Estate Planning
Trust Package Review
A trust package review checks your existing trust, pour-over will, power of attorney, and healthcare directive for errors and gaps. Georgia law changes and life changes can make an old plan fail exactly when your family needs it most. Melissa Breyer reviews what you already have and tells you what needs to be fixed.
An Old Trust Package Can Fail Right When Your Family Needs It
Estate plans drafted years ago, or by another attorney, often have outdated beneficiary designations, unfunded trusts, or documents that no longer match Georgia law. A trust package review finds those problems before your family finds them during a crisis.
Why an Old Trust Package Stops Working
If you are not sure your trust package still works, you are not the only one. Most people sign their documents once and never open the folder again. That is normal, and it does not mean you did anything wrong. It also does not mean whoever wrote your documents made a mistake. A trust package that was solid the day you signed it can quietly stop matching your life.
The trust, the pour-over will, the power of attorney, and the healthcare directive get filed away and forgotten. Years pass. Life changes. The documents do not.
Some people land here for a parent, not for themselves. If you are the one holding a parent’s folder, start with what to check in your parent’s old trust and bring what you find to the call.
A trust package can go stale in several ways. The trust was never funded, meaning bank accounts, real estate, and other property were never retitled into the trust’s name. A funding gap like this defeats the entire purpose of having a trust.
Some assets are supposed to stay outside the trust, and that is not a funding gap at all. What assets should not be in a trust covers which ones belong outside it and why.
Beneficiary designations on life insurance and retirement accounts may still name an ex-spouse or someone who has since passed away. These designations control outside of the trust, so an outdated form can override what the trust document actually says.
Georgia law has also changed since many trust packages were signed. A document that was valid and complete years ago may leave gaps a Georgia court will not fill in automatically today.
Moving to Georgia from another state raises the same question. Your trust usually stays valid. Georgia law still respects it. See Is My Out-of-State Trust Still Valid in Georgia? for what to check after a move.
What Happens When Your Family Finds the Gap
An unfunded or outdated trust does not fail quietly. It fails at the exact moment your family needs it to work, when you are incapacitated or after you die. Your family finds out at the worst possible time, while they are already worried about you or grieving. For a look at what a successor trustee actually has to do once that moment arrives, see what actually happens when a successor trustee settles a trust in Georgia.
Assets left outside the trust do not skip Georgia probate. They go through it, the same as if you had no plan at all.
These are the same costs a trust is supposed to prevent. An outdated or unfunded trust package can quietly bring them right back.
Funding is what most old packages are missing. How to fund a trust in Georgia gives the six steps in order. Which assets go in a trust covers what belongs inside.
What a Trust Package Review Includes
Melissa Breyer reads every document in your trust package: the trust itself, the pour-over will, the financial power of attorney, and the healthcare directive. She checks whether the trust was actually funded, whether the beneficiary designations match your current wishes, and whether the documents still meet Georgia’s legal requirements.
After the document review, you get a phone call with Melissa to confirm your goals have not changed. Marriages, divorces, new children, new grandchildren, and new property all change what your plan should say.
If Melissa finds errors or gaps, she amends and updates the documents and sends them back to you for review before anything is finalized. See how a trust amendment or restatement actually works in Georgia for more on that process. The entire trust package review is a flat fee of $1,050, with no hourly billing and no surprise invoice.
When a Review Is Not Enough
Some old trust packages have problems a review cannot fix. If the trust was drafted for a different state, if the structure no longer fits your family, or if the plan needs to be rebuilt from scratch, Melissa will tell you directly instead of patching a document that should be replaced. In that case, she will walk you through a new revocable living trust and what it costs.
How to Get Started
Your first call is free, about 15 minutes, and happens by phone with Shawn. If you move forward, your next step is the Design Meeting with Shawn and Melissa, which is credited toward your plan.
A trust package review is one part of keeping your Georgia estate plan current.
Georgia Living Trust Cost Calculator
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$550 each: rentals, land, cabins.
$1,100 per state. We coordinate with local counsel.
$1,250 each: includes operating agreement update.
The Georgia state recording fee is already included in these prices. We confirm your exact quote in your Design Meeting with our team.
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.
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.
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.
Sign at Home
You sign at home, in front of a notary and witnesses you line up. Your signing instructions tell you who needs to be there. After you sign, you get a written checklist of what to do next.
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
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 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, which we greatly appreciated. Shawn was also always available to discuss matters by phone whenever we needed additional clarification on the options we were considering. Both are very knowledgeable in estate planning, and we would confidently recommend Hive Law to friends and family.
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 and developing a trust to protect her assets. I sat in on her meeting with Melissa, and Melissa did a great job of simplifying complex legalese into easily understood concepts. Shawn was very quick to get us our documents and all steps in the process were clear and easy. They make a great team and we are thankful for their help!
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 an excellent experience. They were one of three firms we contacted, but she made the strongest impression during our initial call. They asked great questions to understand our situation and clearly explained what we needed to put in place. We initially had some reservations about their fully virtual approach, but those concerns were quickly put to rest. After the first two calls, it was clear how easy they are to work with and how well connected we felt. Communication has been clear, organized, and reassuring throughout the process. Shawn and Melissa are professional, approachable, and thorough. We feel confident we're in good hands and highly recommend The Hive Law for 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!!
The Hive Law helped us set up a revocable trust. Their webinar is great for answering any questions you may have, to clarify and avoid probate. Get in touch with them right away, you won't be disappointed.
Melissa was great! She gave me an honest review of my future plans that I already have in place. Turns out, I already had my ducks in a row!!! She was a pleasure to talk with!!
For several years now I have been thinking about having a will drawn up, but continued to procrastinate until an older sibling had a medical situation occur which none of the family was prepared for. This was the determining factor for me to get it done. We never know when an emergency medical situation could arise and I didn't want my other siblings to be scrambling around trying to figure things out in the event I couldn't make any decisions for myself, or God forbid I pass away. My attorney (Melissa), was very funny and made the whole experience quite entertaining. She listened to what I wanted and explained the type of plan I needed. Thanks Melissa & Shawn for making the process an enjoyable experience.
The Hive Law Firm did an excellent job helping my mother-in-law with her estate plan. The process felt overwhelming at first, but their team walked us through every step with compassion and professionalism. They listened to our concerns, explained things in simple terms, and made sure our mother's wishes were honored. We're very grateful for their guidance.
The Hive Law firm did an outstanding job helping my family members with their estate planning. They made the process clear, smooth and stress free. Truly professional and caring team, highly recommend!
The whole process of creating a family trust felt simple, clear, and stress-free. We really appreciated how patient, helpful, and easy to communicate with the team was throughout everything. Shawn and Melissa gave us great guidance and helped us feel confident every step of the way. We're grateful for their support and would definitely recommend them.
Frequently Asked Questions
A trust package review is a document by document check of your existing estate plan. Melissa Breyer reads your trust, pour-over will, power of attorney, and healthcare directive to find outdated information, unfunded accounts, and gaps in Georgia law compliance.
A trust package review at The Hive Law is a flat fee of $1,050. The fee covers the full document review, a phone call with Melissa Breyer, and any amendments the review turns up.
You likely need a review if your trust is more than a few years old, if you have married, divorced, had children, or moved since it was signed, or if you are not sure whether your accounts and property were ever retitled into the trust’s name.
The Hive Law can review a trust that another attorney drafted. Most trust package reviews at The Hive Law involve documents originally drafted by another attorney or through a DIY estate planning service. Melissa Breyer reviews the documents as they exist today, regardless of who wrote them.
Timelines vary based on how many documents there are and what the review finds. Most reviews start with a document read-through, move to a phone call with Melissa Breyer, and finish with any amendments sent back to you for approval.
Some trust packages have problems a review cannot fix, such as a trust drafted for a different state or a structure that no longer fits your family. If that happens, Melissa Breyer will tell you directly and walk you through what a new revocable living trust costs.
Most families who read this page also read: Revocable Living Trust Attorney in Atlanta, Georgia
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.
Where We Serve
Georgia Counties We Serve
We help families across Georgia protect their assets and avoid probate. Select your county to learn more about estate planning where you live.