The Bowman Firm

Individual: $1,250

Married Couple: $1,750

A will-based plan provides a clear and practical foundation, ensuring your wishes are documented and your loved ones have guidance if something happens.

Your plan includes:

• Last Will and Testament
• Guardian Nomination (if applicable)
• Advance Healthcare Directive
• HIPAA Authorization
• Durable Financial Power of Attorney
• Guided signing process and execution support

A Last Will and Testament ensures your assets are distributed to the right people and allows you to formally nominate a guardian for minor children, rather than leaving those decisions to the court.

An Advance Healthcare Directive is a key part of any estate plan. In Virginia, this document combines both a Medical Power of Attorney and a Living Will, allowing you to clearly communicate your medical wishes while also designating someone you trust to make decisions on your behalf if needed.

A HIPAA Authorization allows your designated individuals to access medical information and communicate with healthcare providers when it matters most.

A Durable Financial Power of Attorney allows you to appoint someone you trust to manage your financial and legal affairs if you are unable to do so. This can include everything from paying bills to handling more significant financial decisions, depending on the authority you choose to grant.

Together, these documents create a coordinated plan that gives you control, reduces stress for your loved ones, and provides clarity during difficult or uncertain situations.

It’s important to note that a will does not avoid probate. In Virginia, probate can involve additional time, cost, and administrative steps. For many families, this is manageable—but if avoiding probate is a priority, a trust-based plan may be a better fit.

Our goal is to help you understand your options so you can choose an approach that aligns with your goals, your family, and your comfort level.

Individual: $2,500*

Married Couple: $3,000*

Each plan is thoughtfully designed to reflect your family, your assets, and the way you want things handled—both during your lifetime and beyond.

Your plan may include:

• Revocable Living Trust
• Pour-Over Will
• Guardian Nomination (if applicable)
• Advance Healthcare Directive
• HIPAA Authorization
• Durable Financial Power of Attorney
• Certificate of Trust
• Deed preparation to transfer your primary residence into your trust
• Written trust funding instructions
• Asset titling guidance
• Beneficiary designation coordination
• Lifetime electronic storage of your completed estate planning documents

A Revocable Living Trust allows your assets to be managed during your lifetime and seamlessly transferred to your chosen beneficiaries after your death—without court involvement—while giving you full control and flexibility to make changes as your circumstances evolve.

A Pour-Over Will ensures that any assets not already titled in your trust at your death are legally transferred into your trust and distributed according to its terms. This is also the document where you formally nominate guardians for minor children, if applicable.

Together, these documents create a coordinated plan designed to support you and your family through life’s transitions—legally, financially, and personally.

*A more complex trust structure may be recommended in certain situations, such as blended families or where additional asset protection or tax planning is desired. For example, plans incorporating marital trust provisions (such as QTIP or similar structures) can provide for a surviving spouse while preserving assets for children or other beneficiaries. These enhanced structures involve additional drafting and coordination, with a typical additional investment of $1,500.

*A Business Succession Plan may be added when you own a closely held business, LLC, or partnership interest. This planning helps ensure your business can continue smoothly and be transferred in a controlled, legally sound manner. Typical additional investment: $2,500+ depending on complexity.

Individual: $750
Married: $1000

These documents are designed to ensure that someone you trust can step in and make financial and medical decisions on your behalf if you are ever unable to do so—helping avoid court involvement and providing clarity during an already stressful time.

Your plan includes:

• Advance Healthcare Directive
• HIPAA Authorization
• Durable Financial Power of Attorney
• Execution guidance

An Advance Healthcare Directive is a central part of any estate plan. In Virginia, this document combines both a Medical Power of Attorney and a Living Will, allowing you to clearly express your medical preferences while also designating a trusted person to make decisions on your behalf if you are unable to communicate.

A HIPAA Authorization allows your designated individuals to access medical information and communicate with healthcare providers when it matters most.

A Durable Financial Power of Attorney allows you to appoint someone you trust to manage your financial and legal affairs if you are unable to do so. This can include everything from paying bills and managing accounts to handling more significant financial decisions, depending on the authority you choose to grant.

These documents are an essential foundation for incapacity planning. In some situations, a revocable living trust can provide an additional layer of continuity by allowing assets to be managed more seamlessly if you are unable to act. Whether that added structure is appropriate depends on your goals and overall plan, and we’re always happy to talk through what makes the most sense for you.

Simple Will: 

$750 individual / $1000 married couple*

Durable Financial Power of Attorney: 

$500 individual / $750 married couple*

Advance Healthcare Directive & HIPAA: 

$500 individual / $750 married couple*

Transfer on Death Deed: 

$750 for one property*

Deed to transfer real estate into an existing trust: 

$750 for one property*

Additional deed preparation: 

$350 per additional property*

While many families benefit from a coordinated estate plan, some clients need help with a specific document or a focused planning task. These à la carte services are designed for limited-scope needs where a full estate plan may not be necessary.

Each document is thoughtfully prepared to reflect your goals, your family, your assets, and the way you want important decisions handled—whether you are naming trusted decision-makers, transferring real estate, documenting healthcare wishes, or making sure your loved ones have clear legal guidance when they need it most.

A Simple Will allows you to name who should receive your assets, who should manage your estate, and who should serve as guardian for minor children, if applicable. For clients with straightforward wishes and limited probate concerns, a simple will can provide an important foundation for making those decisions clear. This service includes careful discussion of your goals, preparation of the will, and guidance on proper signing so the document is completed with the formalities required under Virginia law.

A Durable Financial Power of Attorney allows you to name someone you trust to manage financial and legal matters on your behalf if you become unable to do so. This may include paying bills, managing accounts, handling real estate matters, working with financial institutions, and addressing other practical issues that can arise during illness, injury, travel, or incapacity. Because this document can give significant authority to another person, it should be prepared with care and tailored to the level of authority you are comfortable granting.

An Advance Healthcare Directive allows you to name a healthcare decision-maker and document your wishes for medical care if you are unable to speak for yourself. When paired with a HIPAA Authorization, your chosen loved ones can access the medical information they may need to communicate with providers and support you during a health crisis. This service is designed to help ensure that your healthcare wishes are clearly documented and that the right people are able to step in when needed.

A Transfer on Death Deed allows you to name who should receive your Virginia real estate after your death, while allowing you to keep full ownership and control during your lifetime. This can be a helpful tool for avoiding probate for a specific piece of real estate when a trust-based plan is not needed or desired. Preparation includes reviewing how the property is titled, identifying the intended beneficiary or beneficiaries, preparing the deed, and providing signing and recording guidance. Recording fees and other third-party costs are not included.

A Deed to Transfer Virginia Real Estate into an Existing Trust helps ensure that your real estate is properly titled in the name of your trust. Creating a trust is only part of the planning process—assets must also be coordinated with the trust so the plan works as intended. This service is designed for clients who already have a trust and need assistance transferring a Virginia property into it. Preparation includes reviewing the current ownership of the property, confirming the intended trust transfer, preparing the deed, and providing signing and recording guidance. Recording fees and other third-party costs are not included.

These focused services can be a good fit when you have a specific need, a straightforward situation, or an existing plan that only requires a limited update. They can also be helpful when you are taking an initial step toward planning and want to put key protections in place.

If you need more than one document, a package plan may be the better value. 

A more comprehensive estate plan may be recommended if you have minor children, own real estate in multiple states, have a blended family, own a business, expect or have received an inheritance, want to avoid probate more broadly, need trust planning, or want your documents coordinated as part of a complete lifetime and legacy plan.

Whether you need one document or a more complete plan, the goal is the same: to give you clear guidance, carefully prepared documents, and peace of mind that your wishes are documented in a way that supports you and the people you love.

*À la carte services are available for limited-scope planning needs and are appropriate only in certain circumstances. If additional planning, review, coordination, or drafting is needed, a package plan or custom planning option may be recommended.

*Deed pricing applies to Virginia real estate and includes preparation of one deed for one property. If you own property outside of Virginia, additional planning or coordination with local counsel may be recommended.  Additional deeds may be added for $350 per additional property when prepared at the same time. Recording fees are included, but transfer taxes, title search fees, and other third-party costs are not included.

*Additional review may be needed if the property is jointly owned, subject to a mortgage, held in trust, owned by an entity, located outside Virginia, or affected by title, creditor, beneficiary, tax, or family circumstances that require further analysis.

*For trust funding deeds, additional review may be required if the trust was prepared by another attorney, the trust is irrevocable, the trust is outdated, or the proposed transfer should be coordinated with a broader estate plan.

*Updates to existing documents depend on the nature of the requested changes and whether the original documents were prepared by this firm. In some situations, preparing a new document may be more appropriate than revising an existing one.

Prenuptial: $2,500*

Postnuptial: $3,500*

Each agreement is thoughtfully designed to reflect your relationship, your assets, and the way you and your partner want financial matters handled—both during your marriage and in the future.

Whether you are preparing for marriage, blending families, protecting a business, preserving separate property, or simply seeking clarity and peace of mind, a well-crafted agreement can help you make important decisions with care, transparency, and intention.

Your agreement may address:

• Separate and marital property rights

• Protection of premarital assets

• Business ownership or professional practice interests

• Real estate owned before or during the marriage

• Debt responsibility and financial obligations

• Spousal support expectations or waivers, where appropriate

• Inheritance rights and estate planning coordination

• Retirement accounts and investment assets

• Treatment of gifts, family wealth, or anticipated inheritances

• Financial responsibilities during the marriage

• Procedures for future property transfers or account titling

• Full financial disclosure and supporting schedules

• Coordination with your estate plan, trust, or beneficiary designations

A Prenuptial Agreement allows couples to make thoughtful financial decisions before marriage, while communication is open and expectations can be clearly defined. It can help protect separate property, clarify how assets and debts will be handled, and provide a framework that supports both partners as they enter marriage with confidence and mutual understanding.

A Postnuptial Agreement serves a similar purpose for couples who are already married. It can be especially helpful when circumstances have changed—such as the purchase of a home, the growth of a business, the receipt of an inheritance, a change in income, or the desire to revisit financial expectations with greater clarity.

Together, these agreements are designed to create transparency, reduce uncertainty, and support a stronger foundation for your relationship—legally, financially, and personally.

*A more complex agreement may be recommended in certain situations, such as blended families, significant separate property, business ownership, family trusts, substantial inheritances, real estate portfolios, or where additional asset protection, support planning, or estate planning coordination is desired. These enhanced agreements involve additional drafting, disclosure review, and coordination, with a typical additional investment of $1,500+ depending on complexity.

*Independent legal counsel for the other party is strongly encouraged and may be required depending on the circumstances. This helps ensure that both parties understand the agreement, have an opportunity to ask questions, and enter into the agreement voluntarily and with appropriate legal guidance.

*A Business Ownership or Succession Addendum may be added when you own a closely held business, LLC, partnership interest, or professional practice. This planning helps clarify how the business will be treated during the marriage and in the event of divorce, death, incapacity, or future transfer. Typical additional investment: $2,500+ depending on complexity.

Review and Recommendations: $500

Already have a will, trust, or estate plan in place?

Many families come to me with documents they signed years ago that no longer reflect their lives today. Sometimes the issue is simple—an outdated trustee, a change in guardians, or a beneficiary update. Other times, the structure itself no longer works for the family, the business, or the goals they’re trying to achieve.

Estate planning should evolve as life does.

Marriage, children, divorce, blended families, business ownership, real estate, aging parents, special needs planning, retirement, and tax law changes can all create the need for updates. Even well-drafted documents can become outdated if they no longer match how your assets are titled or how decisions would actually need to be made.

Sometimes a simple amendment is the right answer.

Sometimes a full restatement is the cleaner and safer solution.

The first step is a full review.

The Review and Recommendation includes a review of your current estate planning documents, identification of outdated or problematic provisions, and a strategy meeting to discuss recommendations for amendments, updates, or a full restatement.

If you choose to move forward with recommended work, that review fee is credited toward your amendment or restatement fee.

My goal is never to create unnecessary legal work. It is to make sure your plan is clear, functional, and will actually work when your family needs it.

Because good planning should feel clear—not confusing.

Trust Administration

When a loved one passes, there are often many moving pieces—legal, financial, and practical—that need to be handled.

We assist families in navigating the administration of a trust or estate, helping ensure assets are properly transferred, responsibilities are handled, and the process moves forward as smoothly as possible.

This support is tailored to the specific needs of each family and may include guidance for trustees, coordination with financial institutions and advisors, and assistance with required documentation.

Services are provided on a case-by-case basis depending on the scope of administration.

We’re also happy to work alongside your existing financial and tax advisors to ensure everything stays coordinated.