Estate Planning

Estate Planning Attorney in Roswell, Georgia

For Roswell families with real estate, retirement accounts, and small business interests — not a form will.

Find Out Where You Stand

How Roswell Families Keep Their Estates Out of Probate Court

Roswell families with growing real estate equity and retirement savings face costly probate delays when a will is the only document in place. A revocable living trust transfers everything directly to your family without Fulton County court involvement. We help Roswell residents protect what they have built.

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Why Roswell Families Need More Than a Simple Will

Roswell is one of the fastest-growing cities in North Georgia, with a median household income above $85,000 and median home values approaching $500,000 in established neighborhoods along the Chattahoochee River corridor. Many Roswell residents are small business owners, mid-career professionals, or retirees with substantial 401(k) and IRA balances built over decades.

Without a trust, your estate passes through Fulton County Probate Court. Probate in Georgia is a public process that takes 9 to 18 months and costs 3 to 8 percent of the gross estate. On a $500,000 estate, that is $15,000 to $40,000 in fees that reduce what your family receives. The process is also a matter of public record — anyone can look up what you owned and who received it.

A revocable living trust transfers your home, retirement accounts, and business interests directly to your beneficiaries without court involvement. There is no waiting period and no public filing. Your family receives what you intended without delay.

Roswell business owners face added complexity. A trust can hold your business interest and specify exactly how it transfers to a successor or is liquidated on your death — without forcing a fire sale or a court-supervised process that disrupts operations. Coordinating beneficiary designations on retirement accounts with the trust structure is a critical step most form wills miss.

Many Roswell families have blended households or children from prior relationships. A trust — combined with a pour-over will — gives you precise control over which assets go to which family members, and on what timeline. It eliminates the ambiguity that leads to family disputes during an already difficult time.

The Complete Family Trust Package

What's in Your Roswell Estate Plan

  • Revocable Living Trust

    Holds your assets, avoids Georgia probate, and controls exactly who receives what and when. A pour-over will acts as a safety net for anything not yet titled to the trust.

  • Durable Financial Power of Attorney

    Authorizes a trusted person to manage your bank accounts, real estate, and finances if you become incapacitated, without a court-supervised guardianship.

  • Advance Healthcare Directive

    Documents your medical wishes and names a healthcare agent to speak for you when you cannot. Covers end-of-life decisions, resuscitation, and treatment preferences.

  • HIPAA Authorization

    Gives your designated agents legal access to your medical records so they have the information they need to make informed decisions on your behalf.

  • Trust Funding Guidance

    Step-by-step support to transfer your home, investment accounts, and other assets into the trust. An unfunded trust does not avoid probate. We make sure yours works.

  • One-Year Follow-Up

    A check-in session at 12 months to update your plan if your family, assets, or wishes have changed. Estate planning is not a one-time event.

How It Works

1

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.

2

The Design Meeting With Shawn and Melissa

In a 60-minute meeting, Shawn and Melissa review your assets, your family, and your goals together and confirm your price. This meeting is credited toward your plan if you move forward.

3

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.

4

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

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 and drafts every plan at The Hive Law after the initial call. Every plan is built from scratch for your specific family, your specific assets, and your specific wishes.

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What Our Clients Say

Where We Serve

Other Fulton County Families We Help

We serve families across Fulton County. Select a city to learn more about estate planning where you live.

Find Out Where You Stand

You’ve been meaning to do this for a while now. That’s normal. Most families wait until something happens, then wish they hadn’t.

A 15-minute call tells you exactly what you have, what’s missing, and what your family needs next. No paperwork, no obligation, just a straight answer.

  • No sales pitch. Just a straight answer about where you stand.
  • No confusing terms. We explain everything in plain English.
  • A real next step. You’ll know exactly what to do when we hang up.