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17 estate administration firms in West Virginia. Browse practice areas, county coverage, and contact details.
Estate administration in West Virginia typically runs 6–9 months for simple estates and 15–30 months for complex ones. The minimum timeline is largely set by the creditor claim period (2 months), during which the executor can't safely distribute assets. Living trusts bypass this entirely because they don't go through probate. The West Virginia estate settlement checklist walks through the steps.
West Virginia sets executor compensation by statute at 2%–5% of the estate valueW.Va. Code § 44-4-12A (5% on first $100K, 4% on $100K-$400K, 3% on $400K-$800K, 2% above $800K; plus 1% on unsold real estate and non-administered federally taxable property per § 44-4-12A(b))Verified Apr 14, 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 West Virginia executor fee calculator.
Estate planning attorneys in West Virginia average $284 per hourClio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jan 1, 2025 for wills and estates work. Flat-fee packages run roughly $852–$1,704 for a simple individual will and $1,960–$2,940 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.
West Virginia allows estates under $50,000 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 West Virginia probate calculator to estimate the costs.
In West 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.