The Hive Law
Estate Planning Attorney in Atlanta, Georgia
Without an estate plan, your family goes to probate court. Georgia law decides who gets your home and your money. That process takes 9 to 18 months and costs $15,000 or more.
What Happens to Georgia Families Without an Estate Plan
If something happens to you today and you do not have a trust in place, your family goes to probate court. That is not a choice. It is Georgia law.
Probate in Georgia takes 9 to 18 months. Complex estates with rental properties, blended families, or out-of-state property can take over two years. During that time, your family cannot sell your home, access your bank accounts, or distribute anything.
The average cost is over $15,000 in court fees and attorney fees. Complex estates can cost $35,000 or more. And every document becomes a public record that anyone can search.
Georgia does not have a state estate tax. But that does not mean your family is protected. Without a trust, Georgia intestacy laws decide who gets what. Those laws follow a formula. They do not consider your relationships, your wishes, or your family’s situation.
A will does not avoid probate. A will tells the court what you want. The court still has to approve it, and that process still takes 9 to 18 months and costs thousands of dollars.
How We Handle Estate Planning at The Hive Law
Melissa Breyer works exclusively on trust-based estate planning for Georgia families. She does not do standalone wills, standalone powers of attorney, or one-off legal documents. Every client gets a complete plan.
The Complete Family Trust Package includes six documents, three working sessions with Melissa, and four post-signing services. The flat fee is . No hourly billing. No surprise charges.
The six documents: a revocable living trust, a pour-over will, a quitclaim deed to transfer your home into the trust, a financial power of attorney, an advance healthcare directive, and a HIPAA authorization.
But the documents are only part of it. Most estate plans fail because the attorney creates the trust and never funds it. At The Hive Law, Melissa walks you through every document in plain language. She runs a trust funding session where she helps you retitle your accounts and tells you exactly what to say to your bank. Then she follows up to verify everything transferred correctly.
Every asset placed into your trust is guaranteed to avoid probate. If any asset goes through probate due to an error on our part, we handle the probate at no charge.
Getting Started
The first step is a Family Protection Audit. This is a 60-minute phone call with Melissa where she reviews your assets, your family situation, and your exposure. You get an exact quote and a clear recommendation.
The audit costs $500. If you move forward with your estate plan, the full amount is credited toward your package. The entire process is virtual. No office visits required. Most families complete everything in two to three weeks.
Keep Your Family Out of Probate Court
A funded trust means your family never sets foot in a courtroom. No 9-to-18-month wait. No $15,000 in fees. No public records. Your spouse or your children get access to your assets right away.
Protect Yourself and Your Family While You Are Alive
If you are in an accident or become too sick to make decisions, someone needs legal authority to pay your bills, manage your accounts, and make medical decisions. Without these documents, your family has to go to court to get that authority.
Protect Your Business and Your Assets
If you own a business, rental properties, or assets in more than one state, your estate plan needs to account for that. Without an LLC or succession plan, a lawsuit against your business can reach your personal savings and your home.
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
- Probate takes 9 to 18 months or longer for complex estates
- Court and attorney fees cost $15,000 or more
- Every document becomes a public record
- Your family cannot access bank accounts or sell property during probate
- Georgia intestacy laws decide who gets what
- A will still goes through probate court
With The Hive Law
- Your family skips probate court entirely
- Flat fee of covers your complete estate plan
- Your trust stays private no public records
- Your spouse or children get access to your assets right away
- You decide who gets what, when, and how
- One trust covers property in every state
How It Works
Schedule Your Family Protection Audit
Book a 60-minute call with Melissa. She reviews your assets, your family situation, and where you are currently exposed.
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 section of your trust with you in plain language. No legal jargon. No confusion about what you are signing.
We Fund and Finalize Everything
We retitle your property, verify every account is correctly aligned with your trust, and make sure your successor trustee knows exactly what to do when the time comes.
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.
100+ Five-Star Google Reviews
What Our Clients Say
After my father passed away, my mother had to rely on me and my brother for everything. Dad never set up a trust. It took over a year to sort through probate, and during that time, Mom couldn't access most of their money without our help. I promised myself I would never put my wife in that position. This firm set us up with a trust package that does exactly that. My wife is fully protected. She can access every account, manage every asset, and make every decision on her own from day one. No court involvement. No asking anyone for help. My wife said it's the first time she's felt confident about what would happen if I wasn't here. That alone was worth it.
My biggest fear was that if I died first, my wife would be stuck trying to figure everything out alone. We have accounts at multiple banks, a brokerage account, life insurance, and a house. We got our trust package done with this firm and that fear is gone. Everything is structured so that if something happens to me, she steps right in. No court. No waiting. She will be financially stable and fully in control from day one. They also helped us set up power of attorney and healthcare directives. If you're in the Atlanta area, don't wait.
We had an outstanding experience working with Melissa Breyer to create our Living Trust. From start to finish, she was knowledgeable, professional, and incredibly easy to work with. She took the time to clearly explain every step of the process, answered all of our questions with patience, and made what could have been a complicated task feel straightforward and stress free. We are so grateful for her help and couldn't be happier with the outcome.
We highly recommend Hive Law. They were extremely patient and responsive, answering our many rounds of questions regarding trusts and estate planning. Shawn consistently responded the same day we sent our questions — even while his family was on vacation. Melissa was always available to discuss matters by phone whenever we needed additional clarification. Both are very knowledgeable in estate planning, and we would confidently recommend Hive Law to friends and family.
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.
The Hive Law made the entire estate planning and trust process clear, organized, and easy to understand. They took the time to explain everything in detail whether by email or over the phone. Their team was professional, responsive, and truly cared about helping us protect our family and assets. Melissa and Shawn are very nice, patient, and easy to talk to. I highly recommend The Hive Law to anyone looking for knowledgeable and trustworthy estate planning services.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Complete Family Trust Package is a flat fee of . That includes six legal documents, three working sessions with Melissa, and four post-signing services. No hourly billing and no surprise charges.
The first step is a Family Protection Audit for $500. If you move forward, the full amount is credited toward your package.
A will does not avoid probate. In Georgia, a will tells the probate court what you want. The court still has to approve it. That process takes 9 to 18 months and costs an average of $15,000 in court and attorney fees.
A trust transfers your assets outside of probate court. Your family gets access to your home, your savings, and your accounts without waiting for a judge to approve anything.
If you own a home, have savings accounts, or have anyone who depends on you, you likely need a trust. The Family Protection Audit is designed for exactly this situation. Melissa will review your assets and your family situation and tell you whether a trust makes sense for you.
The audit is $500, and if you decide to move forward, the full amount is credited toward your estate plan. If Melissa determines a trust is not the right fit, she will tell you.
Online services create documents. They do not fund your trust, and an unfunded trust does not avoid probate. Funding means retitling your bank accounts, your investment accounts, and your home into the name of the trust. Most people who use online services skip this step and their family still ends up in probate court.
At The Hive Law, Melissa runs a trust funding session where she walks you through every account and tells you exactly what to say to your bank. Then she follows up to verify everything transferred correctly.
No. The entire process is virtual. Every session with Melissa happens over the phone. Sensitive documents are handled through a secure client portal and are never sent by email. Most families complete everything in two to three weeks from the first call to the signing.
A revocable trust can be changed at any time while you are alive and mentally competent. If you buy a new home, have a grandchild, or want to change who receives your assets, Melissa can update your trust. Life changes are normal. Your estate plan should keep up with them.
Ready to Protect Your Family?
Schedule your 60-minute Family Protection Audit with Melissa. $500, credited toward your estate plan.
Schedule Your AuditNot Ready Yet?
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