At Jarvis Law Office, P.C., we help families in Parkersburg and across Wood County put a will and trust in place so the people you love are not left sorting things out in court. We have been doing this work since May 2003.
A will says who gets what and who is in charge after you pass. A trust holds your home, accounts, and land during your lifetime and passes them straight to your family without probate court. Most families here do best with both: the trust does the heavy lifting, and the will backs it up.
According to West Virginia Code § 44-1-14, estates with probate assets above $50,000 or involving real property must be formally opened in West Virginia circuit court, which puts your family’s business on public record. Since almost any paid-off house counts as real property, that rule catches far more Parkersburg families than they expect.
We work with families on both sides of the river, including those holding oil, gas, or inherited land that was never properly titled. Our fees are flat and quoted up front, so you know the cost before you commit.
What People Say About Jarvis Law Office, P.C.
“My husband and I just got our planning in place and it was a very informative and painless process.” Courtney P.
“He took the time to explain every detail clearly, which made a complicated situation much easier to understand.” Luke B.
“He’s had over 20 years experience… makes me feel better about choosing his firm.” MaryEllen G.
“From intake to years down the road when you need to just refresh your memory on how things work.” Courtney P.
“Everyone in the office is a pleasure to work with, and I never hesitate to call or send an email.” Laura P.
WE WILL SPEAK FOR YOUR RIGHTS
Contact us for a free, no obligation consultation to discuss your options. You may find that you are entitled to payment if your claim was denied or underpaid. Let Jarvis Law Office be your advocate
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What Jarvis Law Office, P.C. Handles for Parkersburg Clients
- Estate Planning
- Trust & Will Lawyer
- Probate
- Asset Protection
- Powers of Attorney
- Elder Law
- Medicaid Planning
- Ohio Memory Care Planning
- Ohio Special Needs Estate Planning
- Estate Tax Planning
- Ohio Veterans Benefits
How a Funded Revocable Living Trust Compares to a Will Under West Virginia Law
A will does not skip probate. It tells the Wood County court who gets what, then the court supervises the process, which takes months and costs money out of what you leave behind.
A funded revocable living trust works differently. Your home, your land, and your accounts are retitled into the trust while you are living, so there is nothing for the court to administer. West Virginia does allow a small estate affidavit for personal property under roughly $50,000 per WV Code §44-1-27, but a paid-off house pushes most families past that shortcut.
The word “funded” is the whole ballgame. A trust with an empty name on it still lands your family in probate.
Why Clients Come To Jarvis Law Office, P.C.
A team that moves your assets into the trust, not just paperwork
A trust only works if your land, your mineral interest, and your accounts are actually titled into it. Our team handles that step with you, deed by deed and account by account, so nothing gets left outside the plan.
One flat fee, paid once, with no recurring charges
You know the price before we start. We do not sell insurance products or charge monthly maintenance fees, so the cost of your plan does not follow you for the rest of your life.
Education so you can manage your own plan
We explain what each document does, when it takes effect, and what to do when something changes, like a new grandchild or a new royalty lease. You leave with written instructions, not guesswork.
We work with the advisors you already trust
If you have a financial advisor, accountant, or a landman you rely on, we coordinate with them instead of pushing them out. Titling mineral interests correctly often takes that kind of teamwork.
20-plus years and a 35-person team behind your plan
Jarvis Law Office has been drafting and funding trusts since 2003, with more than 35 professionals on staff. Your questions get answered years from now, not just on signing day.
Why Beneficiary Designations and Joint Tenancy Alone Leave Gaps in Your Plan
Beneficiary forms and joint ownership move one asset at a time, and they miss things.
- Joint ownership passes property to the survivor, then leaves it fully exposed to probate when that person dies.
- A vehicle, a strip of family land, or an old mineral interest usually has no beneficiary form to fill out at all.
- Land inherited informally from a parent and never properly retitled sits outside every one of these tools.
Those leftover assets are the funding gap. According to West Virginia Code § 44-4-12, the person in charge of an estate may collect a commission of up to 5% of the gross estate value, so even one stray asset can pull real money into court.
The right type of will depends on your assets, family structure, and overall estate plan. At Jarvis Law Firm, we help Parkersburg families choose and prepare wills that reflect their wishes and work alongside other estate planning documents.
Common types of wills include:
- Simple wills: Appropriate for many individuals and families who want to name beneficiaries, choose an executor, and provide straightforward instructions for distributing property.
- Pour-over wills: Commonly used with a living trust. A pour-over will directs assets that were not transferred into the trust during your lifetime to the trust after death.
- Wills with testamentary trusts: These wills create a trust after death, which can be useful when leaving assets to minor children, beneficiaries with special needs, or loved ones who may benefit from ongoing financial management.
- Guardianship provisions for minor children: Parents can use a will to nominate a trusted person to care for their minor children if both parents are unable to do so.
- Updated or replacement wills: Major life changes such as marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, acquiring significant property, or the death of a beneficiary may make it necessary to revise an existing estate plan.
Get to Know Jarvis Law Office, P.C.
Jarvis Law Office, P.C. opened in May 2003 and has spent more than 20 years serving families across the Mid-Ohio Valley, with a team of 35-plus professionals supporting clients through every stage of planning.
The core focus is probate avoidance and trust planning, backed by hands-on asset funding and long-term support without recurring fees.
Common types of trusts include:
- Revocable living trusts: Allow you to retain control of your assets during your lifetime while providing instructions for management if you become incapacitated and distribution after death.
- Irrevocable trusts: Generally involve giving up certain rights to assets placed in the trust and may be used for asset protection, tax planning, or long-term care planning when appropriate.
- Asset protection trusts: Designed to help shield certain assets from future risks while preserving them for a spouse, children, or other beneficiaries, subject to applicable law and proper planning.
- Special needs trusts: Allow assets to be set aside for a person with disabilities while helping preserve eligibility for certain means-tested public benefits.
- Testamentary trusts: Created through a will and funded after death, often to manage inheritances for minors or beneficiaries who should not receive assets outright.
- Medicaid planning trusts: May be used as part of a long-term care strategy to protect certain assets while planning for future Medicaid eligibility, provided planning begins early enough and complies with applicable rules.
Our Process for Parkersburg Clients
1. Sit down and talk it through
We start with a free conversation about your family, your goals, and everything you own, including your home, bank accounts, vehicle, and any land or mineral rights in Wood County or across the river in Ohio.
2. Agree on a flat fee before any work begins
You get one price in writing, up front, before we draft a single page. No hourly clock, no surprise bill at the end.
3. Draft your documents
We prepare your trust, will, powers of attorney, and supporting paperwork to fit West Virginia law and your specific plan.
4. Walk you through what everything means
We sit down with you and explain each document in plain language, then give you written instructions to keep. Whoever you name to take over will know exactly what to do and when.
5. Move your assets into the trust
This is the step most people never finish on their own, and it is the step that sends families to probate court anyway. Our team retitles real property, updates beneficiaries on accounts, and gets your assets where they belong.
6. Stay available for the years ahead
When a grandchild is born, a spouse passes, or the law changes, we review your plan. No monthly fees, no subscription, just a call when you need one.
Common Questions About Wills and Trusts in West Virginia
Does West Virginia require a trust to be notarized or witnessed, or is signing it enough?
A living trust in West Virginia should be signed in front of a notary. Wills have separate rules and generally need two witnesses. Skipping the notary is one of the most common reasons a homemade or online trust gets challenged later.
How long does probate take in Wood County, and what does it actually cost the family?
Probate in West Virginia usually runs several months to well over a year, depending on how clean the paperwork is and whether anyone contests. Costs include court fees, publication notices, appraisal fees, and attorney fees, all of which come out of what you meant to leave your kids. A properly funded trust keeps the home and accounts out of that process entirely.
Can a trust help me avoid West Virginia estate taxes?
West Virginia has no state estate tax, and the federal estate tax only applies to very large estates. Most people set up a trust to avoid probate court, keep family business private, and make the handoff simple.
What is the difference between a trustee and an executor in West Virginia?
The executor handles what goes through your will and answers to the county court during probate. The trustee handles what is inside your trust and does not need court permission to act. Trust assets usually reach your family much faster as a result.
How do I actually transfer my Parkersburg home into a living trust?
A new deed has to be prepared and recorded with the county clerk, moving the title from your name into the name of your trust. Bank accounts, vehicles, and land parcels each need their own steps. Jarvis Law Office handles this funding work with you rather than handing you a folder of forms.
Can I be my own trustee and still control my property while I am alive?
Yes. With a revocable living trust, you stay in charge, keep using your home and accounts as always, and can change or cancel it anytime. A backup trustee you name takes over only if you become unable to act or after you pass.
What happens if my trust is never funded when I die?
An unfunded trust is just paper, and anything still titled in your name alone goes through probate anyway. This is the single most common failure with online and do-it-yourself trusts. Funding is exactly the step Jarvis Law Office walks clients through, item by item.
What about mineral rights or a piece of family land that was never formally transferred?
Oil, gas, and inherited land parcels can be placed into a trust, but they often need a title check first, especially when a parent or grandparent’s name is still on record. Unresolved mineral interests are a common issue across the Mid-Ohio Valley and get harder to fix with every generation that passes.
Will Medicaid count assets held in my revocable trust?
Yes. Because you keep control of a revocable trust, West Virginia counts those assets when reviewing a Medicaid application for nursing home care. Long-term care protection requires different planning tools, which is worth discussing before a health crisis forces the decision.
Local Resources in Parkersburg for Trusts and Wills
- Wood County Courthouse
The main courthouse for Wood County, housing civil court proceedings and judicial offices.
- Wood County Clerk’s Office
Maintains official county records including deeds, filings, and probate documents.
- Wood County Probate Court
Handles the legal process of administering estates and validating testamentary documents.
- Wood County Commission
The governing body of Wood County overseeing county-level administration and public services.
- West Virginia Secretary of State, Business & Licensing
State office managing entity registrations, notary commissions, and official filings.
- Wood County Assessor’s Office
Determines the assessed value of real and personal property for taxation purposes.
- Wood County Sheriff’s Office, Tax Division
Collects property taxes and maintains related payment records for the county.
- Parkersburg Public Library
A public library offering community resources, legal self-help materials, and research access.
- West Virginia State Bar
The licensing and regulatory body for attorneys practicing in West Virginia.
- Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Council
A planning organization coordinating regional services and community development for the greater Parkersburg area.
- Wood County Health Department
Provides public health services and maintains vital records such as birth and death certificates.
Start Your Parkersburg Trust and Will Plan With Jarvis Law Office, P.C.
You worked your whole life for your home, your savings, and whatever land your family passed down. A few hours of planning now keeps a court from deciding what happens to it.
Start with a free conversation. No commitment, no jargon, no surprise bills. We will tell you plainly whether you need a will, a trust, or both, and what the flat fee would be before you agree to anything.
Call us to get your questions answered. We work with families in Parkersburg, Wood County, and across the Mid-Ohio Valley, including those with property or relatives on both sides of the river.
