From Huntsville to Triana, Madison County families need estate plans that keep pace with their lives. Valley Estate Planning provides wills, living trusts, powers of attorney, and probate support designed around your goals, giving your loved ones clarity and security long after the paperwork is signed.
You don’t need a stranger explaining why estate planning matters. You already know.
What’s been stopping you isn’t the why. It’s the where to start, what it costs, what’s right for your situation, and the suspicion that whoever you call is going to either upsell you on something you don’t need or hand you a will template that won’t work when it’s actually needed.
You came here because something pushed you across the line. A friend’s diagnosis. A milestone birthday. A bad night reading the news. Or maybe you’re handling a parent’s estate, sitting in front of the probate court forms, and realizing you don’t have a plan of your own either.
The questions on your mind are probably some version of these:
Those questions have answers. They aren’t complicated when you sit down with someone who does this every day.
REQUEST A FREE 15-MINUTE DISCOVERY CALL
We are the largest law firm in North Alabama dedicated entirely to estate planning, probate, and elder law. Not a side practice. Not “we also do wills.” This is all we do, every day.
Wills, revocable living trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and the Alabama-specific tools that keep your family out of probate court. See our full estate planning services.
If you’re handling a loved one’s estate, somebody has to file with the court, notify creditors, manage assets, and distribute what’s left. We do the legal work so you can focus on your family. Learn how we handle probate administration.
Long-term care planning, Medicaid asset protection, VA benefits, and the day-to-day decisions families face when a parent or spouse needs more help. Our board-certified elder law attorneys handle the situations general firms refer out.
Domestic asset protection trusts and structures that shield what you’ve built from lawsuits, creditors, and unnecessary taxes. See our approach to asset protection.
Plans that provide for a loved one with disabilities without disqualifying them from Medicaid, SSI, or other essential benefits. More on our special needs planning work.
If you own a business, what happens to it when you don’t is one of the most consequential decisions you’ll ever make. We make sure the company keeps going — and the family stays together — after a death or incapacity. Read about our business succession planning services.
When a family member can no longer make decisions for themselves and there’s no plan in place, the courts step in. We help families navigate guardianship and conservatorship — and, where possible, prevent it before it’s needed.
Madison County has grown from a quiet aerospace town into one of the fastest-growing counties in the Southeast. We work with people everywhere in it:
Wherever you live in Madison County, we can come to you, meet you virtually, or see you at our Huntsville office at 4960 Corporate Drive NW.
REQUEST A FREE 15-MINUTE DISCOVERY CALL
If you’ve lost a loved one and you’re the one handling things, here is what you’re walking into.
Where to file: Madison County Probate Court Madison County Service Center 1918 Memorial Parkway NW Huntsville, AL 35801
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM (document recording stops at 4:30)
Probate Judge: The Honorable Frank Barger
What you’ll need to start:
What the court can’t do for you: The probate judge, clerk, and staff are prohibited by law from giving legal advice. They will accept your filings. They cannot tell you whether you’re filing the right thing, whether your interpretation of the will is correct, or whether you should open a formal estate or use a small estate affidavit.
That’s where we come in. Most of our probate clients hire us because they showed up at the Service Center, got handed a stack of forms, and realized this was going to swallow their next six months unless they had help.
One step a lot of people don’t realize comes early in the process is requesting Letters Testamentary — the court order that gives you the legal authority to act for the estate. We’ve put together a step-by-step on how to get Letters Testamentary in Madison County Probate Court if you want to know what’s coming.
And here’s something most executors don’t realize: in nearly every Alabama probate, the estate pays the probate attorney — not you, personally, out of pocket. The cost of getting help is far lower than most people assume.
REQUEST A FREE 15-MINUTE DISCOVERY CALL
Most law firms “also do” estate planning. We don’t do anything else.
A complete team — not one solo attorney. Other firms hand your file to a paralegal after the first meeting. Our entire team — attorneys, paralegals, intake — works your plan together. You get the right person at every step.
Board-certified elder law attorneys. This isn’t a marketing claim — it’s a credential issued through the National Elder Law Foundation that requires continuing education, peer review, and a track record of cases. Most firms in North Alabama don’t have it. Read more on what CELA certification actually means.
Families, not just documents. A will is paper. We’re working on your relationships, your legacy, and the question of whether your family will still speak to each other a year after you’re gone. That changes how we draft.
More five-star reviews than any other estate planning firm in North Alabama. Over 200 of them, on Google. From Madison County families who started exactly where you are. Read what they have to say.
We make it simple. No legal jargon. No 40-page documents you don’t understand. Clear guidance and a team that picks up the phone when you call.
Book a discovery call. Tell us what’s going on. We’ll tell you whether you actually need legal help and, if so, what kind. No pressure. No jargon. No charge. Here’s what becoming a client looks like start to finish.
We meet — in person, virtually, or at your home if mobility is an issue. We review your situation, walk you through your options in plain English, and design a plan around your actual life: your assets, your family, your wishes.
We finalize your documents, walk you through what each one does, and help you brief the people who need to know. You leave with everything organized and accessible.
Estate plans aren’t “set it and forget it.” Laws change. Families change. Assets change. We schedule annual reviews and we’re a phone call away if a crisis hits.
REQUEST A FREE 15-MINUTE DISCOVERY CALL
Most Madison County estates take six to twelve months to fully close. Alabama law requires a creditor notice period of six months, which sets the floor. Estates with disputes, real property in multiple counties, or out-of-state heirs typically run longer. If you’re worried about timing, our breakdown of how long you have to file probate in Alabama covers the deadlines that actually matter.
The Madison County Probate Court is at the Madison County Service Center, 1918 Memorial Parkway NW, Huntsville, AL 35801. It’s open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. The current Judge of Probate is Frank Barger.
You’re not legally required to hire one. But Alabama probate is more complex than most people expect, and the probate court staff cannot give you legal advice — they can only accept what you file. Mistakes get expensive fast. And in nearly every estate, the estate pays the attorney, not you, so the practical cost of hiring help is far lower than people assume.
Comprehensive plans typically run $3,000 to $7,500 depending on complexity — a single will versus a revocable trust, blended families, business interests, special needs considerations. Payment plans are available. The free 15-minute discovery call gives you a clear quote before you commit to anything.
Yes. We work with out-of-state executors regularly. Most of the process happens by email, video call, and overnight signing — and Alabama law lets you serve from another state under specific conditions. We’ve covered the rules and the process in Can I Be an Executor If I Live in Another State? and Will I Have to Pay a Probate Bond as an Out-of-State Executor?.
Probably yes. Alabama estate law has changed, federal estate tax thresholds have changed, and your life almost certainly has too. An old will that names a guardian for grown children, lists an account that no longer exists, or appoints an executor who’s no longer alive can create a worse mess than no will at all. The discovery call will tell you whether what you have still works.
In a lot of cases, no. We covered this in detail in Do I Have to Go to Court as an Executor?, and the short version is that for most uncontested probates, your attorney handles the filings and appearances. You sign documents and get updates.
We offer in-office, virtual, and home visits. If you’re in Hampton Cove, Big Cove, Madison, or anywhere else in the county and a drive doesn’t work for you — for any reason — we’ll come to you or meet on video.
We work with someone every week who waited too long. The stroke, the diagnosis, the unexpected loss — none of it sends advance notice.
The best time to plan was last year. The next best time is now.
Here’s what happens when you book a discovery call:
Call us or request your free 15-minute discovery call online.
4960 Corporate Drive NW Suite 100-A Huntsville, AL 35805
Call Us At: (256) 273-5109 
