Planning your estate in Chesapeake?
A good estate plan spares your family confusion, cost, and conflict at the worst possible time. Wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives only work if they are drafted correctly and kept current. In Virginia, estates are handled through the local Circuit Court.
Estate planning is about deciding, while you can, who gets what and who makes decisions if you cannot. Below are Chesapeake and Hampton Roads firms that appear consistently across Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, Avvo, and Martindale-Hubbell, with verifiable wills, trusts, and probate experience. Most handle the core documents — will, financial power of attorney, advance medical directive, and trusts where appropriate — plus estate and trust administration after a death.
How we picked these 8: We reviewed peer rankings (Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Avvo, Martindale-Hubbell), bar recognition, board certifications where applicable, and consistency across independent directories such as Justia, FindLaw, and Expertise.com. Firms that appeared across multiple independent sources made the list. We do not accept payment for placement, and we do not write sponsored reviews. More on our methodology →
Practice focus: Wills, trusts, estate planning, probate, elder law
Founded in 2007 by attorney Dominic P. Lascara, admitted to the Virginia State Bar in 1986. He holds an AV Preeminent peer-review rating through Martindale-Hubbell and handles estate planning, probate, and real estate.
Practice focus: Estate planning, trust administration, guardianships, estate litigation
Attorney Sarah J. Schmidt concentrates on estate planning and trust administration and has been named to Virginia Super Lawyers Rising Stars and Coastal Virginia Magazine Top Lawyers for wills, trusts, and estates.
Practice focus: Estate planning, administration, probate, guardianship
A Chesapeake firm serving courts throughout Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Suffolk, and the Peninsula, recognized with an Avvo Clients' Choice award for its estate practice.
Practice focus: Estate planning, wills, trusts, living wills, real estate
Founded in 2010 by attorney Albert R. Hartley, the firm combines estate planning with real estate and business-law experience for asset-protection matters across Hampton Roads.
Practice focus: Wills and trusts, powers of attorney, probate and estate administration
A Hampton Roads firm with attorneys licensed in Virginia and North Carolina whose estate planning team works on a flat-rate fee structure.
Practice focus: Wills, trusts, estates, elder law, probate
Established in 1961, this long-standing Hampton Roads firm handles wills, trusts, and probate across the seven cities, with an attorney concentrating on elder law and trusts and estates.
Practice focus: Estate planning, estate and trust administration, asset protection
A Hampton Roads firm whose team members have been selected for Virginia Super Lawyers Rising Stars and Coastal Virginia Magazine Top Lawyers in estate planning.
Practice focus: Estate planning, trust and estate administration, probate, elder law
A Virginia Beach firm serving area residents, businesses, and banking institutions since the late 1980s, with a dedicated trusts and estates team covering planning through litigation.
Tell us about your situation and we'll match you with vetted estate planning attorneys in Chesapeake. Free, confidential, no obligation.
Request Free Consultation →Match the firm to the complexity of your estate. A straightforward will-based plan is a flat-fee package most of these firms handle efficiently. A larger or blended estate, a family business, a special-needs beneficiary, or significant real estate calls for trust planning and a lawyer who does it regularly. Ask whether the fee is flat or hourly, whether it covers the full document set, and who will help your family with probate later.
The firms above are a starting point, not a verdict. The right lawyer for you depends on your facts, your budget, and how you want to be treated. Use these five signals to compare them.
Relevant, recent experience. “We handle everything” is a weakness, not a strength. You want a lawyer who works estate planning matters in Chesapeake week in and week out, not one who takes them occasionally between unrelated cases. Recent, repeated experience with situations like yours is the single best predictor of a good outcome.
Straight talk about your situation. A good lawyer tells you what is strong and what is weak at the first meeting, not just what you want to hear. If everything sounds easy and the outcome sounds guaranteed, be skeptical — real matters carry real risk, and an honest lawyer names it.
Communication you can live with. Most complaints about lawyers are not about losing — they are about silence. Ask who returns your calls, how fast, and whether you will reach the actual attorney or only a screener. Set that expectation before you sign, because it rarely improves later.
Fees in writing, in plain English. You should leave the first meeting knowing exactly what you will pay, what it covers, and what could cost extra. A clear written fee agreement is a sign of a well-run practice; a vague “don't worry about it” is a sign to keep looking.
Local knowledge. A lawyer who works in Chesapeake regularly knows the local courts, clerks, and counterparts, how matters tend to resolve, and which outcomes are realistic. That practical knowledge is hard to fake and easy to verify — just ask.
A basic plan starts with a will, a financial power of attorney, and an advance medical directive; many people add a revocable living trust to manage assets and, in some cases, avoid probate. After a death, Virginia has no separate probate court — the will is probated in the Circuit Court of the city where the person lived, which for Chesapeake is the Chesapeake Circuit Court, and the process is largely handled by the Clerk. The executor must give notice to heirs within 30 days, file an inventory within about four months, and file accountings with the local Commissioner of Accounts until the estate is settled. A lawyer drafts the plan to fit Virginia's rules and then guides the family through administration.
Most estate planning is done on a flat fee. In Virginia, a basic will-based package — will, powers of attorney, and a healthcare directive — commonly runs roughly $500 to $2,000, a trust-based plan often runs roughly $1,500 to $3,000 or more, and comprehensive plans for larger estates run higher. Hourly billing, when used, generally runs $200 to $500 an hour and is more common for estate administration and litigation. Ask whether the quoted fee covers the full document set and a review down the road, since plans should be updated after major life changes.
Guaranteed outcomes. No ethical attorney can promise a specific result. If a firm guarantees how your estate planning matter will end before reviewing your file, walk away.
The disappearing senior lawyer. You meet a name partner at intake, then never speak to them again while a junior runs the file unsupervised. Ask in writing who your day-to-day lawyer will be.
No verifiable track record. “We have handled thousands of matters” is marketing. Real evidence is named results, peer recognition such as Super Lawyers or Best Lawyers, board certification where it applies, and a clean record with the state bar.
Pressure to sign immediately. A reputable firm gives you the engagement letter in writing and time to read it. High-pressure intake is a sign of a volume mill, not a careful practice.
Vague fee terms. “Don't worry about the cost” is a red flag. Every legitimate firm puts the fee, what it covers, and what triggers extra charges in writing.
Most firms on this list offer a free or low-cost first meeting. Use it, take notes, and compare at least two firms before you sign.
Virginia has no estate or inheritance tax. The state does not tax estates or inheritances regardless of size, though the federal estate tax still applies to very large estates. For most Chesapeake families, planning is about control and avoiding probate friction, not state death taxes.
The Commissioner of Accounts oversees estates. Each Virginia Circuit Court appoints a local attorney as Commissioner of Accounts to review executors' inventories and accountings. It is a distinctive feature of Virginia probate, and a lawyer familiar with the Chesapeake commissioner keeps administration on track.
Probate runs through the Circuit Court clerk. Virginia has no separate probate court; a Chesapeake will is probated with the Clerk of the Chesapeake Circuit Court. Knowing the local process and deadlines — notice, inventory, and accountings — avoids costly missteps.
If you are dealing with a estate planning matter in Chesapeake right now, a few moves make your first consultation far more productive while you take the time to choose the right lawyer.
Write down what you are trying to accomplish. Put your goal, the parties involved, and any deadlines on paper. A clear one-paragraph summary helps a lawyer give you a real answer instead of a generic one.
Gather your documents. Collect the agreements, emails, filings, and records connected to your situation in one place. The strength of a estate planning matter often comes down to what you can show, not just what you can say.
Do not sign or agree to anything under pressure. Whether it is the other side or a fast-talking salesperson, you are allowed to say you want your own lawyer to review it first. A reputable Chesapeake firm respects that; anyone who does not is telling you something.
Book two consultations. Most firms above offer a free or low-cost first meeting. Talk to at least two before you commit, and choose the lawyer who explains your options clearly and answers your questions without rushing you.
Tell us what is going on. We'll match you with vetted Chesapeake firms from the list above. Most respond within one business day.
Most plans are flat fee. A basic will-based package commonly runs roughly $500 to $2,000, while a trust-based plan often runs roughly $1,500 to $3,000 or more depending on complexity and the size of the estate.
Many people are well served by a will plus powers of attorney and a healthcare directive. A revocable living trust adds privacy, smoother management if you become incapacitated, and can help avoid probate — useful for larger estates or out-of-state property.
No. Virginia imposes neither an estate tax nor an inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax applies, and it affects only very large estates above the federal exemption.
There is no separate probate court. The will is probated with the Clerk of the Circuit Court where the person lived — the Chesapeake Circuit Court for Chesapeake residents — and the executor files notice, an inventory, and accountings with the Commissioner of Accounts.
Your property passes under Virginia's intestacy laws, which set a fixed order of heirs — usually spouse and children. That may not match your wishes, and it can complicate matters for blended families, so a will is worth having.
It lets someone you choose manage your finances if you cannot. Paired with an advance medical directive for healthcare decisions, it avoids the need for a court-appointed guardian and keeps decisions in trusted hands.
Review it after major life events — marriage, divorce, a birth, a death, a big change in assets, or a move to another state — and otherwise every few years. An outdated plan can be worse than none.
Yes. Many of these firms handle estate and trust administration, guiding the executor through notice, inventory, accountings, and distribution. Choosing a firm that does both planning and administration helps your family later.
A local attorney appointed by the Circuit Court to review the work of executors and administrators — checking inventories and accountings to make sure estates are handled properly. It is a standard part of Virginia probate.
A rough list of your assets and debts, who you want to inherit, who you would name as executor and agents, and any existing estate documents. That lets the lawyer recommend the right plan and quote a fee.
One last thing. Choosing a lawyer is personal. Read the reviews. Call two or three firms before you sign. Ask each one how many matters like yours they have handled in Chesapeake in the last three years. The answer tells you most of what you need to know. — The LawFirmSquare team