I've started two LLCs in Virginia. It's very straightforward, although maybe I've just been lucky. Both were fairly low-risk ventures. I'm pretty sure I just went to the VA Small Business Administration page, downloaded the application PDFs, and mailed them in with a $100 check. I think that was the extent of it. No lawyers.
You'll have to jump through some more hoops to get your EIN from the IRS (which you'll need to open up a company bank account), but, again, it's not too bad. From what I gather, Virginia's one of the easier states, especially if it's just you as the owner.
