Elder Law
Elder Law Attorney in Atlanta, Georgia
Helping Georgia families plan for aging, long-term care, and Medicaid before a crisis forces the decision.
How a Georgia Elder Law Attorney Protects Your Assets From Nursing Home Costs
A single nursing home stay in Georgia costs over $8,000 per month, and most families don't plan for it until a crisis forces their hand. An elder law attorney builds legal structures that protect your assets and qualify you for Medicaid before the bills start. The Hive Law handles this planning before a nursing home stay becomes an emergency.
Most families wait until there is a crisis.
A parent falls. A spouse is diagnosed with dementia. A doctor says long-term care is needed now. And the family has no plan in place.
When that happens, Medicaid requires a five-year lookback of every financial transaction. Assets that could have been protected are counted. The family home may need to be sold. Spouses are left with minimal income while care drains decades of savings.
The Hive Law helps Georgia families plan before that moment arrives.
What Elder Law Planning Covers
Elder law is about protecting what you have built as you age. It covers Medicaid planning, asset protection, long-term care coordination, and the legal documents that give your family authority to act on your behalf if you cannot.
Most families who come to us have a will. Few have the specific tools needed to protect their home from a nursing home spend-down, or the powers of attorney that allow a spouse or adult child to manage finances and healthcare without going to court.
The Hive Law Approach
Melissa Breyer works exclusively with Georgia families on trust-based estate planning and elder law. She designs every plan herself. Every client gets direct access to Melissa, not a paralegal or intake coordinator.
A plan built through The Hive Law protects your home, coordinates your assets with Medicaid rules, and makes sure your family has the legal authority they need the moment a crisis begins.
Protect Your Assets from Long-Term Care Costs
Long-term care costs in Georgia average $8,820 per month for a nursing home. Without a plan, those costs come directly from your savings and your home. These services help you protect what you have built before a care need forces the decision.
Plan for Incapacity Before It Happens
If you become incapacitated without the right legal documents, your family has no authority to act on your behalf. These services give your family the tools they need before a crisis arrives.
Planning For Your Specific Situation
If you own rental properties or a business, your situation has layers a standard estate plan does not address.
The Difference a Trust Makes
Without a Plan
- Medicaid requires five years of financial records and you may not have them
- Nursing home costs drain savings with no protection in place
- No one has legal authority to make financial or medical decisions for you
- Your home may need to be sold to pay for care
- Your spouse may have no access to accounts or assets while you are incapacitated
- Your family spends months in court trying to gain guardianship
With The Hive Law
- Medicaid Asset Protection Trust shields your home and assets five years before you need care
- A coordinated plan determines exactly how care gets funded without a full spend-down
- Durable financial and medical powers of attorney give your family immediate authority
- Your home stays in your family with the right trust structure in place
- Your spouse retains access to income and protected assets throughout your care
- Your family has clear legal authority from day one no court required
How It Works
A 15-Minute Call With Shawn
Tell us what is going on with your family. Shawn walks you through your options and what each one costs. Free.
Melissa Designs Your Plan
She builds your estate plan from scratch based on your specific assets and family. You get an exact quote before you commit to anything.
Review Every Document With Melissa
Before you sign, Melissa walks through every document with you in plain language. No legal jargon. No confusion about what you are signing.
Your Plan Is Complete
Melissa delivers your completed documents and explains exactly what your family needs to do. You leave knowing your plan is in place and your family is protected.
Melissa Breyer
Georgia Estate Planning Attorney
Melissa Breyer is a Georgia estate planning attorney who works exclusively on trust-based estate planning and LLC formation. She personally designs every plan at The Hive Law and handles every client consultation herself. Every plan is built from scratch for your specific family, your specific assets, and your specific wishes.
107+ Five-Star Google Reviews
What Our Clients Say
After my father passed away, my mother had to rely on my father's employer to navigate the estate. It was a disaster. After this experience, I knew I needed a plan. I turned to The Hive Law to set up a trust. I no longer have to worry about my wife and children going through a difficult process if something happens to me. I highly recommend The Hive Law!
My biggest fear was that if I died first, my wife would have no idea how to navigate the estate and legal system. I reached out to The Hive Law and they put my mind at ease immediately. Their process is easy to follow and they took care of everything. The Hive Law is the best decision I've made for my family's future.
Working with Melissa Breyer to set up our Living Trust was a wonderful experience. She and her entire team were knowledgeable, professional, and made the whole process easy to understand. I highly recommend The Hive Law for all your estate planning needs!
We highly recommend Hive Law. They were extremely helpful and professional in guiding us through the process of creating a Revocable Living Trust. Melissa and Shawn were thorough, answered all our questions, and made a potentially confusing process easy to understand.
The Hive Law made the entire estate planning and trust process easy to understand and stress-free. Melissa and Shawn walked us through every step and answered all of our questions. We feel confident that our family is protected. Highly recommend!
My mom chose The Hive firm to help with estate planning after my father passed away. They were very thorough in explaining every step of the process. They made a difficult time much easier to navigate. I highly recommend The Hive Law for anyone needing estate planning services.
I used The Hive Law to help me create a trust for my family. The process was straightforward and Melissa and Shawn made sure I understood each step. They were responsive to all of my questions. I feel much more confident about my family's future now. Highly recommend!
Working with Shawn and Melissa at The Hive Law has been a great experience. They are very knowledgeable and took the time to explain all of our options. They made the process of setting up a trust simple and stress-free. I would highly recommend them to anyone needing estate planning.
The Hive Law Firm, and specifically Melissa, has been wonderful to work with during our estate planning process. She is knowledgeable, patient, and thorough. She answered all of our questions and made the process easy to understand. I highly recommend The Hive Law!
Shawn and Melissa were amazing to work with! My partner and I recently bought a house and wanted to get important things like wills, healthcare directives, etc. set up. They were incredible at answering all our questions and working with us to make sure we felt confident in all of the legal aspects. Having tried to do this online before with one of the DIY tools, it was just an amazing experience to get to talk through what we wanted with a knowledgeable human and have them take care of the details.
Hive Law was awesome to work with! Melissa and Shawn explained everything, kept things stress-free, and were always quick to respond to my questions. They made the whole process simple and smooth from start to finish. Highly recommend if you want a team that's knowledgeable but also easy to work with.
I lost my father in February of this year without any estate planning in place. The process of dealing with the probate court has been overwhelming and expensive. After this experience, I contacted The Hive Law to set up a trust so my children never have to go through what I've been through. Melissa and Shawn were compassionate, knowledgeable, and made the entire process simple. I highly recommend The Hive Law!
I used to know the bare minimum about probate and trust. I first encountered Shawn Breyer on Facebook. He was offering a webinar that I watched. That gave me a better understanding of probate versus trust. I was impressed enough to have him and his wife represent me. I had my initial one on one interview with Melissa Breyer, it went smoothly and she made everything clear. We are now proceeding with getting a revocable trust in place.
The Hive Law has been amazing throughout the process of setting up our trust. Every detail is considered and no stone is left unturned. They have been easy and enjoyable to work with. I would absolutely recommend them! Don't let your estate be turned over to Probate!!
Stop carrying this around.
A conversation with Shawn. You'll walk away knowing what your family needs and what it costs. That's it.
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From the Journal
Elder Law Planning
April 18, 2026
When Should You Start Medicaid Planning in Georgia?
The most common answer to “when should I start Medicaid planning?” is: earlier than you think. The five-year lookback rule means that
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What Is Long-Term Care Planning and Why Georgia Families Need It
Long-term care planning is the process of preparing financially and legally for the possibility that you will need extended care — whether
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Medicare vs. Medicaid for Nursing Home Costs in Georgia
Medicare and Medicaid are two separate government programs that cover very different things when it comes to nursing home care in Georgia.
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