The Hive Law - Estate Planning - Wills - Trusts

Probate Attorney In Atlanta: 3 Important Things You Need To Know

Probate Attorney Atlanta GA - Probate Lawyer Atlanta GA

Looking for a probate attorney in Atlanta?

In this article, you’ll learn about:

  • what a probate lawyer in Atlanta does
  • what does probate mean for you and your loved ones
  • questions to ask a probate lawyer
  • how much do probate lawyers cost
  • what documents you need for the probate process

Let’s dig in.

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What Is A Probate Lawyer?

A probate attorney in Atlanta handles the estate administration after someone dies.

They can serve as the executor of the estate. 

They also work with people while they are still alive to draft:

  • wills
  • trusts
  • living trusts
  • power of attorneys

What Does An Atlanta Probate Lawyer Do?

An Atlanta probate lawyer handles all probate matters in the state of Georgia, including:

  • collecting life insurance policies
  • finding and securing estate assets
  • getting appraisals for the estate’s property
  • paying off bills and creditors
  • preparing and filing probate paperwork with the courts
  • paying any inheritance taxes
  • opening and managing the estate checking account
  • transferring assets to the designated beneficiaries

The legal services and practice areas of an Atlanta probate lawyer also include:

Our probate attorneys in Atlanta, Georgia can handle the entire probate process.

To make sure that your estate gets passed to beneficiaries with minimal disputes.

What Does Probate Mean?

The probate process in Atlanta is designed to prove the validity of a will in Georgia.

It also refers to the estate administration process for Georgia probate.

Where the probate lawyers help the executor with estate law so they can:

  • file the will and prove the will’s validity
  • organize the estate’s property (real estate, investments, personal belongings)
  • create estate accounts
  • pay off debts and creditors from the estate
  • distribute the remaining estate to beneficiaries
  • deed property into their names
  • keep up with accounting for the estate
  • managing the probate paperwork for the probate courts

Choosing A Probate Attorney In Atlanta, Georgia

You need to make sure that you’re hiring the right probate attorney in Atlanta.

Managing the distribution of an estate is very important to loved ones.

You should make sure that the probate law firm:

  • understands how to handle the estate administration for your situation
  • has a good grasp on the probate process in Atlanta
  • can answer your questions surrounding Georgia probate

Questions To Ask A Probate Attorney

You need an Atlanta probate lawyer that can give you the best legal advice.

And who can guide you through the legal processes of probate.

Here are some questions to ask a probate lawyer:

  • what happens if I don’t have a will
  • how long does probate take in Georgia
  • what does the probate timeline look like
  • what can I expect from the probate process
  • what are the duties of an executor
  • how to handle creditors and debts
  • how to open an estate account
  • what if the executor tries to override the beneficiaries
  • how to avoid probate
  • how can an Atlanta probate lawyer help an executor
  • how to deal with the decedent’s insurance

How Much Do Probate Lawyers Charge In Atlanta

Most probate attorneys in Atlanta charge on an hourly basis.

Their hourly rates can range from $200 – $450 per hour.

The hourly rate you can expect to pay depends on their level of experience.

Estate Planning Attorney Documents

A good estate planning attorney will set you up with all the necessary documents.

Here are a few of the Georgia estate planning documents you will get.

Or, if your loved one has passed away, these are the documents you need to look for.)

Wills

A will outlines how property should get distributed to beneficiaries.

Without one, your loved ones can lose out on their inheritances.

And your assets can get tied up in the probate courts.

Power Of Attorneys

A power of attorney gives a loved one the authority to act on your behalf.

In the event that you become incapacitated, you need a personal representative.

This person can make decisions for you if you need someone to:

  • sign legal documents for you
  • manage your finances
  • make healthcare decisions for you
  • choose doctors
  • choose a nursing facility or in-home care for you

Living Trusts

Living trusts allow you to avoid probate in Atlanta, Georgia.

The types of trusts you can get are:

  • special needs trusts
  • marital trusts
  • bypass trusts
  • generation-skipping trusts
  • Medicaid trusts

These living trusts can be revocable or irrevocable.

Revocable means you can change them up until you die.

Irrevocable means they are permanent as soon as you sign them.

Conservatorship

A conservatorship is a court-appointed person who takes care of your finances.

Let’s say you become incapacitated and you don’t have a power of attorney.

In this case, no one can make any decisions on your behalf.

When this happens, the courts appoint someone to manage your finances for you.

If your family hires a probate lawyer in Atlanta, they can get appointed conservatorship.

Guardianship

Guardianship also gets appointed via a court order.

But guardianship allows someone to take care of you when you’re incapacitated.

Usually, guardianship is paired with conservatorship in elder law.

Because guardianship is not for managing finances.

Hire The Best Atlanta Probate Law Firm

You want to hire the law office with the best probate lawyers in Atlanta.

You want to make sure that your family is set up.

You don’t want your kids going into the foster system if something happens to you.

You don’t want the state to decide how to distribute your estate.

You don’t want your heirs to lose half of their inheritance to unnecessary taxes.

You don’t want family members who are disowned to get your assets.

You don’t want your estate to get stuck in probate for 12+ months.

Fill out the form below to get a free consultation with our law practice.

Our law group has years of experience and can set your will up for you correctly.

So you can have peace of mind and don’t have to worry about ANY of this.

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We run out of free consultations every month. Sign up to make sure you get your free consultation. (Free $350 value.)
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