Estate Planning

How Much Does a Will Cost in Georgia?

A will plan in Georgia costs $1,800 for one person and $2,200 for a couple at The Hive Law. The flat fee includes the will, a financial power of attorney, and an advance healthcare directive. Assets with a named beneficiary and joint bank accounts usually pass outside the will.

By Melissa Breyer, Esq. Updated 10 min read

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If you are pricing a will, you want one clear number and no surprises. A will plan at The Hive Law costs $1,800 for one person. A couple pays $2,200. That flat fee includes the will, a financial power of attorney, and an advance healthcare directive. There is no hourly billing.

Some Georgia law firms bill by the hour for a will. With hourly billing, you do not know the total until the work is done. A flat fee means you know the price before you start.

A will does not avoid probate in Georgia, and it does not cover every asset. Knowing those limits helps you choose between a will and a revocable trust.

What Is Included in the Will Plan

The Hive Law’s will plan includes three documents that work together. A will alone does not cover the time before death, when you may be alive but unable to make decisions. These three documents close that gap.

Last Will and Testament. Names who receives your assets when you die, names a guardian for minor children, and names an executor to handle probate. Without a will, Georgia law decides who inherits, and that may not match what you want.

Financial Power of Attorney. Names someone you trust to manage your money if you cannot manage it yourself. Without it, your family may have to ask a Georgia probate court to appoint a conservator before anyone can manage your money. That court process takes time and costs money.

Advance Healthcare Directive. Tells doctors what life-sustaining treatment you want, or do not want, if you cannot speak for yourself. In Georgia, this one form took the place of the older living will. It also names a healthcare agent to make medical decisions for you.

What the Plan Costs

One person: $1,800 flat fee

Couple: $2,200 flat fee (both spouses, all three documents each)

Both prices include all three documents and a call where Melissa walks through every document with you before you sign.

Will vs. Revocable Trust — Which One Do You Need?

A will and a revocable trust solve different problems. Knowing the difference tells you which one fits.

A will goes through probate. A trust does not. Every asset that passes under a will goes through Georgia’s probate court.

Georgia probate costs an average of $14,700 in attorney and court fees for a simple estate. It takes 13 months on average.

A revocable trust keeps the assets held in the trust out of probate.

A will is a fit when:

  • You do not own a home or other real estate
  • Your main goal is to name a guardian for your minor children
  • You plan to set up a trust later

A trust is a better fit when:

  • You own a home or other real estate in Georgia
  • You want your family to avoid probate and what it costs
  • You want what you leave to pass without a court case

The Hive Law’s revocable trust package costs $3,500. It includes the trust, a pour-over will, the deed for your home, a financial power of attorney, a healthcare directive, and a HIPAA form.

What a Will Cannot Do

Most people think a will does more than it does. These are the limits that matter.

A will does not avoid probate. This is the most common mistake. A will is a set of instructions. Georgia’s probate court has to accept it before anyone can act on it. The fees, the wait, and the court steps apply no matter how detailed the will is.

A will does not control assets that have a named beneficiary. Life insurance with a named beneficiary passes outside the will. A retirement account with a named beneficiary follows its beneficiary form, not the will. A payable on death account goes to the person named on it. A will cannot change that. Most retirement plans from a private employer have one more rule. Federal law puts a living spouse first unless the spouse signed a waiver.

A will does not cover a time when you cannot make your own decisions. A will takes effect only at death. If illness or injury leaves you unable to decide for yourself, your will gives no one the power to manage your money or make medical choices. That is what the power of attorney and the healthcare directive are for.

A will does not keep your estate private. A will has to be filed with the probate court after death. That makes it part of a court file.

How Georgia Law Firms Price a Will

Georgia attorneys price wills in two ways.

Hourly billing. Some attorneys bill by the hour. The total depends on how long the work takes. Questions, changes, and extra research can all add time.

Flat fee. Some attorneys charge one set price. Ask what that price covers. A flat fee for a will may not include a power of attorney or a healthcare directive.

The Hive Law charges one flat fee of $1,800 for one person. That price covers the will, the financial power of attorney, and the advance healthcare directive. There is no hourly billing. A power of attorney on its own has a separate price. See how much a power of attorney costs in Georgia.

For every flat fee in one place, see estate planning costs in Georgia. For how the documents work together, see the Georgia estate planning guide.

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

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

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.

127+ 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

A will in Georgia costs $1,800 for one person and $2,200 for a couple at The Hive Law. Each price is a flat fee. There is no hourly billing. The fee includes the will, a financial power of attorney, and an advance healthcare directive.

Other Georgia law firms set their own prices for a will. Some charge a flat fee. Some bill by the hour, so the final cost depends on the time spent. A flat fee means you know the price before you start.

A will is not enough to avoid probate in Georgia. A will still goes through probate because it has to be filed with the probate court after death. The executor then asks the court for authority to act. Property that passes under the will goes through that court process first.

Some assets pass outside the will and outside probate. Life insurance with a named beneficiary is one example. Most joint bank accounts are another. A revocable living trust keeps the assets held in the trust out of probate.

The choice between a will and a trust in Georgia comes down to probate. A will goes through probate court. A revocable living trust keeps the assets held in the trust out of probate. Georgia probate costs an average of $14,700 in attorney and court fees for a simple estate and takes 13 months on average.

At The Hive Law, a will plan costs $1,800 for one person and The Finished Trust (our complete trust package) costs $3,500. If you own a home and want your family to skip probate, a trust does that job and a will does not. A Georgia parent still uses a will to name a guardian for minor children.

If you die without a will in Georgia, state law decides who inherits. The rules are in O.C.G.A. § 53-2-1. A spouse is the only heir when there are no children or other descendants. If there are children, the spouse and children share equally. The spouse gets at least one third. A share for a child who has died goes to the descendants of that child. With no spouse, the children share equally. With no spouse or descendants, the nearest relatives inherit, starting with parents.

Having no will does not keep a family out of probate court. No executor was named, so a court can appoint an administrator. If a minor child has no living parent and no guardian was named in a will, a court picks the guardian.

A will covers a bank account that is in your name alone and has no payable on death beneficiary. A joint bank account works differently. Under Georgia law, the money normally belongs to the owner who is still living. A payable on death account goes to the person named on it. A will cannot change either one.

A retirement account with a named beneficiary is paid by its beneficiary form, not by the will. Most retirement plans from a private employer have one more rule. Federal law puts a living spouse first unless the spouse signed a waiver. Keep each beneficiary form up to date when you sign a will.

The documents in a will plan at The Hive Law are ready for you to review about 2 to 3 weeks after your Design Meeting, the meeting where Shawn Breyer and Melissa Breyer, Esq. review your assets, your family, and your goals. Melissa walks through every document with you before you sign. Signing comes after your review, so the rest of the timing depends on how quickly you finish it. You sign at home, in front of a notary and witnesses you line up.

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.

The signing rules for a Georgia will are in O.C.G.A. § 53-4-20, and they do not require a lawyer. The same rules apply whether a lawyer writes the will or you use an online form. The will must be in writing. You must sign it. Two witnesses must sign it in your presence. The witnesses have to be with you in person. Georgia does not allow a will to be witnessed by video.

A form cannot look at the rest of your plan. It does not check which assets pass outside the will, like a joint bank account or an account with a named beneficiary. It does not tell you that a home left by will still goes through probate. A will plan at The Hive Law costs $1,800 for one person. Melissa Breyer, Esq. walks through every document with you before you sign.

A will in Georgia can be changed after you sign it by signing an amendment called a codicil. Georgia law requires a codicil to be signed and witnessed with the same formality as a will (O.C.G.A. § 53-4-20). That means two witnesses, in your presence, each time.

A divorce changes how a will works even if you never touch it. Georgia law reads a will signed before the divorce as if the former spouse had died before you, unless the will planned for the divorce (O.C.G.A. § 53-4-49). That rule covers the will only. It does not change a beneficiary form. A new marriage can also change how an old will works. The Hive Law covers that in its guide to old wills after remarriage in Georgia.

A will in Georgia does not have to be notarized to be valid. A will must be in writing, signed by you, and signed by two witnesses in your presence. The notary is for an optional step called a self-proving affidavit. With that affidavit, the probate court can accept the will without testimony from the witnesses (O.C.G.A. § 53-4-24).

A will plan at The Hive Law also includes a financial power of attorney, and that document has a different rule. Georgia law requires a financial power of attorney to be signed in front of one witness and a notary. That is why you line up a notary and witnesses when you sign a will plan at The Hive Law. The signing instructions that come with your documents tell you who needs to be there.

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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.

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Prefer to talk right now? Call Us: (770) 710-3422