Planning ahead and picking up the pieces

Hello!

I'm Heather Hazelwood, and Ampersand Law is my estate planning and probate practice. Whether you're reaching out to me for the first time or are a returning client, please read the information below before completing the request form.

The legal services I provide:

My estate planning practice serves individuals and families with wills, revocable living trusts, powers of attorney, and health care directives, providing reliable documents and peace of mind. I do not offer federal estate tax planning, business succession, irrevocable trusts, or complex asset-protection structures. If you need those services, I am happy to refer you to someone who can help. Click here for more details about my estate planning services and fees.

If I created your current documents, I am happy to update them whenever life changes: a marriage, a death, a move, a new grandchild, or a change in who you want in charge. If another attorney made your documents, I start fresh instead of updating them. For trusts, this means rewriting the terms but keeping the same trust so anything you have already retitled stays as is. For wills and powers of attorney, I make new documents and use your old ones as a guide if needed.

My probate and estate administration practice guides people through the court process of settling an estate after a loved one dies. I work with executors, administrators, and personal representatives who want full representation, from the first filings to closing the case, serving as the attorney of record. This includes probate and administration applications, affidavits for collection, limited administration, notices to creditors, summary administration, and year's allowance.

As the attorney of record, I manage your case from beginning to end. Estate administration is a step-by-step process, so I cannot give reliable advice on just one part without handling the whole case. If you have already started and decide you do not want to do it alone, I am happy to step in at any point. I represent the person managing the estate, not individual beneficiaries. I do not handle contested estates. If that is your situation, I can point you to a firm that does.

About the law firm:

After more than 10 years practicing in North Carolina, my family moved to Washington, DC, and Ampersand Law became a virtual law firm. My North Carolina law license is still active, and I am working toward getting licensed in DC. I continue to work with current North Carolina clients on their ongoing matters and take on new and returning clients with North Carolina matters as my schedule allows.

Ampersand Law is me and two part-time team members who keep things running — Lee, my legal assistant who works with our estate planning clients, and Natalie, my paralegal who works with our probate clients. scheduling, client communication, and the administrative side of every matter. I handle all the legal work.

Instead of booking directly, I ask anyone interested in working with me to fill out the short form below. I read each submission myself, and if it fits my practice and schedule, someone from my office will contact you to help schedule an appointment. Sometimes my answer is "not now, but soon." If so, we will let you know and give you a sense of when. If you have not heard from us within three weeks, it means I was not able to take the matter on. Please do not take that personally — it reflects what my schedule can hold, not anything about you or your situation.

How we work:

As a virtual (online only) law firm, we hold all consultations and meetings over Zoom or by phone. No need to commute or wait in a waiting room, so you can meet from wherever you are. We use standard digital tools to communicate and share information securely, with safeguards in place to keep your information confidential. You can read more about what "virtual law firm" means here.

A few things worth saying plainly:

• If your matter is urgent, please do not wait to hear from us. If you have a probate case with a looming deadline, or you need estate plan documents because of a time-sensitive situation, reach out to another attorney right away. If you are unsure whether your matter is urgent, please err on the side of contacting someone immediately.

• A virtual law firm isn't right for everyone. If you would rather not use digital tools, we encourage you to find a firm that fits you better.

• Filling out this form does not create an attorney-client relationship, and it does not mean I have agreed to provide legal services to you. This form is also not a secure or confidential channel — please keep your responses basic, and do not include documents, account details, or any sensitive information. Once we begin working with a client, attorney-client privilege and our confidentiality safeguards protect their information and communications.