Do I Need a TOD Deed in Hancock County, West Virginia?
West Virginia authorizes transfer on death deedsW. Va. Code 36-12-1 to 36-12-17Verified Oct 17, 2026View source; in Hancock County the County Clerk records one for $32 for the first 5 pages plus $1 for each page beyond 5.
The County Clerk charges $32 for the first 5 pages plus $1 for each page beyond 5. Most transfer on death deeds run two to four pages. Transfer on death deeds are exempt from transfer tax in Hancock County.
Record the transfer on death deed at the County Clerk, 102 North Court Street, New Cumberland, WV 26047. Office hours: Monday-Friday 7:30 AM-4:30 PM.
Hancock County does not offer e-recording; the transfer on death deed is recorded in person or by mail at the County Clerk.
A transfer on death deed in West Virginia requires notary acknowledgmentW. Va. Code 36-12-1 to 36-12-17Verified Oct 19, 2026View source before it can be recorded in Hancock County.
No. A transfer on death deed transfers only the property described in it. Bank accounts, vehicles and other real estate pass through a will (probate) or a trust. When a single deed is not enough, SimplyTrust sets up a revocable trust online that covers every property and account in one document.
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New Baby or Adoption
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Marriage
What married couples need in place: one joint trust or two, wills, beneficiary updates, and the spousal rights your state grants you automatically.
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New Home
How to put your house in a revocable trust: the deed you record, what it does to your mortgage and property taxes, and when a TOD deed is simpler.
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Retirement
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Learn moreForms for Planning Your Estate in West Virginia
Free forms for planning your estate in West Virginia: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for West Virginia.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
West Virginia requires 2W. Va. Code § 16-30-4(g)-(i)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses and notarizationW. Va. Code § 16-30-4(g)-(i)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source for a healthcare power of attorney.
HIPAA Release
In West Virginia, a HIPAA release names who may receive your records and, as the state requires, names HIV/AIDS-related informationW. Va. Code § 16-3C-3(a)(3)Verified Jun 19, 2026View source expressly before a provider releases it.
Financial Power of Attorney
West Virginia treats a power of attorney as durable by defaultW.Va. Code § 39B-1-105Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and it is signed before a notaryW.Va. Code § 39B-1-105Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
Transfer on Death Deed
In West Virginia, a transfer on death deed is signed before a notaryW. Va. Code 36-12-1 to 36-12-17Verified Oct 19, 2026View source, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathW. Va. Code 36-12-1 to 36-12-17Verified Oct 19, 2026View source. West Virginia does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.
Living Will
In West Virginia, the living will is the Living WillW. Va. Code Chapter 16, Article 30 (West Virginia Health Care Decisions Act), §§ 16-30-1 to 16-30-25; execution and forms § 16-30-4Verified Sep 27, 2026View source, a written instruction that is valid with no agent named.
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.
Codicil to a Will
In West Virginia, a codicil is signed before 2W.Va. Code § 41-1-3Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, like a will.
Tools for Planning Your Estate in West Virginia
Free tools for planning your estate in West Virginia: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for West Virginia.
Do I Need a Vehicle TOD?
West Virginia does not offer a transfer-on-death designation on a vehicle title; a vehicle passes by will, trust, joint title, or probate.
How Much Is the Federal Gift Tax?
Whether a gift owes federal gift tax, how much of the annual exclusion and lifetime exemption it uses, and whether Form 709 is due.
What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable trust in West Virginia runs $2,870Estimate: 10 hours at $287, Clio's West Virginia Wills and Estates rate (no Trusts rate published); Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $4,305Estimate: 15 hours at $287, Clio's West Virginia Wills and Estates rate (no Trusts rate published); Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source and a simple will $861Estimate: 3 hours at $287, Clio's West Virginia Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $1,722Estimate: 6 hours at $287, Clio's West 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.
How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?
In West Virginia, four years at a public university cost about $81,076NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 330.20, public 4-year in-state tuition, fees, room and board, academic year 2022-23Verified Oct 17, 2026View source and the cost of living is 10% below the U.S. averageBEA Regional Price Parities, all items, by state, 2024Verified Oct 17, 2026View source; no state estate or inheritance tax appliesNo state estate or inheritance tax. The West Virginia Estate Tax Act (W. Va. Code ch. 11, art. 11) is a pick-up tax keyed to the federal credit for state death taxes, and § 11-11-39 provides that the article "shall remain in force and effect until ... [t]he government of the United States ceases to allow credit against its estate tax for payment of state death taxes." Congress eliminated that credit for deaths on or after January 1, 2005 (EGTRRA 2001), so the tax computes to $0. West Virginia has no inheritance tax and no gift tax.Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?
West Virginia does not revoke an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceW. Va. Code § 41-1-6Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.
How Do I Sign Estate Documents?
In West Virginia, a will is signed before 2W.Va. Code § 41-1-3Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredW.Va. Code § 41-1-3Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
Will My Estate Documents Transfer?
West Virginia has no statute recognizing a will by the law of the place where it was signedW.Va. Code § 41-1-5Verified Oct 19, 2026View source, so a will used here is tested against its own rule: 2W.Va. Code § 41-1-3Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredW.Va. Code § 41-1-3Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
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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West Virginia Estate Planning Resources
In-depth guides covering West Virginia probate laws, trust requirements, and estate planning strategies.