About Christopher James Winton

Phi Beta Kappa. Co-Author: "Basic Drafting of Wills and Trusts in West Virginia," NBI, Inc. 1991; "Laying Claim: A Practitioner's Guide to Will Contests in West Virginia," 96 West Virginia Law Review 123 (1993); “Still Laying Claim: An Update to Developments in Will Contest Litigation in West Virginia”, 119 West Virginia Law Review Online 17 (2016). Author: "The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997: Still Waiting for The Relief," West Virginia Executive, Vol. 1, Issue 1, p. 26 Spring 1998; "West Virginia State Tax Procedure and Administration," chapter in West Virginia Practice Handbook, West Virginia State Bar, 2000, revised 2004; "ABA State Environmental Taxes Deskbook," West Virginia chapter, ABA, 2001; "The Death Tax is Not Dead: Estate Planning Highlights of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001," West Virginia Executive, p. 50, Winter 2001; "Probate Happens: How to Sell Real Estate During a Decedent's Estate Administration," The West Virginia Lawyer, p. 30 (November/December 2005); Case note, "Thompson v. Barnhart: Irrevocable Trust Is Really Revocable When Remainder Beneficiaries Are Not Individually Named," The Trust SIG News 3, Spring 2006; "Probate Happens: How to Perform an Ancillary Administration in West Virginia," The West Virginia Lawyer, p. 28 (May/June 2007); "Probate Happens: How to Involuntarily Remove the Personal Representative in West Virginia," The West Virginia Lawyer, p. 36 (November/December 2007); "Probate Happens: How to Abate Creditors' Claims in An Insolvent Estate in West Virginia," The West Virginia Lawyer, p. 30 (January-March 2009); "Probate Happens: How to Claim the Spousal Elective Share in West Virginia," The West Virginia Lawyer, p. 28 (October-December 2009); "Probate Happens: How to Calculate the Spousal Elective Share in West Virginia," The West Virginia Lawyer, p. 42 (October-December 2011); Author, Chapter 51, § 1139, Bogert The Law of Trusts and Trustees, "Asset Protection Trusts" (West Virginia chapter)(2017); Contributing State Editor, West Virginia section, "ACTEC Comparison of the Domestic Asset Protection Statutes" (2017-2020); Contributing State Editor, West Virginia section, "ACTEC State Survey of Asset Protection Techniques" (2018-2020); Contributing State Editor, West Virginia section, “ACTEC State Survey of Ancillary Probate” (2020); “Size Matters (In Probate, Too): The New 2021 West Virginia Small Estates Act,” The West Virginia Lawyer Vol. 52, p. 44 (Winter 2021-22); “Go Small, or Go Big: A Continuing Dialogue on the West Virginia Small Estates Act,” The West Virginia Lawyer Vol. 53, p. 44 (Spring 2022). Named, "West Virginia Super Lawyer," for Estate Planning and Probate by Super Lawyers Magazine (Law & Politics). Selected, "The Best Lawyers in America," for Trusts and Estates (since 2013). Named Best Lawyers’ Trusts and Estates Lawyer of the Year for Charleston, West Virginia 2016, 2019, 2022, 2025. Adjunct Professor, University of Charleston (West Virginia), Estate Planning FINA-415 (Fall 2022, Fall 2024).

 

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Areas of Law

  • Trusts and Estates 1
    • Estate Planning
  • Taxation
  • Litigation 1
    • Civil Litigation
  • Real Estate
  • Other 2
    • Probate
    • Corporate

Practice Details

  • Payment Information
    Payment & Cost Features
    Fixed hourly rates
    Fixed fees available
  • Firm Information
    Position
    Member
    Firm Name
    Ray, Winton & Kelley, PLLC
  • Representative Cases & Transactions
    Cases
    Martin v. Martin, 888 S.E.2d 434 (W. Va. 2023)
    Dickens v. Sahley Realty Company, Inc., et al., 756 S.E.2d 484 (W. Va. 2014)
    Kanawha County Public Library Board v. Board of Education of the County of Kanawha, 745 S.E.2d 424 (W. Va. 2013)
    State ex rel. Prosecuting Attorney v. Bayer Corp., 672 S.E.2d 282 (W. Va. 2008)
    United Bank, Inc. v. Blosser, et. al., 624 S.E.2d 815 (W. Va. 2005)
    Board of Education v. Quincy Coal Co., 535 S.E.2d 713 (W. Va. 2000)
    Silling v. Erwin, 885 F. Supp. 881 (S.D.W. Va. 1995)
    Silling v. Erwin, 881 F. Supp. 236 (S.D.W. Va. 1995).

Experience

  • Bar Admission & Memberships
    Admissions
    1985, West Virginia
    1986, Virginia
    Memberships
    West Virginia State Bar (Member and Chair, Probate Committee)
    Virginia State Bar
    American Bar Association (Member, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section)
    National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
    Charleston Estate Planning Council
    Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
    Bar Fellowship
    Elected Fellow of American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.
  • Education & Certifications
    Law School
    University of Virginia
    Class of 1985
    J.D.
    Other Education
    University of Virginia
    Class of 1982
    B.A.
    with high distinction
  • Special Agencies

    Special Counsel to Kanawha County Public Library.

  • Personal Details & History
    Age
    Born in 1960
    Evanston, Illinois, 1960

Contact Christopher James Winton

Member at Ray, Winton & Kelley, PLLC
4.6
19 reviews

109 Capitol Street, Suite 700Charleston, WV 25301U.S.A.

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Fax: 304 342-0691
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Attorneys FAQs

  • What year was this attorney first admitted to the bar?
    Christopher James Winton was admitted in 1985 to the State of West Virginia.
  • Is this attorney admitted to the bar in more than one state?
    Yes, Christopher James Winton is admitted to practice in Virginia and West Virginia.
  • Is this attorney Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review rated?
    Yes, Christopher James Winton has a 4.6 Peer Rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
  • How many attorneys are in this law firm?
    Ray, Winton & Kelley, PLLC has 4 attorneys at this location.
  • What year was this attorney's law firm established?
    Ray, Winton & Kelley, PLLC was established in 1897.