Protect What You've Built — Estate Planning in Charleston, SC
A thoughtful estate plan is the last, best gift you give the people you love. For 24 years, Ashford & Vale has helped Charleston families protect their assets, spare their heirs from probate, and pass on a legacy — with clarity, discretion, and care.
A Legacy Practice, Built on Trust
For more than two decades, Ashford & Vale has been the firm Charleston families turn to for the most important planning of their lives. Founded by Margaret Ashford and Henry Vale, we've prepared more than 3,800 estate plans and guided hundreds of families through probate with steadiness and grace.
Estate planning is deeply personal work. It touches your family, your values, and the legacy you hope to leave. We approach it that way — listening closely, explaining plainly, and crafting a plan that reflects exactly what matters to you. The peace of mind that follows is, to our clients, priceless.
- ✓24 years and 3,800+ estate plans prepared
- ✓Fixed-fee pricing on wills, trusts, and plans
- ✓Discreet, unhurried, deeply personal counsel
- ✓Charleston-rooted, serving the Lowcountry since 2002
How We Help You Plan
Every plan begins with a complimentary conversation about your family and your wishes.
The Ashford & Vale Standard
Estate planning demands more than legal skill. It demands judgment, discretion, and genuine care.
Deep Experience
24 years focused on estate and trust law — the nuance that only decades of practice can bring.
Plain-English Counsel
We translate complex law into clear choices, so you always understand and control your plan.
Fixed-Fee Pricing
Transparent, flat-fee plans. You'll know the full cost before we begin — no surprises.
Complete Discretion
Your affairs are handled with the confidentiality and dignity they deserve.
A Plan for Your Whole Family
We consider every generation — children, grandchildren, and the legacy that connects them.
Plans That Evolve
Life changes. We keep your plan current as your family and your circumstances grow.
Living Trusts That Protect Your Family
Probate is public, slow, and costly — and it's exactly what a well-drafted living trust helps your family avoid. A trust keeps your affairs private, gives you control over how and when assets pass to your heirs, and can protect a beneficiary from creditors, divorce, or their own inexperience.
We design trusts around your family's real needs, whether that's caring for a child with special needs, protecting a family business, or simply sparing your loved ones the burden and delay of probate court.
- ✓Keep your affairs private and out of probate court
- ✓Control how and when your heirs receive their inheritance
- ✓Protect beneficiaries and special-needs family members
Thoughtful Planning, Made Simple
Creating an estate plan with us is calm, clear, and surprisingly straightforward.
Listen & Understand
We begin by understanding your family, your assets, and the legacy you hope to leave behind.
Design Your Plan
We recommend the right combination of wills, trusts, and directives — and explain each in plain terms.
Prepare & Review
We draft your documents and walk you through every provision until you're completely comfortable.
Sign & Safeguard
We execute your plan properly and help you keep it current as your life and family change.
You Likely Need an Estate Plan If…
Most adults need more than a simple will. These are the signs it's time to plan.
You have children or dependents
A plan names guardians and provides for the people who rely on you.
You own a home or real estate
Property is one of the most common — and avoidable — reasons families end up in probate.
You own a business
Without a succession plan, your company's future can be thrown into uncertainty.
You want to avoid probate
Trusts and proper titling can keep your estate private and out of the courts.
Your family situation is blended or complex
Second marriages, stepchildren, and special-needs heirs all call for careful planning.
You haven't updated your plan in 3+ years
An outdated plan can be worse than none. Life changes; your plan should too.
Compassionate Probate & Estate Administration
Settling an estate is hard enough without navigating the courts alone. When you've lost someone, we step in to carry the legal weight — handling the probate process, the paperwork, the creditors, and the deadlines with patience and precision.
Our goal is simple: to lift the burden from your shoulders so your family can grieve and heal, confident that everything is being handled correctly and with care.
- ✓We handle the full probate process for you
- ✓Guidance for executors and trustees, step by step
- ✓Steady, dignified support during a difficult time
Your First Steps With Us
From your first call to a plan that's signed and safeguarded, the path is clear and unhurried.
Complimentary Session
We meet to understand your family and your wishes, and to answer your questions — at no cost or obligation.
Your Custom Plan
We recommend the right documents and provide a clear, fixed-fee quote before any work begins.
Peace of Mind
We prepare, review, and properly execute your plan — and stay available as your life evolves.
Families Who Trusted Us With Their Legacy
Ashford & Vale made a subject I'd avoided for years feel simple and even reassuring. They built a trust that protects our children and spares them the probate nightmare my own family went through. Worth every minute.
After my husband passed, I was overwhelmed by the estate process. My attorney handled everything with such patience and dignity. They turned a frightening time into something manageable. I'm deeply grateful.
As a business owner, succession planning kept me up at night. Ashford & Vale designed a plan that protects my family and my company both. Clear, thorough, and genuinely wise counsel.
Professional, warm, and remarkably clear. They explained every document in plain English and never once made us feel rushed. Our whole family finally has peace of mind about the future.
The best time to plan was yesterday. The next best time is today. Schedule a complimentary planning session and give your family the gift of certainty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a trust, or is a will enough?
It depends on your goals. A will directs who receives your assets, but it still goes through probate. A living trust keeps your affairs private, avoids probate, and gives you more control. At your complimentary session, we'll recommend what genuinely fits your family — not more than you need.
How much does an estate plan cost?
We offer fixed-fee pricing on wills, trusts, and comprehensive plans, so you'll know the full cost before we begin. The exact amount depends on the complexity of your estate, which we'll discuss transparently at your first meeting.
What happens if I die without a plan?
Without a will or trust, state law decides who inherits your assets — which may not reflect your wishes — and your estate must pass through probate, a public and often lengthy court process. A plan puts you in control.
How often should I update my estate plan?
We recommend reviewing your plan every three to five years, or after any major life event — a marriage, divorce, birth, death, business change, or move to a new state. We help our clients keep their plans current.
Can you help settle a family member's estate?
Yes. We guide executors and families through the entire probate and estate administration process, handling the court filings, deadlines, and paperwork so you can focus on your family.
Is our first meeting really free?
Yes. Your initial planning session is complimentary and completely confidential. We'll discuss your situation, answer your questions, and outline your options with no cost or obligation to proceed.
Give Your Family Certainty
Tell us a little about your situation and we'll reach out within one business day to arrange your complimentary, confidential planning session.