Serves Putnam, Kanawha and Cabell counties from Teays Valley in Hurricane. Handles estate administration and probate, drafts wills and trusts, and represents families in guardianship and conservatorship matters and Medicaid planning and applications for seniors and people with disabilities. Michael J. Bell founded the practice in 2001.
Probate in Cabell County
Probate Court Record
Cabell County Circuit Court
Cabell County · Sixth Judicial Circuit
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Office
Cabell County Courthouse, 750 Fifth Avenue, Huntington, WV 25701
Website
Filing in person
Appointment required
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Cabell County →
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Cabell County? →Settling an estate in Cabell County →
Probate Firms Serving Cabell County
Serves Mason County and the tri-state area from Point Pleasant, with a second office in Bridgeport. Handles estate planning and estate administration alongside a bankruptcy-led practice. Cary Shinn Supple has been the appointed Fiduciary Commissioner for Mason County, presiding over probate matters, since January 2014.
Serves Kanawha County and clients statewide from Charleston. Guides executors and trustees through probating a will, notifying creditors and distributing assets, drafts wills, trusts and transfer-on-death deeds, and represents clients in will contests and fiduciary-duty disputes. Managing member Christopher J. Winton was appointed Chair of the West Virginia State Bar Probate Committee in 2019.
Serves Kanawha County from Charleston, with offices in Beckley and Lewisburg. Drafts wills and trusts, guides trustees and families through trust administration, and litigates will contests, trust contests, fiduciary-duty claims and probate and trust accountings. Represents both beneficiaries and fiduciaries in estate disputes.
Serves Kanawha County from Charleston and assists with estate administration in counties throughout West Virginia. Represents clients in will contests, will construction litigation and breach of fiduciary duty claims, and handles federal estate tax planning for larger estates. Drafts wills, trusts and powers of attorney and plans business transfers to the next generation.
Serves Monongalia County from Morgantown and takes estate matters throughout West Virginia. Guides executors through filing the will with the probate court, gathering assets, paying creditors and taxes, and represents executors in will challenges and claims of mismanagement. Also establishes adult guardianships and conservatorships.
Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in West Virginia
Free West Virginia forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for West Virginia.
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Revocable Living Trust
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Last Will and Testament
In West Virginia, a will is signed before 2W.Va. Code § 41-1-3Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and the witnesses sign an affidavit at probate instead of a self-proving affidavitW.Va. Code § 41-1-3Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
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Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in West Virginia
Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in West Virginia: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in West Virginia costs an estimated $30,331W.Va. Code § 44-4-12 (attorney fees as reasonable expenses of the fiduciary, allowed by the fiduciary commissioner; no statutory schedule); § 44-3A-42(c) (fee vouchers); § 44-2-1(a) ($300 ceiling)Verified Sep 9, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 1.6%Modeled estimate under W.Va. Code § 44-4-12 (attorney fees as reasonable expenses of the fiduciary, allowed by the fiduciary commissioner; no statutory schedule); § 44-3A-42(c) (fee vouchers); § 44-2-1(a) ($300 ceiling): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 9, 2026View source to 2.6%Modeled estimate under W.Va. Code § 44-4-12 (attorney fees as reasonable expenses of the fiduciary, allowed by the fiduciary commissioner; no statutory schedule); § 44-3A-42(c) (fee vouchers); § 44-2-1(a) ($300 ceiling): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 9, 2026View source of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.
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How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in West Virginia: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 90 daysW. Va. Code § 44-1-14Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 2 monthsW. Va. Code §§ 44-1-14a, 44-2-4, 44-2-21, 44-2-26Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 9 months.
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How Much Can an Executor Charge?
West Virginia sets executor compensation by statute — about $20,000 on a $500,000 estate, roughly 4.0%W.Va. Code § 44-4-12a(a) (5% first $100K, 4% to $400K, 3% to $800K, 2% above $800K, on personal estate and real estate sold); §§ 44-4-12a(b) (unsold real estate 1%), 44-4-12a(d), 44-4-12a(f)Verified Sep 9, 2026View source.
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Do I Need Probate?
In West Virginia, estates with personal property of $50,000W.Va. Code § 44-1A-2Verified Sep 9, 2026View source or less use the Small Estate AffidavitW.Va. Code § 44-1A-2Verified Sep 9, 2026View source, 60 daysW.Va. Code § 44-1A-2Verified Sep 9, 2026View source after death, a court filing short of full probate.
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What Are the Creditor Claim Deadlines?
In West Virginia, the 2 monthsW.Va. Code § 44-1-14a(a)(7) (sixty days from the date of first publication); § 44-3A-4(b) (the same sixty days in fiduciary-supervisor counties)Verified Sep 9, 2026View source period after first publication of the creditor notice protects a representative who distributes after it; late claims can still reach undistributed assets.
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Can I Self-File Probate?
West Virginia has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is availableW.Va. Code § 44-12-1 (clerk of the county commission admits wills and qualifies executors and administrators in vacation, ex parte); § 44-1-4(a) (the county commission or its clerk during recess)Verified Sep 9, 2026View source.
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