Estate planning attorney directory Manhattan Trust Writing Trusts, wills, probate & elder-law records, organized by what each firm publicly documents.
Practice areas on file

What this firm publicly addresses

Source · firm site & Google Maps
Tab · 01 Living trust Confirm by phone
Tab · 02 Will drafting Confirm by phone
Tab · 03 Probate Confirm by phone
Tab · 04 Power of attorney Confirm by phone
Tab · 05 Elder law Confirm by phone
Tab · 06 Plan reviews Confirm by phone

Active tabs are practice areas the firm references on its own pages or carries on its Maps listing. Greyed tabs are areas to confirm by phone — silence in public sources is not a "no".

Filing record

Where every detail on this page came from

Two sources only: the firm's own website and its Google Maps listing. No referral fees, no edits, no advertorial. If something looks wrong, tell us and we'll correct it.

ItemDetailSourceConfidence
Office address 3345 Bridge Rd STE 916, Suffolk, VA 23435, United States Google Maps HIGH
Phone +1 757-490-3500 Google Maps HIGH
Website alperinlaw.com/offices/suffolk-virginia-elder-law-and-estate-planning-attorneys.cfm Google Maps HIGH

From the firm's office

What they say about their work

This profile of Alperin Law PLLC focuses on what the firm publishes in public — not on referrals or sponsorships. Pages on the firm's own website talk about living trusts, estate-plan reviews, probate administration, and elder law. Before any engagement, ask the firm whether wills and trusts are bundled or invoiced se…

From clients on the public record

What people who hired the firm said

No client snippets to quote yet — Google Maps reviews are the live source.

Documents in a typical estate plan

The four instruments most plans actually need

Plain-English summary of what each document does and why most plans include it. Not a substitute for counsel — but useful before the consultation.

Doc 01

Last will & testament

Names who inherits, who serves as executor, and who guards minor children. Goes through probate court even when uncontested — that filing window is what most planning aims to shorten.

Ask: flat fee or hourly drafting?
Doc 02

Revocable living trust

Holds title to assets while you are alive and routes them to beneficiaries on death without probate. Funded only when accounts and deeds are actually retitled to the trust — which is the step most plans skip.

Ask: who handles the funding step?
Doc 03

Durable power of attorney

Names someone to act on financial matters if you become incapacitated. Without one, family typically needs a court-appointed conservator — a slow and public process. State forms vary widely.

Ask: springing or immediate?
Doc 04

Healthcare directive & proxy

Two pieces: a living will stating your end-of-life preferences and a healthcare proxy naming a decision-maker if you cannot speak for yourself. Hospital intake forms expect one.

Ask: HIPAA release included?
Where you live changes the rules

Estate law in VA

Inheritance rules, elective shares, and state estate-tax thresholds vary widely. The bucket below is where VA sits — followed by the other regional groupings for comparison.

Where VA sits

Elective-share / common-law states

A surviving spouse can usually claim a one-third or one-half elective share even if the will excludes them. Estate plans here lean on trusts and beneficiary designations to manage that floor.

For comparison

Community-property states

Marriage divides assets at acquisition. Half of marital property typically belongs to each spouse from the moment it is earned, which changes how trusts and beneficiary designations are drafted, and how a surviving spouse takes title.

For comparison

States with their own estate or inheritance tax

Beyond the federal exemption, these states impose their own estate or inheritance tax, often at a much lower threshold (sometimes around $1–2M). Planning may need to address tax in two layers.

For comparison

Streamlined probate states

Some states offer summary or simplified probate for smaller estates, independent administration, or muniment-of-title routes. Whether a trust is worth it can hinge on which simplified path is available.

DIY vs. counsel by document

Which estate documents are safe to draft yourself

Not every document needs a $4,000 retainer, and not every document survives a state-bar template. The matrix below is a rough yardstick — not legal advice.

Simple last will, single beneficiary, no minor children
Many states accept witnessed wills drafted from a state-bar template — workable when the situation is straightforward.
DIY workable
Will with minor children or blended family
Guardian nomination, contingent trusts for minors, and blended-family carve-outs read poorly when self-drafted. Lawyer time pays for itself in litigation avoided.
Sometimes DIY
Revocable living trust + funding
The drafting is half the work; the funding (deed transfers, beneficiary updates, account retitling) is what most online plans skip. Get a firm that runs both.
Call a pro
Probate of a contested or out-of-state estate
Probate rules differ by county, deadlines are short, and several states require local counsel. This is not a DIY engagement.
Counsel only
Common questions

Things people usually ask before the first call

Do I need both a will and a trust?

Often yes. A will names guardians, an executor, and a backup distribution plan; a trust holds funded assets and bypasses probate. Many estate plans use a "pour-over will" so anything outside the trust still gets routed in.

How much does estate planning typically cost?

A simple will package can run a few hundred to a few thousand dollars; full plans with funded trusts and tax planning routinely sit in the low five figures. Probate, billed separately, is usually a percentage of the estate or hourly. Always ask for the engagement letter in writing before any retainer.

What happens if I die without a will?

State intestacy law decides who inherits — typically a surviving spouse and children in fixed shares. The court appoints an administrator. Without a will there is also no nominated guardian for minor children, which can be the most consequential gap.

Are will and trust drafted as separate fees?

Most firms quote them as a single estate-plan package, not à la carte. Some include healthcare directives and POAs; others charge for those separately. Confirm before signing the engagement letter so you know what is in scope.

Does a power of attorney expire when I die?

Yes. POA authority ends at death — at that point the executor (under a will) or successor trustee (under a trust) takes over. POAs only operate while you are alive, typically only after incapacity is documented.

How often should an estate plan be reviewed?

A rough schedule is every three to five years, plus any time there is a major life event: marriage, divorce, birth or adoption, a move to a new state, or a significant change in assets. Tax-law changes can also trigger a review.

Also on file in VA

More firms worth a look

See the full list →
Arlington, VA

Arlington Law Group

Arlington Law Group is a Arlington, VA estate-planning firm with documented work in living trusts and will drafting.

 Arlington, VA

Epting Law, PLLC

Epting Law, PLLC appears in our estate-planning index for will drafting and probate administration, with source notes worth reviewing pre-call.

 Arlington, VA

Gene Robinson Law, PLC

Gene Robinson Law, PLC of Arlington, VA indexes for living trusts and will drafting and shows enough public material to evaluate before booking.

 Arlington, VA

Gillis Law, PLLC

Gillis Law, PLLC of Arlington, VA indexes for living trusts and estate-plan reviews and shows enough public material to evaluate before booking.