Alabama Legal Services for Families & Businesses
Christopher Colvin and Valerie Sawyer provide experienced, practical legal guidance across probate, estate planning, living trusts, and small business law, serving Birmingham, Mountain Brook, Hoover, and all of Alabama.
Schedule a Consultation Call (205) 202-9801How We Help Alabama Families & Businesses
Select a practice area below to learn more about how we can help you.
Not Sure Which One You Need?
Most people arrive with a situation rather than a service. Here is the shortest route from one to the other.
Someone has died and you are dealing with the estate. That is probate and estate administration. Start there even if you are not sure the estate needs probate, because whether it does is one of the first things worth establishing.
You want to put your own affairs in order. That is wills and estate planning. If avoiding probate or planning for incapacity matters to you, ask about revocable living trusts at the same consultation.
You are starting a business, or running one without a lawyer. That is small business and corporate law: entity choice, formation, operating agreements, and ongoing counsel.
Someone has handed you a contract. That is contract drafting and review, whether you have signed it or not.
You own a business and are thinking about what happens next. That is business succession planning, and it works best alongside your personal estate plan rather than separately from it.
If none of those quite fit, call and describe the situation. We will tell you honestly whether it is something we handle, and if it is not, that is a useful answer too.
How We Work
Every matter starts with a consultation. You explain the situation, we tell you what it involves, and you leave knowing the scope and the cost before anything begins. No work starts without that conversation.
Two attorneys, two focuses. Valerie Sawyer leads estate planning and probate. A former special education teacher and Civil Air Patrol Squadron Commander, she is an advocate for Alabama veterans and their families. Christopher Colvin founded the firm and leads business and contract work, having run a small business before he practiced law.
The two sides connect more often than people expect. A business owner's company and personal estate plan should be built to fit together, and a probate matter frequently surfaces a business interest nobody planned for.
Frequently Asked Questions
What areas of law does Colvin & Sawyer handle?
Probate and estate administration, wills and estate planning, revocable living trusts, small business and corporate law, business succession planning, and contract drafting, review, and negotiation. We are an Alabama firm and we do not practice outside these areas.
Where is your office and what areas do you serve?
Our office is at 4 Office Park Circle, Suite 305, in Mountain Brook. We serve Birmingham and the surrounding metro including Hoover, Vestavia Hills, Homewood, Alabaster, Pelham, Helena, Chelsea, Trussville, Gardendale and Bessemer, across Jefferson and Shelby counties, as well as Montgomery and elsewhere in Alabama.
Do you offer consultations before I commit to anything?
Yes. Every matter begins with one. We explain what your situation involves and what the expected scope and cost are before any work starts, so there are no surprises later.
What does it cost to work with your firm?
It depends on the matter, and we will tell you what it depends on rather than leaving you guessing. For estate planning, the drivers are whether the plan is will-based or trust-based and how complicated your assets and family situation are. For contracts, the length of the document, what is at stake, and whether you want negotiation as well as review. For business matters, whether it is a one-off formation or ongoing counsel. The figure comes before the work, at the consultation.
Do I need a will or a living trust?
They do different jobs rather than compete. A will directs who inherits and names guardians for minor children, but the estate still goes through probate. A revocable living trust holds the assets you transfer into it, and those pass to beneficiaries without probate. Many Alabama families use both. Which combination fits depends on what you own and how it is titled.
Do I need an attorney for probate in Alabama?
Not always. Smaller, straightforward estates with cooperative heirs can sometimes be administered without one. Whether representation is worth it depends on the size of the estate, whether real property is involved, whether creditors or disputes are in play, and how comfortable the personal representative is with court deadlines. That is a fair thing to ask at a consultation before deciding.
Can you help with a contract I have already signed?
Yes. A review of an existing agreement sets out your rights and obligations, what the contract says about termination and renewal, the notice requirements you have to follow, and your options before you take a step that affects them.
Do you handle litigation or court disputes?
No. Our work is drafting, review, negotiation, planning, and estate administration. If your situation genuinely calls for litigation, we will say so plainly rather than take on work outside what we do.
Can you help with both my business and my personal estate plan?
Yes, and they are better done together. An owner's business interest is usually one of the largest assets in their estate, and a succession plan that contradicts the will creates exactly the dispute both documents were meant to prevent. Christopher and Valerie coordinate on matters that touch both.
Serving Birmingham and Central Alabama
From the Mountain Brook office we work with families and business owners across the metro. For location-specific pages:
- Birmingham probate, estate planning, living trusts, business, and contracts
- Mountain Brook, Hoover, and Vestavia Hills
- Homewood, Alabaster, Pelham, and Helena
Or see the full list of areas we serve.
Not Sure Where to Start?
Give us a call or send a message. We serve families and businesses across Birmingham, Mountain Brook, Hoover, Vestavia Hills, Homewood, Alabaster, Pelham, Helena, Chelsea, Trussville, Gardendale, Bessemer, and Montgomery.
Schedule a Consultation Call (205) 202-9801