property held in multiple states. If none of these describe your situation, the simpler online and DIY tools are often enough.
Search 3,941 estate law firms across 51 states.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to discuss your situation and verify their current practice areas and availability.
7 firms
Tysons firm serving Northern Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. Builds revocable-trust-centered plans and advanced vehicles — special-needs, charitable, and life-insurance trusts — and handles trust and estate administration, financial powers of attorney, and health-care directives. Founder Deborah Cochran has more than three decades in estate and tax planning.
Location
8000 Towers Crescent Drive, Suite 160Tysons, VA 22182
Phone
(703) 847-4480
Established
2004
Service Area
3 counties
Lynchburg firm focused exclusively on wills, trusts, and estates, serving Central Virginia and reaching clients from Richmond to Tidewater. Prepares estate-planning documents and handles estate administration for families settling estates. Offers complimentary first consultations.
Location
4935 Boonsboro Road, Suite ALynchburg, VA 24503
Phone
(434) 528-5500
Service Area
5 counties
Waynesboro firm practicing in the central Shenandoah Valley since 1931, serving Augusta, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Nelson, and Albemarle counties. Its estate practice covers wills and trust drafting, estate tax planning, and probate and estate administration, alongside elder law. A long-established general practice with deep roots in the local courts.
Location
129 N. Wayne AvenueWaynesboro, VA 22980
Phone
(540) 946-4400
Established
1931
Service Area
6 counties
Newport News firm serving the Hampton Roads region — Newport News, Hampton, Chesapeake, and Gloucester — and the surrounding circuit courts. Handles wills, trusts and estates, and probate alongside civil litigation and real estate. Attorney James A. Carter II concentrates in wills, trusts, estates, and probate.
Location
12610 Patrick Henry Drive, Suite BNewport News, VA 23602
Phone
(757) 825-0400
Service Area
5 counties
Harrisonburg firm serving the Rockingham County Circuit Court and broader Shenandoah Valley. Handles estate administration and the settlement of estates, probate, asset distribution, and estate and transfer-tax matters alongside wills and trusts. Lead attorney Phillip C. Stone Jr. is both a CPA and an attorney, giving the practice a tax-focused approach to estate settlement.
Location
250 E. Market Street, Suite AHarrisonburg, VA 22801
Phone
(540) 432-0157
Established
2010
Service Area
4 counties
Richmond firm concentrating exclusively on estate, trust, and fiduciary work since 2002. Handles estate settlement and trust administration, and serves as a professional fiduciary, executing the same plans it designs for clients and their beneficiaries. The practice limits itself entirely to estate, trust, and fiduciary services.
Location
1700 Bayberry Court, Suite 100Richmond, VA 23226
Phone
(804) 565-2300
Established
2002
Service Area
3 counties
Shenandoah Valley firm in Harrisonburg, with a Staunton office, serving the Rockingham and Augusta county courts and into West Virginia. Represents executors, trustees, personal representatives, and beneficiaries in probate and trust administration of all types, and handles disputes over wills, trusts, and estates. One of the region's oldest firms, with roots to 1845.
Location
100 S. Mason StreetHarrisonburg, VA 22801
Phone
(540) 434-0316
Established
1845
Service Area
5 counties