Pleasant Valley Probate Lawyers

Karen L. Rowell is an associate attorney with Clark & Bradshaw, P.C. Ms. Rowell grew up in Roanoke County, Virginia, graduating from Cave Spring High School. She received her baccalaureate degree in Family & Child Development from Virginia Tech and her juris doctor from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William & Mary. Ms. Rowell served as a Cryptologic Technician Interpretive in the United States Navy for five years prior to attending law school and has been practicing law in Harrisonburg since 2008. Ms. Rowell focuses her practice on wills & estate planning, advanced...

Since 2002 Clint Sellers has used practical legal advice to protect families and small businesses. He focuses on real estate, civil trials, wills and small business matters and is an authority on the use of estate planning techniques for wealth preservation and succession planning. Clint’s clients range from young families to retirees, professionals, entrepreneurs and estate representatives and beneficiaries. He strives to always deal fairly and help clients resolve disputes without unnecessary expense or litigation. Clint is admitted to practice in all Virginia courts, as well as Federal courts. He regularly appears in District and...

Jean Galloway Ball is certified in Elder Law by the National Elder Law Foundation. She does life care and estate planning: preparing powers of attorney, Wills and Trusts for seniors and their families. She assists families with planning for disabled adult children. She advises on families on planning for long term care expenses. She is a recognized litigator in the area of fiduciary litigation including guardianship, Will contests, trust administration, claims against estates, accounts from fiduciaries, undue influence and financial exploitation.

Chuck has practiced in Winchester and throughout northern Virginia since 2007. He is both a lawyer and a Certified Public Accountant (with an LL.M in Tax and Estate Planning) and worked in public accounting before attending law school. Chuck’s practice focuses on complex estate planning and administration matters, resolving tax disputes, business planning, choice of entity, conservation easements and other business matters. Chuck has extensive training in complex estate and business matters and his practice focuses primarily on business owners and families with more than $1 million in liquid assets. Chuck regularly works to resolve family disputes, establish business...

I assist clients with legal problems in the areas of bankruptcy, divorce, wills and trusts, and probate or estate administration. I am an experienced trial lawyer and have been a member of the Virginia State Bar since 1987. While I am glad to help clients settle their legal matters expeditiously and at the lowest costs to their satisfaction, I welcome the opportunity to litigate contested matters when settlement is not an acceptable option. I particularly enjoy the interplay between different practice areas, and have helped clients with both marital or divorce problems and financial problems such as...

The Law Offices of Richard S. Sternberg is dedicated to the principle that bigger is not always better. Instead, it rests on a tradition that actually antedates the rise of the “mega-firm”-the solo practice. Emulating a country lawyer in a big-city environment allows Mr. Sternberg to provide more individualized service to his clients, and, at the same time, pursue more collegial relations with other members of the Bar. Since 1984, Mr. Sternberg has dedicated his practice to representing individuals and smaller businesses. For those corporate clients who have larger needs, he is affiliated with the Metropolitan Washington Law Consortium,...

Sonja Aoun represents family law clients in all aspects of separation and divorce, including divorce planning/premarital agreements, collaborative divorces, negotiated settlements, and trials. Her estate planning practice ranges from the preparation of powers of attorney and advance medical directives to wills and complex trusts and special needs planning. Sonja obtained her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center after graduating cum laude with a B.S. in Languages (Spanish) from Georgetown University. Starting in 2014, she has been named to the Virginia SuperLawyers list in the field of family law; she has been listed in the Washington,...

I was born and grew up in the area - my family has served the legal needs of the area since 1892, over 120 years. My goal is to explain the legal process in plain English and to avoid the 'technical lawyer words' which only confuse many people. The primary focus of my firm is now "Elder Law" which broadly includes estate planning, Nursing Home admissions and Medicaid applications and adult guardianship. After a family member dies, we advise and assist in the estate administration process. In short, we help families plan and deal with aging...

J. Douglas McCarthy is a founding partner of McCarthy & Akers, PLC. His practice focuses on transactional law dealing with Estate Planning, Real Estate and Corporate matters. Prior to founding McCarthy & Akers, PLC, Mr. McCarthy was a partner in the Winchester, Virginia law firm of Groves and McCarthy.

Mr. McCarthy received his J.D. from the Keller School of Law at The University of Dayton, in Dayton, Ohio, where he earned honors in the fields of Taxation, Wills and Trusts. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, where he majored in Political Science.

The laws touch everyone's life, but not everyone feels like they can access the law when they have problems. Almost everyone has an encounter with housing issues, aging and elder law, special needs, estate planning or probate, but not everyone feels like they can find the right attorney. I focus on making the law accessible to people who need help vindicating their rights and benefiting from the legal system. As a Virginia licensed attorney with more than a decade of experience, I have represented and successfully counseled and advocated for a diverse group of clients,...

I am licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia. I am a native Virginian and I attended high school at Lake Braddock. I graduated cum laude from the University of South Carolina where I earned a bachelor’s degree majoring in criminal justice. I then graduated from the University of Richmond School of Law. During law school, I interned with the IRS and prosecuted cases at the New Kent County Commonwealth’s Attorney and County Attorney office. Since graduating and becoming licensed, I have focused on estate planning, real estate, estate administration/probate and personal injury. My passion for assisting clients...

After passing the Virginia State Bar, Mr. Kondori became an associate attorney at Pikrallidas & Associates, involved with all types of cases, ranging from personal injury, divorce and family law, contract review & consulting, the ever changing immigration field, as well as civil and traffic matters. Kia aims to continue representing his clients to the best of his abilities as one of the founding attorney's at Kondori & Moorad, LLP. Currently, Mr. Kondori, handles various matters related to real estate, estate planning, business law, landlord & tenant law and medical and dental practice sale and acquisition. Mr. Kondori is a...

My practice consists primarily of family law matters. People entrenched in a family law case-maybe a divorce or custody battle- often find this to be one of the most challenging seasons of their life. They are best served by an attorney who is truly invested in them. I work closely with my clients in creating a strategy that achieves my client’s goals in the most efficient and practical way possible. I am a skilled negotiator and an effective litigator, utilizing both of these tactics as needed.

I graduated from Christopher Newport University with a B.A. in Political Science, and I graduated...

Ms. Fine has practiced law for 35 years, the last 28 in Virginia. Her business law experience started immediately after graduating from Boston College Law School in 1982 when she worked at a 50-attorney Boston law firm. In 1989 she joined the Costello Dickenson firm in Winchester, Virginia, and in 1990 opened her own firm.

Ms. Fine has extensive practice drafting business contracts, including buy-sell agreements, employment agreements and non-competition agreements, and, balancing that experience, she reviews and litigates contracts drafted by other attorneys.

Her Wills, Trusts and Estates practice involves planning, drafting estate documents and probate litigation.

Her equine practice is an...

Kerri Castellini is primarily a DC-based attorney with a focus on estate and trust administration, guardianship for incapacitated adults and minors, and estate planning. She brings her legal experience to the Trusts and Estates Practice Group and is currently admitted to practice law in Washington DC, Maryland, and before the supreme court. She is passionate about providing a high level of attention to her clients to come up with a plan that is best for their unique circumstances.

In practice since 1987, Attorney Evan Farr is widely recognized as one of the leading Elder Law, Estate Planning, and Specials Needs attorneys in Virginia, DC, and Maryland, and one of foremost experts in the Country in the field of Medicaid Asset Protection and related Trusts. Evan Farr has been quoted or cited as an expert by numerous sources, including the Washington Post, Newsweek Magazine, Northern Virginia Magazine, Trusts & Estates Magazine, The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the American Bar Association, and has been featured as a guest speaker on television and numerous radio shows, including Fairfax...

Vincent J. Mata attended the University of Notre Dame and the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum for undergraduate studies in the classical humanities. He obtained a Master's degree at The Catholic University of America in philosophy, and earned his Juris Doctor at George Mason University School of Law, now Antonin Scalia Law School. Vincent is a founding partner and attorney at Mata & Hill PLC. He focuses his practice primarily on estate and elder law issues. Mata & Hill PLC additionally offers real estate, business, and civil litigation services, and serves clients throughout the Northern Shenandoah Valley.

Attorney Kevin W. Mottley is a Virginia trial lawyer who has dedicated his practice to representing traumatic brain injury ("TBI") victims, as well as other clients who have suffered a catastrophic personal injury. Kevin wrote the book, "Brain Case: The Big 5 Questions to Answer Before Filing Your Brain Injury Case," to help people understand how lawyers look at TBI cases. His focus on representing TBI victims has, thus far, resulted in over $12 million in verdicts and settlements for his clients in mild TBI cases. TBI cases, particularly those involving the so-called “mild” traumatic brain injuries,...

I believe in taking a client-centered approach to the practice of law. I want to make sure that you as a client are seen and heard, and that your concerns are fully addressed every time we connect. I also believe in taking a measured and efficient approach to advocacy, one that maximizes your resources and time. It gives me great satisfaction to assist clients with their estate planning matters. I want to make sure that you and your loved ones are kept at ease when planning for the future. In addition to estate planning, I handle probate and estate administration matters,...

Charles W. Hazelwood, Jr., or "Chuck", has accumulated a significant legal skill set over the past four decades. His communication skills and negotiating abilities were honed and perfected over time as he handled thousands cases. He has a thorough understanding of the law and comprehensive experience with handing estates and trusts, real estate issues, personal injury cases, and more. His long-standing legal acumen has been time-tested by the significantnumber of cases he has handled. Born in Richmond, Virginia, Chuck attended West Springfield High School.

Charles W. Hazelwood, Jr. has bar memberships in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of...

John Irving brings a working knowledge of all aspects of the legal process to any case or client with his extensive and eclectic legal background. In 1997, John received his undergraduate bachelor's degree in criminal justice. Shortly after graduation he began work as a fraud investigator for the City of New York. John handled thousands of cases involving welfare and housing fraud. Following this position, he was recruited to and employed the Prince William County Police Department where he exhibited his superior abilities and received several commendations and awards. After a brief time with the police department, John decided to make...

Attorney Scott Maxwell is an experienced attorney licensed to practice in Virginia, California, New York, and Connecticut (ret.). Attorney Maxwell's practice is focused on estate planning, probate administration, trust administration, residential real estate, and healthcare law.

Core Values
Compassionate representation of clients
Personalized attention
Prompt, open, and honest communication
Financially efficient representation
Meticulous attention to detail
Superb legal research

Admissions
Virginia
New York
California
Connecticut (retired)
Various Federal Courts

Education
St. John’s University School of Law, Queens, New York, Juris Doctor
Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, B.A., Philosophy

Areas of Practice
Estate Planning (Forming Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, etc.)
Probate Administration
Trust Administration
Residential Real Estate
Healthcare Law

Awards and Honors
New York State Bar Association Professor William R. Ginsberg Memorial Essay...

Christopher Mays received his BS from Virginia Tech and JD from the George Washington University Law School. Chris has received various awards for his work as a family law attorney, including recognition as a “Top Lawyer” by Northern Virginia Magazine. He has lectured at Continuing Legal Education seminars for the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association and local bar associations in Northern Virginia. He has also written for the Journal of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association and co-authored written materials for Virginia CLE (Continuing Legal Education). As an attorney, Chris focuses his practice on representing individuals and families in matters relating...

Forrest E. White is a sole practitioner based in Leesburg, Virginia practicing in the areas of real estate, corporate and business law, employment law, family law, wills and estate planning and general civil litigation. Mr. White currently serves as of counsel to more than thirty privately held corporations and limited liability companies in Northern Virginia, including Blue Ridge Title & Escrow, Inc. Prior to founding Forrest E. White, P.C. in 2003, Mr. White was in the general counsel's office of a corporate investigations and security firm responsible for, among other things, the corporation's transactional documents, corporate compliance and oversight, and litigation...

Mr. Slocum is the senior member of the law firm of Slocum & Boddie, P.C., specializing in contract law, corporate issues, federal procurement and grant law, and executive estate planning. He has more than thirty years of experience and has represented hundreds of small businesses, universities, non-profit organizations, and even agencies of the federal Government. In addition, he has advised and trained universities, federal agencies and private businesses on management, mergers and acquisitions, contract negotiation, price and cost issues, contract administration, export controls, ethics and other topics.

John represents closely-held business, their owners, individuals, and their families involving taxation, estate planning, probate and estate administration, wills and trusts, business planning, and corporate law. John has worked with clients to:

Prepare last wills and testaments, trust agreements, advance medical directives, and powers of attorney;

Administer estates;

Negotiate with the Internal Revenue Service;

Plan for optimal tax treatment; and

Form and manage businesses.

Prior to joining Rees Broome, John spent three years at an accounting firm in Washington, D.C., concentrating his practice on state and local, federal, and international tax compliance and consulting for individuals and businesses. He then joined Ritzert & Leyton,...

Melinda provides holistic multi-generational income and wealth transfer tax planning advice and estate and trust services to individuals, families, and business owners. She also advises fiduciaries and beneficiaries on probate and estate and trust administration, and serves as a technical expert on estate and trust litigation matters. Melinda has over 25 years of experience in the estates and trusts area, and brings a unique and diverse perspective from her work in private law practice, Big Four accounting firms, and private banking/trust services. With her focus on advising clients in the areas of estate planning, estate and trust administration, asset protection,...

B.A. University of Richmond 1975 J.D. University of Richmond - T.C. Williams School of Law 1980