Catherine E. Sears

Catherine E. Sears

5.0
Rating: 6.8

Licensed for 8 years

Estate planning Lawyer at Williamsburg, VA
Practice Areas: Estate Planning, Elder Law, Guardianship

461 McLaws Circle, Suite 2, Williamsburg, VA

About Catherine

Biography

Practice Areas

3

Practice Areas

Estate Planning 60%

I provide clients with a variety of estate planning documents, including revocable trusts, wills, durable powers of attorney, medical powers of attorney, living wills, and HIPAA authorizations.

60%
Elder Law 20%

I help clients maximize their assets to pay for long-term care and assist with Medicaid applications and the spend-down process. I also chair the firm's Life Care Planning practice, which focuses on the holistic needs of clients and their families.

20%
Guardianship 20%

When a person is over 18 years old, the law presumes that she can care for herself, but that is not always the case. I help clients obtain guardianship/conservatorship for their loved ones with mental incapacity, such as special needs or dementia.

20%

Fees and Rates

We have not found any cost information for this lawyer


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Licenses

Licensed in Virginia for 8 years

State: Virginia

Acquired: 2017

Associate

No misconduct found

Location

The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planning

461 McLaws Circle, Suite 2, Williamsburg, VA, 23185-5674

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Catherine E. Sears's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

5.0 /5.0

6 Client Reviews

5 star (6)
4 star (0)
3 star (0)
2 star (0)
1 star (0)

Posted by Rachel P. | December 16, 2021 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

My Lifesaver

Cathy, Leslie, and her team were awesome from 2020 through 2021. I couldn't ask for a better team. My mom went to the hospital in April 2020 end up in a medical coma for months. My mom didn't update her estate planning to allow for me to assist her in daily life. Mind you this is the first time I eve...r had to deal with something like this, I am a young 34 year woman. They educated me on different options on what to do, assist me with everything I had to do for my mom. I end up having to go to court to get guardianship/conservatorship for my mom. Leslie was awesome in assisting me with what I needed to do for court paperwork, accounting, etc. When my mom recover and she was able to get her rights back, Cathy took the time to speak with my mom to get her estate planning done as well get her rights back. My mom was impressed by the service they provide to her. Unfortunately, my mom passed away in April of this year, and again I went back to Cathy and her team for more guidance on what is best to do to avoid any issues. When it came to family disagreement on the Last Will, I ask for Leslie to help out to speak with my family. She was able to get them to come to an agreement to move things smoothly. I couldn't get through this mess in the last past two years without them. I would give them 10 stars if I could. They were very reasonable on price with me. Thank you so much for everything you have done!

Posted by Lois Diane | November 16, 2021 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Smooth and efficient process

Ms. Sears listened to our specific needs for estate planning and made many good recommendations. The whole process was smooth and done in a timely manner. The whole cost was explained up front and there were no hidden charges. We were very pleased with the efficiency of her whole staff. We would high...ly recommend Ms Sears.

Posted by Janna | May 13, 2020 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Willing and Able

Catherine was a pleasure to work with. She's a good listener, patient, wonderful at explaining, and follows through. It's obvious she is there to serve your needs and willing to go the extra mile. Everyone we dealt with at the firm was competent and cared about customer service.

Posted by anonymous | December 23, 2019 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Trust preparation

Cathy was a joy to work with, very professional and competent. And especially patient with our myriad questions. She was also readily available to talk on several occasions. Overall, we could not be happier with our interactions with Cathy and TPC!

Posted by Edward | August 27, 2019 | Hired Attorney

This review is from a person who hired this attorney.

Trust and Will Preparation

We for had been postponing establishing a trust for many years because we thought it would be more difficult than it turned out to be. Catherine helped us at every point and was knowledgeable and kind and a pleasure to work with,

See All Client Reviews

Catherine E. Sears's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Catherine
Erin Ann Smith headshot
Erin Smith

Estate planning lawyer | Apr 09

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I've worked with Cathy in a number of capacities over the years. I've had the pleasure to get to know her very well. She is hardworking, compassionate and takes a very client-centered approach to her work. She is an excellent legal writer and is detail-oriented. Her integrity and high standard of ethics are exemplary. Proud to be her colleague."

Sarah Marshall Saville headshot
Sarah Saville

Elder law lawyer | Apr 04

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Cathy is passionate about her clients and her work in the elder law field. She is level-headed and easy to work with. I endorse this attorney."

Jennifer D. Kahl headshot
Jennifer Kahl

Unknown lawyer | Apr 04

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Attorney Sears is very conscientious and thorough in her work. She takes the appropriate time to make sure that things are done correctly. She has a warm and inviting personality that makes people feel comfortable working with her. I endorse this attorney."

View All Endorsements
Sarah Marshall Saville headshot
Sarah Saville

Unknown lawyer

Jennifer D. Kahl headshot
Jennifer Kahl

Unknown lawyer

Experience

Rating:  6.8 (Good)

Work Experience

2017 - Present

Attorney, The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifelong Planning

2016 - 2017

Law Clerk, The Peninsula Center for Estate and Lifetime Planning

2015 - 2017

Graduate Research Fellow, Elder & Disability Law Clinic - William & Mary School of Law

Associations

2018 - Present

National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys

Member

2018 - Present

Virginia Academy of Elder Law Attorneys

Member

2017 - Present

Virginia State Bar

Member

2017 - Present

Virginia State Bar, Trusts and Estates Section

Member

Education

2017

William & Mary Law School

JD - Juris Doctor

2014

Franklin and Marshall College

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Speaking Engagements

2017

WindsorMeade

Life Care Planning

Languages

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

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Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution