Network Spotlight: Central Virginia Legal Aid Society
- hdadvisors
- Jun 17
- 3 min read
Richmond Heirs Property Network (RHPN) has been active since January 2024, bringing partners together throughout Richmond and Petersburg to connect those facing heirs property with legal providers to find no-cost relief. One of our core partnerships has been with Central Virginia Legal Aid Society (CVLAS), which serves from Richmond to Charlottesville and Sussex. CVLAS actively participates with Richmond Heirs Property Network through “resolution” and “prevention” services.
Check out CVLAS’s website to learn more about their mission, service area, or to begin an application for assistance!
RHPN has increased capacity for those facing heirs-property-based legal challenges, and we are working to PREVENT heirs property, as well as relieve it. This means expanding our focus to connect Richmond-Petersburg’s residents with estate planning or life planning services, such as wills, medical directives, and powers of attorney.
At the end of a person’s life, these legal documents help outline what your legacy should be - for your loved ones and the state! Without it, the Commonwealth of Virginia decides what your legacy is through intestate succession. Don’t let the state decide your legacy!
In collaboration with RHPN and with generous funds from J.P. Morgan Chase, CVLAS was able to offer spring life planning clinics, reaching 28 people who now have decided their own legacy.
On March 22, 2025, CVLAS began our Prevention work with a co-sponsored community event on Life Planning and Heirs Property in Petersburg with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. CVLAS Attorney Elliott Isman presented to a group of 30 community members at Old Calvary Revival Church on Heirs Property and the importance of the creation of life planning documents. CVLAS Paralegal Dawn Trenbath provided applications for service and questionnaires for interested participants. This event provided an opportunity to promote the Petersburg May 21st Wills clinic, and make that event the complete success that it was.
At the May 21st clinic at the Petersburg Library, 22 volunteers from Altria, Capital One, Greater Richmond Bar Foundation, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Hanover government, and private practice, joined us to support the development of life planning documents for 17 pre-screened seniors from Petersburg and the surrounding communities. This was a great way to showcase the importance of life planning and promote volunteerism and collaboration throughout our region, while preventing future heirs property cases.
Throughout the Spring, CVLAS has participated in a number of outreach events including Goochland Community Day on May 17, and Hillside Resource Community Day on June 12,th highlighting CVLAS’ and Richmond Heirs Property Network’s efforts to hundreds of community members. Through their promotional efforts, CVLAS was able to serve an additional 11 people interested in receiving a will, medical directive, or power of attorney. CVLAS connected these folks one on one with attorneys who could help them create these life planning documents at no-cost.
RHPN is thrilled to work with partners like CVLAS that are actively working to prevent and resolve heirs property. Spring 2025 Sessions with CVLAS have been such a success that RHPN is planning more life planning clinics today!
Partner with us today and provide life planning services for your clients! Contact Us to plan more events like this with your organization. We are planning more clinics and opportunities for prevention services now!
RHPN is a program of LISC of VA, administered by HDAdvisors, with generous funding provided by J.P. Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta.
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