Durham County Probate Lawyers

I am Cheryl R. Watkins, the attorney behind The Law Office of Cheryl R. Watkins, a boutique estate law practice that serves all 100 counties in North Carolina. My practice provides advice, counsel, and results in several areas of law including Estate Administration (Probate Law), Estate Planning (Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Living Wills, etc.), Business Succession Planning, and Wrongful Death. My legal career is built on a foundation of over 25 years of experience in Estate Planning and Probate. Before transitioning to private practice, my career journey included roles as a CPA, auditor, and Assistant Clerk. I hold a degree...

Chris is an Estate Planning, Probate, Guardianship, and Employment Lawyer with years of experience helping people in Durham, Wake, and surrounding counties in North Carolina.

Jeff is a highly dedicated and accomplished lawyer with a wealth of experience in various areas of law, particularly focusing on tax, estate planning, and administration. His expertise and genuine passion for charitable planning make him a sought-after advisor for families looking to structure their initiatives using trusts. Jeff's educational background showcases his commitment to excellence. He holds an Estate Planning Certificate and an LL.M in tax from the prestigious Georgetown University Law Center, which have equipped him with a deep understanding of the intricate legal nuances involved in estate planning. Combining his advanced education with practical experience, Jeff is well-equipped...

I love practicing law. Guiding clients through the stress and upheaval of divorce, a custody battle or the aftermath of a death in the family is position of trust that I take seriously. Drafting an amicable separation agreement, or completing an adoption efficiently with as little drama as possible is equally important. I have been a NC Certified Family Law Specialist since 2009. My law firm handles divorce, custody, child support, alimony, property division, grandparents' rights, domestic violence, tort claims and personal injury, prenuptial and separation agreements, estate planning and administration in Chatham, Orange and Durham counties.

As an expert estate, trust and tax attorney, Greg Herman-Giddens provides comprehensive wealth planning, protection and management services to residents of Florida, North Carolina Tennessee and New York. He also provides consulting adn co-counseling services to attorneys throughout the country. Through careful selection of strategies tailored to clients' individualized goals and objectives, he helps individuals protect their family, preserve assets and save taxes.

With more than 30 years experience in private practice, Mark Costley has helped hundreds of North Carolinians with estate planning, trust and estate administration, planning for children and adults with special needs, business succession planning and business transactions, and family charitable and philanthropic counseling. Mark’s work involves elements of teaching, strategic analysis and planning, negotiation, documentation, and assisting clients in executing their plans. A Duke University Alumnus, Mark has given back to his alma mater in numerous capacities, including serving as a member of the Board of Trustees. He has devoted his considerable energies to the Servant Center, Inc., a...

Born and raised in Hillsborough NC, at an early age I found that I l loved helping people. By the age of 16 I was working at Duke Medical Center part-time. I graduated from Orange County High School, and began attending Elon University to study Biology. My plan was to go to medical school, but after serving on a murder trial at 19, I became enamored with the legal arena and the challenges of representing others. I graduated Cum Laude from Elon in 1992 and married my high school sweetheart, Roland. While he farmed, I spent my time volunteering with Make-A-Wish foundation....

Originally from Grand Haven, Michigan, Andrew Bullard attended the University of Michigan, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science. He later attended Michigan State University College of Law and obtained his J.D. in 2010. Andrew Bullard primarily practices estate planning, estate administration, special needs law and guardianships at the firm. Andrew’s experience includes assisting individuals and families as they navigate the process of planning and administering estates and trusts. Additionally, he guides fiduciaries through their duties in the probate process and helps families plan for the care of loved ones with long-term special needs. Andrew takes...

Mr. Spain was admitted to the State Bar in 2013 and practiced as an estates and business law attorney prior to joining BHSPA in 2018. Jason focuses on Estate Planning and Probate law, helping clients plan for their family’s future and to assist clients in administering the estate of a loved one. He also is proficient in helping small business owners set up business succession plans that will allow their companies to be passed on to the next generation and help provide financial security for their families in the event of retirement, death, or disability. ...

Trained as a real estate and estate planning attorney initially in my career, my practice areas have expanded to encompass estate administration, special proceedings, and corporate formation, as well as, real estate and estate planning. I am a young, energetic attorney determined to become the best in my field through excellent representation of each and every client. I am constantly learning new aspects of the law and surrounding myself with opportunities for growth. Have you reviewed your estate plan lately? If not, maybe it’s time we take a peek at it!

Paul is an experienced Estate Planning Lawyer. His focus on the client-attorney relationship and peace of mind of his clients sets Paul apart from other traditional lawyers. Paul takes his fiduciary role very seriously. His relationship-centered philosophy emphasizes a focus on solutions rather than just documents and deliverables. He believes in focusing on the client’s goals and pain points – not a stereotypical “one-size-fits-all” method. At the initial Strategy Session, Paul sits down with prospective clients, discusses their specific family and financial concerns, educates them on how the law works in North Carolina, and works with the clients to determine how...

Evan Lohr is an attorney in Raleigh, NC. He focuses his practice on estate and trust litigation. He has also represented hundreds of clients in estate planning, probate administration, and guardianship matters. Evan graduated with a B.A. in political science from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 2006 and received his law degree from the University of Tennessee. He is a past editor of The Administrative Lawyer, a publication of the North Carolina Bar Association. A Raleigh native, Evan is a graduate of Sanderson High School and is past president of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church.

Kellie Corbett chose the University of South Carolina for her undergraduate degree for two reasons: the pageantry of big-time college football and the fact she hates snow. She got the pageantry but it came with snow – a freak storm, 8” of the stuff, her freshman year.

There’s a lesson there but we’re not exactly sure what it is — yet.

Kellie was accepted at the University of North Carolina School of Law where she became the first law student in the history of American law schools (that dates back to 1793) to fall in love with Trusts and Estates while taking...

Stephanie joined the Cary Estate Planning team in May of 2023 as an Estate Planning Lawyer. She spent a combined eight years as a solo estate planning practitioner and then pro bono attorney in Pittsboro, North Carolina. She believes in proactive planning at all stages of our lives and aims to provide client-centered service. Stephanie lived in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Ohio before attending Duke University in North Carolina, where she studied comparative religion. She relocated permanently to Chatham County after returning to Ohio briefly to study at Miami University. During law school at North Carolina Central University, Stephanie served as...

I provide support to families navigating the challenging period following the loss of a loved one, focusing on probate, estate and trust administration, and tax-related issues. From 2003 to 2008, I worked as a public administrator in Wake County, where I frequently assumed responsibilities such as Administrator of a decedent’s estate or Guardian of the Estate for an individual deemed incompetent. These positions gave me significant experience in managing estates and guardianships. I was born in Oxford, North Carolina in 1975. I pursued my undergraduate education at North Carolina State University, where I graduated in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts...

Abbey Hudson first joined Carolina Family Estate Planning as a Law Clerk before passing the bar exam and joining the firm as an Estate Planning and Elder Law Attorney. Abbey attended North Carolina State University for her undergraduate degree (Go Pack!). She has always loved the Raleigh area, so attending NC State was a no-brainer. Abbey decided to stick around Raleigh after graduation to attend law school at Campbell University School of Law. Probably the most frequently asked question a law student gets is "What type of law do you want to practice after graduation?" During her first year of law school,...

Now at a new law firm, I continue working with families to develop estate planning documents to provide peace of mind, and also help families with estate administration (probate) after a loved one has passed. I also have a wealth of experience with guardianships, having served as a Guardian ad Litem for Wake County guardianship hearings for over seventeen years. I welcome the opportunity to assist my clients with the difficult process of having a guardian appointed for their loved one. An exciting new area of practice is surplus funds, where we help clients recapture funds resulting from foreclosure of real...

Jackie Bedard’s estate and long term care planning practice is focused on guiding clients through the complicated, often confusing, maze of balancing family protection, long-term care planning, wealth preservation, and cherished family values in the planning process.

Jackie determined early on that traditional estate planning has primarily focused on what happens upon death, but a far more pressing concern for many families today is—what happens if you don’t die suddenly, but instead need long term care for several months or years? A comprehensive estate and long term care plan should address both of these concerns.

Jackie is a member of WealthCounsel...

I'm Bill Ramos, a husband, father, grandfather, disabled USMC vet, small business owner, and attorney. I understand the need to protect those we love. As a husband, father, and grandfather, I understand how important it is to protect and provide for those we love. As a disabled Marine Corp veteran, I understand how the unexpected can happen in an instant, and change your life forever. As an attorney, I apply all I've learned personally and professionally to serve the needs of my clients. In all these ways, I've been there, I understand.

William “Bill” Hudson has been engaged in the practice of estate planning, wills and trust law, and probate since 1972. He has not only represented married couples with children in the “traditional” long-term, one-spouse marriage, but has also represented the more legally complex, “blended” families (the new “normal”) with multiple marriages and children from each one. He has served unmarried couples and individuals from different cultural traditions, members of the LGBT community, business owners, farmers, ranchers and other land owners, artists and clients who had eight-figure wealth as well as those who had virtually no assets but big problems....

Michael Paul grew up in a Navy family who lived all over the country, returning to their home base of San Diego every two years. He graduated cum laude from the University of San Diego with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and then earned his Juris Doctor degree from the National Law Center at George Washington University. As early as law school, he was involved in estate planning, working in clinics to assist low income families with their wills and probate administration. After graduation, Michael joined Reid & Priest, (a large DC law firm) as a corporate litigator and compliance...

Diane Ford is an Associate Attorney working in King Law’s Winston-Salem, North Carolina office. Diane primarily practices in the area of transactional law. Her practice areas include Elder Law and Estate Planning. Diane loved Campbell University so much she went twice and earned her bachelor’s in economics and her Juris- Doctorate from Campbell Law School. As part of her legal education, Diane was a member of Campbell Law’s distinguished advocacy program. She competed in the National Civil Trial Competition and the Annual Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition. As Campbell Law’s President of the Black Law’s Student Association, her chapter earned Chapter...

Mr. Payne is the CEO & Managing Partner of Apple Payne Law, PLLC, which he co-founded with retired attorney Bill Apple after owning his own firm Payne Law, PLLC. Mr. Payne's practice areas are estate planning, probate & business advising, and the firm also has family law and real estate teams to serve the full family's needs. Mr. Payne started the practice of law when he founded Payne Law, PLLC after graduation from the Wake Forest University School of Law in 2011. Before attending Wake Forest University School of Law, Mr. Payne attended Florida Coastal School of Law, where he was...

I am a local attorney with a focus on real estate, landlord-tenant, and wills and estates. But I can and will take any matter that arises should you need me, if I do not feel comfortable in handling your matter I will do my best to find you a lawyer that is. I live in Yadkin County and am raising my family here. I have served in the Army since 2004 and have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan during my time in service. After completing my active service I attended UNC-Greensboro and then Wake Forest School of Law, and have continued...

Bryan's practice focuses primarily on probate, estate administration and estate planning matters. He guides his clients through the probate process including qualification of personal representatives, estate inventories and accountings, and special proceedings. Bryan's practice also includes representation of individuals and families in guardianship matters.

Keith Stroud is a 25+ year veteran of the practice of law. Keith supports businesses in the Triad, spouses going through a separation and divorce, individuals and couples through estate planning, executors and administrators handling the estate of a loved one, and seniors and their family members in long term care and asset protection matters. He provides a straightforward and comprehensive approach to legal representation, and offers unique solutions designed to meet the goals of his clients.

While Keith’s practice is structured to help his clients avoid litigation, he is first and foremost a trial lawyer. His civil and past criminal...

Community connections run deep for Angie, whose family has lived in the Yadkin Valley region for several generations. As a former prosecutor and founder of the Public Interest Law Foundation during law school, where she attended on a prestigious merit-based scholarship, Angie has a deep passion for protecting the most vulnerable in the community. That abiding sense of commitment, alongside her sharp legal judgment and astute attention to detail, makes her an effective legal advocate for her clients.

Julia is a planner. She is very good at thinking through the logistics of how a plan will come together and is strategic in working to bring that plan to life. These qualities come to light as she guides families in strategic ways to provide for and protect their loved ones. “Family means so much to me. My family loves getting together when we can, and we always end up reminiscing over funny stories and memories. I cherish those get-togethers. Working here, I hope to help people realize Estate Planning does not have to be a solemn matter but rather it...

The Law Office of Sarah Young is providing services in person in Clemmons, NC, by phone and video conference. Estate Planning Law, Personal Injury Law, Startup Law, Property Law, Trust and Estate Litigation, Wills Planning Law and Real Estate.

James B. Wilson, Jr. is a Winston-Salem native and graduated from R.J. Reynolds High School in 1981. He then went on to attend North Carolina State University where he received a B.A. in Criminal Justice in 1987. After Wilson graduated from N.C. State, he received his Juris Doctorate in 1991 from the University of Tennessee where he was a founding member of the Sports Lawyers Association and, an editor for the Tennessee Law Review.

Wilson worked for Blue Chips Sports management of Boston and helped to develop the Minor League Football System in the late 1980’s. In the...