Estate Planning

Our firm offers a dedicated planning meeting with you to help customize an probate estate planning services package that will provide the most comprehensive solutions to provide your family long term support, protect your assets and structure a system that ensures that your wealth provides the most benefit to you in life and death.

What we offer:

We don’t do one size fits all estate planning here. What may be good for one family or person may not be good for the next. For example, families with minor children should prepare a will to leave assets behind to their children but especially to appoint, a trusted individual to serve as guardian and a trustee to manage the property or asset left behind for the child’s benefit. A business owner may need succession planning to manage assets that remain in a business if he passes or become incapacitated. Best Advice: “Testators should employ competent individuals to draft wills rather than succumb to the temptation to save money by drafting their own wills, with or without the aid of the numerous “one size fits all” will kits that are available on the market. Any money saved at the initial end of the process is likely to be minimal, when compared to the expense of later litigation that is often spawned by self-drafted wills.” Mary Radford, Professor of Law

A Trust allows you to place assets inside of the Trust during your lifetime. You will have ownership of the items through your Trust, and the assets in Trust can be used for your benefit during your lifetime. You can set the trust up to allow your heirs to access the assets upon your death without the delay of waiting for a Probate process to be completed. This estate tool will provide you with an extended consultation and a detailed estate package.

Irrevocable Trusts have the distinction of being created by you, but another person is the beneficiary. Because you no longer own the assets that are placed in the Trust, are not the beneficiary, and have no direct power to change the Trust it can shield the Trust assets from litigation and creditors that may come after your assets.

This Trust grants your authority related to a business to a Trust that is managed by a Trustee. Depending on your ownership stake in your business, the Trust can essentially run the business.

Testamentary Trusts allow for the specific creation of Trusts for someone else or an entity and the designation of a Trustee to manage any disbursements.

This Trust is designed to hold assets or resources to benefit a person with a special needs disability and the appointment of a Trustee to manage any disbursements for that person’s benefit.

This Trust is designed to hold assets or resources to benefit a charity and the Trustee’s appointment to manage the disbursement to the Charity.

The Standard Will is perfect for granting your assets to several people and for granting your assets in specific ways. You can choose to give individual gifts and specifically divide assets between your heirs. You may also decide to identify your life insurance policies, 401K plans, bank accounts, and other items specifically. The Standard Will also provides the benefits mentioned above for the Simple Will.

This Will is best when you want to leave your assets to one person or to all of your children equally. It ensures that your heirs will not have to provide an insurance bond to the Court, which will save them money. Further, it allows you to designate that they will not have to provide detailed accountings and inventories to the Court. Most importantly, it ensures that your wishes and desires are carried forward in the exact manner you choose.

To legally change a will in Georgia, you will need a Codicil. The Codicil must be executed in the same way that the original will was executed.

Georgia has cracked down on POAs and designated a format for all POAs executed in the state. This instrument allows you to designate one or more agents to act on your behalf during your lifetime to manage certain aspects of your property or your business.

This document is designed to appoint an agent to manage health care decisions for us when needed and to convey an individual’s wishes regarding the use of life-sustaining procedures in the event of a terminal illness.

Probate

If you have lost a loved one, the next steps in managing their estate can be a daunting task. Our attorneys provide a tailored legal approach to represent you in Probate Attorney Atlanta Court. We handle both uncontested and contested probate matters. Our Probate estate planning services attorneys are knowledgeable and relatable . We understand that family dynamics can be completed but we try to eliminate the road blocks to make the process as simple as possible for you. We offer both flat rate pricing and hourly rate pricing.  Payment plans available upon request.

We can help if you need:

Georgia law does not recognize a will until has been probated. The Will does not become an instrument that can be operated upon until proven before the probate court after the person’s death. After a will is offered for probate attorney atlanta, interested parties may come forward to contest the validity of the Will. It is important to consult with an attorney to review the Will and assist you with the probate process.

You may find that your loved one did not complete a last will and testament before his death, or you may not be able to find the last Will and testament at the time of death. In either case, the estate of the deceased person must be administered. Taking steps to become the legal representative of the estate to sell property, pay creditors, or distribute assets must be done in Probate Court. Our attorneys are experienced in helping families navigate the process during difficult times.

When an adult is unable to manage his daily activities of living, his safety, and or welfare, it may be time to consider Guardianship. Children without the care of a parent or other legally responsible adult may need a Guardian. In both cases, a request must be made before the probate court. Making a petition for Guardianship is a very involved process for both adults and minors. Having the counsel of a trusted attorney is a valuable resource. There are several steps to getting a successful guardianship appointment and the court does not provide legal advice to help parties navigate the process.

When Guardianship is most appropriate, a POA may no longer be a reliable document for managing the business affairs of that person. A Conservatorship appointment may be needed to designate a person to manage the financial affairs and property of a person that can no longer handle it on his own. This is a delicate balance for the court and is not considered lightly. We assist our clients in evaluating the circumstances to determine if a conservatorship is needed. If so, we have the experience to help you through the process.

Unfortunately, we cannot predict how we will behave when the death of a loved one happens to our families. Death uncovers secrets and exposes emotions that we would never think existed. Despite this fact, the business of managing an estate is still a responsibility that someone must undertake. The job is not always easy and may come with questions, contests, and objections. We handle contested matters for family representatives in Probate and Superior Court. It is essential to have an attorney that is relatable and capable. If you are in the middle of a contest with your family, you need an attorney that will be honest with you and be a strong advocate when you need it most. We are here to help!
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