Probate in Bedford County

Probate Court Record

Bedford County Circuit Court

Bedford County · 24th Judicial Circuit

Phone

1-540-586-7632 (option 1)

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-5:00 PM

Office

123 East Main Street, Bedford, VA 24523

Files probate

Probate

Filing in person

Appointment required

Self-represented filing

Allowed

Self-help forms

How to file probate in Bedford County →

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

Do I need a lawyer for probate in Bedford County? →Settling an estate in Bedford County →

Estate Law Firms Serving Bedford County

Veteran-owned firm in Lynchburg serving the greater Lynchburg area and reaching into Amherst, Bedford, and Campbell counties. Handles wills and trusts, trust administration, and probate, guiding families through the local circuit courts. Founder Aaron Pike is a former JAG officer.

Serves 4 countiesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawPowers Of AttorneyWills Trusts

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.

Serves 5 countiesFree consultationEstate PlanningProbateWills Trusts

Lynchburg firm on Enterprise Drive serving the city and Amherst, Bedford, and Campbell counties. Walks executors and administrators through probate — reviewing the will, qualifying the personal representative, notifying creditors, and transferring assets — and handles will contests and beneficiary disputes. Three decades serving central Virginia families.

Serves 4 countiesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationWills Trusts

Roanoke firm serving clients throughout Southwest Virginia in estate, tax, trust, and elder law. Handles estate and trust administration, revocable living trusts and wills, special-needs trusts, guardianships, and fiduciary advising for executors and trustees. Partner Mark W. Dellinger was named a Virginia Super Lawyer in elder law.

Serves 6 countiesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder LawTax Planning+2

Lexington firm, with a second office in the Roanoke area, serving Rockbridge County and the greater Roanoke region. Focuses on probate-avoidance estate planning — revocable living trusts to hold and distribute assets privately — plus wills and trust administration. Offers a free 15-minute consultation.

Solo PracticeSince 2016Serves 3 countiesFree consultationEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateTax PlanningWills Trusts

Danville firm serving Southside Virginia through the local circuit courts, with a second office in Lynchburg. Handles estate and trust administration, probate, guardianship and conservatorship, and Medicaid asset-protection planning for aging clients. Attorney Robert W. Haley is a Certified Elder Law Attorney, and the firm offers phone and video consultations.

Since 1995Serves 5 countiesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder LawConservatorship+3

All 10 Virginia estate law firms serving Bedford County →

Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Virginia

Free Virginia forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for Virginia.

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Revocable Living Trust

Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.

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Last Will and Testament

In Virginia, a will is signed before 2Va. Code § 64.2-403Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyVa. Code § 64.2-403Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.

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Healthcare Power of Attorney

Virginia requires 2Va. Code Ann. § 54.1-2984Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses for a healthcare power of attorney; notarization is not requiredVa. Code Ann. § 54.1-2984Verified Oct 15, 2026View source.

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Financial Power of Attorney

Virginia treats a power of attorney as durable by defaultVa. Code §§ 64.2-1600 through 64.2-1642Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and it is signed with no witness or notary requirementVa. Code §§ 64.2-1600 through 64.2-1642Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.

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Pour-Over Will

In Virginia, a pour-over will is signed before 2Va. Code § 64.2-403Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.

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Transfer on Death Deed

In Virginia, a transfer on death deed is signed before a notaryVa. Code 64.2-621 to 64.2-638Verified Oct 19, 2026View source, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathVa. Code 64.2-621 to 64.2-638Verified Oct 19, 2026View source. Virginia does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.

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Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Virginia

Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in Virginia: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool for Virginia.

Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?

In Virginia, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 2.5%Modeled estimate under Va. Code §§ 64.2-105(B)(12) (fiduciary employs and compensates counsel), 64.2-1208(A) (commissioner of accounts allows reasonable expenses; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 9, 2026View source to 3.9%Modeled estimate under Va. Code §§ 64.2-105(B)(12) (fiduciary employs and compensates counsel), 64.2-1208(A) (commissioner of accounts allows reasonable expenses; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 9, 2026View source of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.

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Do I Need a Revocable Trust?

Probate in Virginia takes 6 months to 9 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees of typically 2.5%Modeled estimate under Va. Code §§ 64.2-105(B)(12) (fiduciary employs and compensates counsel), 64.2-1208(A) (commissioner of accounts allows reasonable expenses; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 9, 2026View source to 3.9%Modeled estimate under Va. Code §§ 64.2-105(B)(12) (fiduciary employs and compensates counsel), 64.2-1208(A) (commissioner of accounts allows reasonable expenses; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 9, 2026View source of the estate; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.

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How Much Does Probate Cost?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in Virginia costs an estimated $29,411Va. Code §§ 64.2-105(B)(12) (fiduciary employs and compensates counsel), 64.2-1208(A) (commissioner of accounts allows reasonable expenses; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 9, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 2.5%Modeled estimate under Va. Code §§ 64.2-105(B)(12) (fiduciary employs and compensates counsel), 64.2-1208(A) (commissioner of accounts allows reasonable expenses; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 9, 2026View source to 3.9%Modeled estimate under Va. Code §§ 64.2-105(B)(12) (fiduciary employs and compensates counsel), 64.2-1208(A) (commissioner of accounts allows reasonable expenses; no statutory percentage): 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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What Are the Estate Laws in My State?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in Virginia costs an estimated $29,411Va. Code §§ 64.2-105(B)(12) (fiduciary employs and compensates counsel), 64.2-1208(A) (commissioner of accounts allows reasonable expenses; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 9, 2026View source and takes 6 months to 9 months for a simple estate, with attorney fees of typically 2.5%Modeled estimate under Va. Code §§ 64.2-105(B)(12) (fiduciary employs and compensates counsel), 64.2-1208(A) (commissioner of accounts allows reasonable expenses; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 9, 2026View source to 3.9%Modeled estimate under Va. Code §§ 64.2-105(B)(12) (fiduciary employs and compensates counsel), 64.2-1208(A) (commissioner of accounts allows reasonable expenses; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 9, 2026View source of the estate. Estates under $75,000Va. Code § 64.2-600Verified Sep 9, 2026View source can use a small-estate procedure instead.

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How Do I Settle an Estate?

Settling an estate in Virginia: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 120 daysVa. Code § 64.2-1300Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 6 monthsVa. Code §§ 64.2-508.1, 64.2-528, 64.2-529, 64.2-550, 64.2-552, 64.2-556Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 9 months.

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What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Virginia runs $3,770Estimate: 10 hours at $377, Clio's Virginia Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $5,655Estimate: 15 hours at $377, Clio's Virginia Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source and a simple will $1,311Estimate: 3 hours at $437, Clio's Virginia Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $2,622Estimate: 6 hours at $437, Clio's Virginia Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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