At Lewis Gianola, we help families, individuals, and business owners in West Virginia, Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania plan for the future with clarity, strategy, and peace of mind. From straightforward wills to sophisticated wealth preservation structures, our trust, estates, and wealth planning practice is designed to protect what matters most: your assets, your wishes, and the legacy you’ll leave behind.
For us, estate planning is a relationship built on trust, foresight, and the highest level of legal care.
Our attorneys provide holistic guidance across a full spectrum of personal and corporate planning needs:
Whether you’re starting fresh or revisiting your existing plan, we’ll tailor every detail to your unique goals and circumstances.
Our team is equipped to handle conflicts that may arise in the administration of estates and trusts. We represent trustees, executors, and beneficiaries in cases involving fiduciary duty breaches, asset mismanagement, contested wills, and more. With decades of litigation experience, we resolve disputes with care, precision, and strategic advocacy.
At Lewis Gianola, we view estate planning as an essential act of care for yourself and those you love. Whether you need a simple will or a sophisticated trust structure, our attorneys are here to help you create a future that reflects your values and secures your vision.
Take the first step today, schedule a consultation, or contact us directly in Charleston at (304) 345-2000 or in Morgantown at (304) 291-6300.
A will is a legal document that states how a person’s assets should be distributed after death. It can also nominate guardians for minor children and identify an executor to administer the estate. A will generally becomes effective at death and is typically handled through probate, subject to applicable state law.
A trust is a legal arrangement that holds and manages assets for beneficiaries under written terms. A properly funded revocable living trust may help manage assets during incapacity and allow assets to pass outside probate. Other trusts can address asset protection, tax planning, charitable giving, or long-term wealth preservation.
When a person dies without a valid will, the estate is considered intestate. State intestacy laws determine which relatives inherit assets and in what proportions, instead of allowing the deceased person to choose beneficiaries. The rules differ among West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and other states, so the result can depend on the governing state.
Dying without a will can also leave important decisions to state law and probate. Beneficiary designations, joint ownership, trusts, and other arrangements may cause certain assets to pass outside intestacy. An estate planning attorney can help determine how those rules may affect a family and whether a broader plan is appropriate.
Estate administration involves identifying and valuing assets, addressing debts and claims, handling required tax matters, distributing property, and completing the legal steps needed to close an estate. An attorney can guide an executor, administrator, personal representative, trustee, beneficiary, or other fiduciary through those responsibilities and address applicable legal requirements.
The attorneys at Lewis Gianola PLLC handle estate and trust administration, including probate matters and disputes involving fiduciary duties, contested wills, asset management, and beneficiary rights. Legal guidance can be particularly important when an estate includes complex assets, multiple jurisdictions, competing claims, or disagreements among beneficiaries.
Probate may be avoided for certain assets or simplified through planning and appropriate asset ownership. Depending on the circumstances and applicable state law, strategies can include properly funding a revocable living trust, using beneficiary designations, holding certain assets jointly, or using simplified probate procedures where available. Not every strategy suits every asset or family.
A trust must generally be properly funded to achieve its intended probate-avoidance benefits. The wills, trusts, and estates attorneys at Lewis Gianola PLLC can review how real estate, accounts, business interests, and other property are titled and coordinated. Because probate procedures differ by state, planning should account for the law governing the estate and assets.
An estate plan should account for the assets that may affect wealth transfer and administration. These can include real estate, bank and investment accounts, retirement assets, life insurance, business interests, personal property, and other valuable holdings. The plan should also identify how each asset is owned and whether a beneficiary designation or other transfer mechanism applies.
The appropriate treatment depends on the asset, ownership structure, beneficiary designations, tax considerations, and planning goals. Closely held businesses and real estate in multiple jurisdictions may require additional planning. The wills, trusts, and estates attorneys at Lewis Gianola PLLC handle wealth preservation, business succession, charitable planning, and estate administration to help coordinate significant assets.
