Estate Planning

What to Expect at Your First Estate Planning Consultation in Georgia

Your first step with The Hive Law is a free 15-minute phone call, not a sales pitch. Nothing is expected of you beforehand, and if you decide to move forward, a second call goes over your family, your assets, and your goals in detail and gives you an exact price.

By Melissa Breyer, Esq. 5 min read

Find Out Where You Stand

Most people put off estate planning because they don’t know what the first conversation even looks like. They picture a long meeting, a stack of paperwork to gather first, or a lawyer who makes them feel behind for not already having a plan. None of that is what happens. You don’t need to organize your finances, track down old documents, or know what a trust even is before you pick up the phone. The first call is short, low-pressure, and by design, before you’ve committed to anything.

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 Melissa, which is credited toward your plan.

Both conversations happen by phone, so there’s no office visit to plan around and no travel involved. Everything you say on both calls is treated as a confidential conversation, starting with the very first one.

The Two Steps: A Free Call, Then a Design Meeting

Getting started with The Hive Law is a two-step process. 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 Melissa, which is credited toward your plan.

These two calls do different jobs. The first call is a conversation to understand your situation and answer your questions. Nothing is decided or signed on that call. The Design Meeting is the working session where Melissa goes through your specific assets, your family situation, and your goals, and tells you exactly what your plan will cost.

What Happens on Your Free 15-Minute Call

Your first call is with Shawn, by phone, and takes about 15 minutes. He asks about your family, your situation, and a general overview of what you own. He also asks what you’re trying to avoid, like probate or a family dispute, and what your goals are for your plan. You are not asked for financial statements, account numbers, or any paperwork on this call. Based on what you share, Shawn walks you through your options and what they typically cost, so you leave the call with a real sense of what fits your situation.

There is no cost for this call, and no obligation to move forward afterward. If the firm isn’t the right fit for your situation, Shawn will tell you that directly on the call.

What Happens at Your Design Meeting

If you decide to move forward, your next step is the Design Meeting with Melissa. This 60-minute phone call is where the real decisions get made. Melissa works through how your assets will be managed and passed down, who steps in to make decisions if you become unable to, and who takes over when you die. This is also where she builds in any protections you need, like keeping an inheritance safe from a beneficiary’s creditors or a future divorce.

By the end of the call, Melissa has designed your actual estate plan and given you an exact price for it. The cost of the Design Meeting is credited toward your plan if you move forward with The Hive Law afterward.

What to Send Before Your Design Meeting

Before your Design Meeting, you’ll fill out a short Intake Form. This form gathers the information Melissa needs, so you don’t need to prepare a document checklist on your own. If you already have an old will or trust and want Melissa to reference it, you’re welcome to send it. If you have older documents that you already know you’ll be replacing, you don’t need to send those at all.

Georgia estate planning does not require you to bring deeds, account statements, or insurance policies to a first meeting. The Intake Form and the conversation itself are enough for Melissa to build your plan.

Is What You Share Confidential?

Yes. Your conversation with The Hive Law is treated as confidential starting with your very first call, not only once you become a paying client. You can talk openly about your family situation, your assets, and your concerns on both calls without worrying about that information going anywhere else.

How Long Does the Whole Process Take?

From your first call to having an exact price for your plan takes two conversations: a 15-minute call and a 60-minute call. Many people complete both in the same week. There’s no requirement to decide quickly. You can take as much time as you need between the free call and scheduling your Design Meeting.

Ready to find out where you stand? Book your free call below.

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

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.

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.

118+ 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!

Nicholas Google Review

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.

Tristen Pursley Google Review

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!

Sharon Palmer Google Review

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.

Daryl Clever Google Review

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!

The Schmitty Family Google Review

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!

Ed Udvadia Google Review

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!

Nate Tabler Google Review

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.

Kyle Haynie Google Review

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!

Teresa Overstreet Google Review

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.

Denali Pray Google Review

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.

Ryan Rollins Google Review

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!

Rachel Shannon Google Review

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.

Jer Udvadia Google Review

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!!

Christy Evans Google Review

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.

Keith Wiseman Google Review

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!!

Pat Paine Google Review

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.

Rena Solomon Google Review

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.

Reneida Williams Google Review

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!

Nakia Ellison Google Review

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.

Allen Wakefield Google Review

Frequently Asked Questions

No documents are required for the free 15-minute call. That conversation is about understanding your family situation and what’s prompting you to plan, not reviewing paperwork. Before the Design Meeting, you’ll fill out a short Intake Form, and you can send an existing will or trust if you’d like Melissa to reference it.

The first call takes about 15 minutes and happens by phone with Shawn. It’s a free, no-obligation conversation to understand your situation and answer your questions about the process.

Every conversation with The Hive Law is treated as confidential, starting with your first free call. You can discuss your family, your assets, and your concerns openly on both the free call and the Design Meeting.

The Design Meeting is a 60-minute phone call with Melissa Breyer where she designs your actual estate plan. She works through how your assets will be managed and passed down, who steps in during incapacity or after your death, and any protections you need for your beneficiaries. By the end of the call, you have an exact price for your plan, and that cost is credited toward your plan if you move forward.

Both the free call and the Design Meeting happen by phone. There’s no office visit required to get started with The Hive Law.

You can book your free 15-minute call directly through the form on the Schedule page. There’s no cost and no obligation to move forward afterward.

Shawn walks you through your plan options and typical costs on the free 15-minute call, based on what you share about your family and goals. The Design Meeting with Melissa gives you the exact price once she’s designed the specific plan for your situation.

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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.