69/100LFR Score
Ranked #1 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.8★ from 719 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Elder law attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Estate Planning And Probate Lawyers in Shelby, NC: 2026 rankings
24 estate planning and probate lawyers ranked by LFR ScoreUpdated 0 paid placements in this rankingHow we rank →
The short answer
- 1
Highest LFR Score in Shelby: McIntyre Elder Law, LFR Score 69/100; 4.8★ from 719 Google reviews.
- 2
Open 24 hours (per Google): King Law, posts 24/7 hours; ranked #2 of 24.
- 2
Most-reviewed: King Law, 188 Google reviews at 4.4★, the most of 24 ranked after McIntyre Elder Law; ranked #2.
Rankings can't be bought. Lawyers can't pay to change their rank or score. How we rank
24 Shelby estate planning and probate lawyers are ranked here by LFR Score, from nine published factors. 7 are open 24/7, 8 open Saturdays and 7 open Sundays, based on posted hours. The median Google rating is 4.5★ across 24 rated law firms.
Top 10 estate planning and probate lawyers in Shelby at a glance
Ranked by our published LFR Score from public data, not by payment; a rank is not an endorsement or a prediction of results.
| Rank | Business | LFR Score | Google rating | Based in | Hours | Notable for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McIntyre Elder Law | 69 | 4.8★ (719) | Shelby | — | Top score |
| 2 | King Law | 60 | 4.4★ (188) | Shelby | Open 24 hrs (Google) | Open 24 hours, Most reviews |
| 3 | Providence Law | 56 | 4.8★ (18) | Gastonia, 21 mi away | — | — |
| 4 | Greene Law Offices, PLLC | 56 | 4.8★ (126) | Shelby | — | — |
| 5 | Legacy Law Firm | 55 | 5.0★ (10) | Gastonia, 20 mi away | — | — |
| 6 | John F. Cutchin | 55 | 3.8★ (25) | Lincolnton, 20 mi away | — | — |
| 7 | King Law | 54 | 4.2★ (133) | Gaffney, 16 mi away | Open 24 hrs (Google) | — |
| 8 | Carol Walsburger Dow, Esq. | 54 | 4.8★ (21) | Shelby | — | — |
| 9 | Deaton & Biggers, PLLC | 53 | 4.2★ (27) | Shelby | — | — |
| 10 | King Law | 53 | 4.2★ (129) | Lincolnton, 20 mi away | Open 24 hrs (Google) | — |
All 24 estate planning and probate lawyers in Shelby, in rank order
Ordered by LFR Score, a 0–100 score from nine published factors. Paid placement never changes the order.
Ranked by our published LFR Score from public data, not by payment; a rank is not an endorsement or a prediction of results.
#2 King Law
Based in Shelby
60/100LFR ScoreRanked #2 because of its Google rating and review volume: 4.4★ from 188 Google reviews.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Gastonia, 21 mi away
56/100LFR ScoreRanked #3 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.8★ from 18 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Shelby
56/100LFR ScoreRanked #4 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.8★ from 126 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Family law attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Gastonia, 20 mi away
55/100LFR ScoreRanked #5 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 10 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Lincolnton, 20 mi away
55/100LFR ScoreRanked #6 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 3.8★ from 25 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Estate planning attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
#7 King Law
Based in Gaffney, 16 mi away
54/100LFR ScoreRanked #7 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.2★ from 133 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Law firm”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Shelby
54/100LFR ScoreRanked #8 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.8★ from 21 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Family law attorney”.
Based on 6 of 9 factors; bar status, recency and availability not yet collected.
Based in Shelby
53/100LFR ScoreRanked #9 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.2★ from 27 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Social security attorney”.
Based on 6 of 9 factors; bar status, recency and availability not yet collected.
#10 King Law
Based in Lincolnton, 20 mi away
53/100LFR ScoreRanked #10 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.2★ from 129 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Law firm”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
#11 King Law
Based in Gastonia, 21 mi away
52/100LFR ScoreRanked #11 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.6★ from 32 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Shelby
51/100LFR ScoreRanked #12 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 12 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Law firm”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Gaffney, 17 mi away
51/100LFR ScoreRanked #13 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.1★ from 9 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Divorce lawyer”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Gastonia, 20 mi away
50/100LFR ScoreRanked #14 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.8★ from 92 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Family law attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Asheville, 24 mi away
50/100LFR ScoreRanked #15 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.3★ from 15 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Personal injury attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Gaffney, 16 mi away
50/100LFR ScoreRanked #16 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 5.0★ from 3 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Personal injury attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Gastonia, 20 mi away
50/100LFR ScoreRanked #17 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.8★ from 89 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
#18 Neece Law Firm
Based in Gastonia, 20 mi away
49/100LFR ScoreRanked #18 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.6★ from 79 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Law firm”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Gastonia, 20 mi away
48/100LFR ScoreRanked #19 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.5★ from 14 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Family law attorney”.
Based on 6 of 9 factors; bar status, recency and availability not yet collected.
Based in Lincolnton, 20 mi away
47/100LFR ScoreRanked #20 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.1★ from 69 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Law firm”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Lincolnton, 20 mi away
47/100LFR ScoreRanked #21 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 3.9★ from 106 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Family law attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Gastonia, 21 mi away
46/100LFR ScoreRanked #22 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.7★ from 14 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Real estate attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Gastonia, 20 mi away
46/100LFR ScoreRanked #23 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.0★ from 20 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Bankruptcy attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Based in Gastonia, 20 mi away
46/100LFR ScoreRanked #24 because of its Google rating and practice area focus: 4.0★ from 8 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Bankruptcy attorney”.
Based on 7 of 9 factors; bar status and recency not yet collected.
Also serving Shelby
20 more estate planning and probate lawyers within 25 mi that we can't rank yet: too few reviews, or a practice area we couldn't confirm. Listed A to Z.
| Business | Google rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| A. Susan Biggers | 3.4★ (29) | In Shelby |
| Archonix Law | 5.0★ (120) | In Shelby |
| Beth Asafaylo, MSCJ - NC Superior Court Mediator | 21 mi | |
| Caulder & Valentine Law Firm, PLLC | 4.9★ (334) | In Shelby |
| Coleman Law Offices | 4.0★ (7) | In Shelby |
| Farmer & Morris Law | 5.0★ (68) | In Shelby |
| Horn, Pack, Brown & Dow, PA | 4.5★ (65) | In Shelby |
| Lackey Seth N | 3.4★ (16) | In Shelby |
| Law Office of Richard J. Luptak | 4.2★ (30) | In Shelby |
| Law Office of Ronald Haynes Jr., PLLC. | 4.8★ (18) | In Shelby |
| Luptak & Chapman Law | In Shelby | |
| Lutz Law Firm, PLLC | 4.8★ (21) | In Shelby |
| Sink Law PLLC | 5.0★ (467) | In Shelby |
| Taylor Law, PLLC | 4.3★ (17) | In Shelby |
| Teddy, Meekins & Talbert, PLLC | 4.6★ (329) | In Shelby |
| Teddy, Meekins & Talbert, PLLC | 4.5★ (2) | In Shelby |
| Teddy, Meekins & Talbert, PLLC | 5.0★ (1) | In Shelby |
| The Schweppe Law Firm, P.A. | 4.8★ (401) | In Shelby |
| Whitaker & Hamer PLLC Gastonia | 21 mi | |
| Yelton, Farfour & Bridges, P.A. - Bridges R John | 3.5★ (13) | In Shelby |
How we ranked Shelby estate planning and probate lawyers
We scored 24 Shelby estate planning and probate lawyers on nine factors, weighted as shown. A law firm is ranked when its practice area is confirmed and it has 3 or more Google reviews or a claimed profile. A law firm with no Google reviews scores zero on rating, review volume and recency. Other unknown factors are left out, not counted as zero. Scores last refreshed November 9, 2026.
Paid placement never changes a rank or score. Attorney advertising businesses are paid, labelled, limited to 3 and shown above the ranking, outside it.
| Factor | Weight | Computed from | In Shelby data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reputation | 25% | Google star rating, adjusted for how many reviews back it | Measured |
| Bar status | 10% | An active bar or law society record matched to a lawyer at the firm (not measured until a record source is loaded) | Not yet collected |
| Review volume | 10% | Number of Google reviews, compared with the most-reviewed firm on the list | Measured |
| Recency | 10% | Share of reviews from the last 12 months | Not yet collected |
| Availability | 5% | Weekly office hours, Saturday, Sunday, and phones answered 24/7 | Measured |
| Practice focus | 15% | How clearly the firm practises this area (its Google category and name) | Measured |
| Proximity | 5% | An office in the city scores highest, less the farther away it is | Measured |
| Claimed profile | 10% | The firm has claimed its Law Firms Ranked profile (free and paid earn the same) | Measured |
| Law Firms Ranked reviews | 10% | Verified client reviews collected by Law Firms Ranked: their rating and how many there are | Measured |
How to choose an estate planning lawyer
- Check the lawyer’s status and any public discipline in the state bar or law society directory.
- Ask how many estate planning and probate matters the lawyer handles each year, and who at the firm will do the work.
- Get the fee arrangement in writing: hourly, flat or contingency, and which costs are charged on top.
- Ask how and how often the firm will update you, and how fast it answers calls and emails.
- Read recent reviews for how the firm communicated and billed, not only for outcomes.
- Ask what the flat fee includes: funding a trust, updates after life changes, and signing with witnesses.
- Meet more than one firm; many offer a short first consultation, sometimes free.
Questions to ask an estate planning lawyer
- How would you approach a matter like mine, and what are the realistic options?
- How do you charge, and what will the total likely cost?
- Who will be my main contact, and how quickly do you reply?
- Do I need a trust, or is a will enough for me?
- What does probate usually cost here, and how long does it take?
- Is there any conflict of interest that would stop you representing me?
Terms explained
- Contingency fee
- A fee that is a share of the money recovered, paid only if there is a recovery. Common in injury cases; not allowed for criminal defense or for securing a divorce.
- Retainer
- Money paid up front and held in a trust account, which the lawyer draws on as fees are earned.
- Flat fee
- One set price for a defined piece of work, such as a will or an uncontested matter.
- Limited-scope representation
- Paying a lawyer for part of a matter only, such as reviewing documents or coaching for one hearing (also called unbundled services).
- Statute of limitations
- The deadline to file a lawsuit or charge. It differs by state or province and by type of claim.
- Good standing
- A lawyer’s status as active and eligible to practise with a state bar or law society.
- Law society
- The body that licenses and disciplines lawyers in a Canadian province or territory.
- Board certification
- Recognition in a field of law by a state program or an organisation accredited for that purpose. Lawyers may only claim it when they hold it, naming the certifying body.
- Attorney–client privilege
- The rule that keeps confidential communications between a client and lawyer, made for legal advice, out of court.
- Conflict check
- The search a firm runs before taking a matter to make sure it does not represent someone on the other side.
- Pro bono
- Legal work done for free, usually for people who cannot afford a lawyer.
- Legal aid
- Publicly funded legal help for people with low incomes, through legal aid offices, public defenders or provincial legal aid plans.
Estate planning and probate lawyers in Shelby: frequently asked questions
Which estate planning lawyer has the highest LFR Score in Shelby?
By LFR Score, the highest-ranked estate planning lawyer in Shelby, NC is McIntyre Elder Law with an LFR Score of 69/100. It has 4.8★ from 719 Google reviews. King Law (#2) and Providence Law (#3) follow. We ranked 24 estate planning and probate lawyers on nine factors, last updated November 9, 2026.
How many estate planning and probate lawyers are there in Shelby?
LawFirmsRanked ranks 24 estate planning and probate lawyers serving Shelby, NC. 6 of them are based in Shelby; the rest serve it from nearby towns. Another 20 within 25 mi are listed but not ranked yet. Counts are as of November 2026.
Which estate planning and probate lawyers in Shelby are open 24/7?
7 ranked estate planning and probate lawyers in Shelby post 24/7 hours. The highest-ranked are King Law (#2), King Law (#7) and King Law (#10). Hours come from each law firm's Google listing as of November 2026, so call to confirm.
Which estate planning and probate lawyers in Shelby work on weekends?
8 of 24 ranked estate planning and probate lawyers post Saturday hours and 7 post Sunday hours. The highest-ranked open Saturdays are King Law (#2), King Law (#7) and King Law (#10). Posted hours are office hours; many firms meet clients by appointment outside them.
What Google rating do Shelby estate planning and probate lawyers have?
The median Google rating among 24 rated estate planning and probate lawyers in Shelby is 4.5★, with a median of 26 reviews. McIntyre Elder Law has the most, 719 reviews, and ranks #1. We adjust ratings for review count, so a few five-star reviews cannot top the list.
How does LawFirmsRanked rank estate planning and probate lawyers?
Each estate planning lawyer gets a 0–100 LFR Score from nine published factors, led by reputation (25%), practice focus (15%), review volume (10%) and recency (10%). A law firm with no Google reviews scores zero on rating, review volume and recency; other factors we cannot measure are left out. Only law firms with a confirmed practice area and 3 or more reviews, or a claimed profile, are ranked.
Do estate planning and probate lawyers outside Shelby count in this ranking?
Yes, if they are within 25 mi of the Shelby city center, our service radius for estate planning and probate lawyers. Each listing shows where the law firm is based and how far away it is. Proximity is 5% of the LFR Score, so a nearby law firm gets a small edge.
Can estate planning and probate lawyers pay to rank higher on LawFirmsRanked?
No. The LFR Score never reads payment status, and this ranking has 0 paid placements. Up to 3 Featured law firms may appear above the list, labelled Attorney advertising and showing their honest rank.
How do estate planning and probate lawyers in Shelby, NC charge?
Many estate planning lawyers charge a flat fee for wills, trusts and powers of attorney. Probate is billed hourly or, in some states, by a fee set by statute (California Probate Code §10810, for example). Lawyers using Clio billed an average of $391 an hour in this area (Clio Legal Trends data, October 2026; all areas $362). Ask for the fee arrangement in writing before you agree.
What happens if someone dies without a will?
State law decides who inherits (intestate succession), usually the spouse and children in set shares, and a court appoints someone to manage the estate. A will or trust lets you decide instead. This is general information, not legal advice.
How is this list of estate planning and probate lawyers in Shelby, NC ranked?
By LFR Score only, from public data on reviews, practice focus, office location and hours. Firms labelled “Attorney advertising” paid for that placement; payment never changes a rank, and a rank is not an endorsement.
Does a lawyer need an office in Shelby?
No, but the lawyer must be licensed in your state (or, for federal matters such as immigration, in some state). A local office makes meetings and court appearances easier, so proximity is one of our factors.
Update log for Shelby
- November 2026: LFR Scores recalculated for 24 estate planning and probate lawyers serving Shelby.
More estate planning and probate lawyers and Shelby pages
Estate planning and probate lawyers near Shelby
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Other practice areas in Shelby
- Personal injury lawyers in Shelby233 ranked
- Social Security disability lawyers in Shelby31 ranked
- Criminal defense lawyers in Shelby24 ranked
- Divorce and family lawyers in Shelby41 ranked
- Bankruptcy lawyers in Shelby29 ranked
- Immigration lawyers in Shelby42 ranked
- Employment lawyers in Shelby43 ranked
- Business lawyers in Shelby5 ranked
- Real estate lawyers in Shelby13 ranked
- Tax lawyers in Shelby13 ranked
- Intellectual property lawyers in Shelby15 ranked
- Insurance lawyers in Shelby51 ranked
- Mediators in Shelby27 ranked
- General practice lawyers in Shelby65 ranked
- All lawyers in Shelby