How Much Does Estate Planning Cost for a Real Estate Investor in Georgia?
Estate planning for a Georgia real estate investor costs $3,000 to $8,500 depending on portfolio size, number of LLCs, and whether you hold out-of-state properties. A single-property investor with one LLC pays closer to $3,000. A multi-property portfolio with multiple LLCs runs $6,000 to $8,500.
The base cost of estate planning for a Georgia real estate investor is $3,000 to $8,500. That range depends on three things: how many properties you own, how many LLCs you have, and whether any of your rentals are outside Georgia.
Most competitors charge $1,500 to $2,500 for a will-based plan and call it estate planning. For a real estate investor, a will alone creates a probate problem — not a solution. Every property deed and every LLC membership interest must either transfer through a trust or go through the Georgia probate court, which averages 18 to 30 months and costs $30,000 or more per rental property.
This page explains what a complete investor estate plan includes, what drives the cost up, and what to ask before you hire anyone.
Why Estate Planning Costs More for Real Estate Investors
Standard estate planning handles personal assets — bank accounts, retirement funds, a primary home. Real estate investors have a different set of problems that standard plans are not designed to solve.
Your LLC membership interests do not transfer automatically when you die. Under O.C.G.A. § 14-11-503, if your membership interest is not held in a trust, your heir receives only assignee rights — the right to receive distributions but no authority to manage, sign leases, or make decisions. The LLC is effectively frozen until a Georgia probate court appoints an administrator.
Each property deed must be reviewed and retitled. A revocable trust does not automatically capture property deeded in your personal name. Each deed must be retitled into the trust separately, and out-of-state properties require a separate ancillary probate proceeding in that state if not properly titled before you die.
Your LLC operating agreement must authorize trust ownership. Most operating agreements drafted by a registered agent service or completed online do not include succession provisions. Without an update, the trust may own the membership interest on paper while the operating agreement still requires individual-member consent for any action.
A real estate investor estate plan does three things a standard plan does not: it captures LLC interests, retitles property deeds, and coordinates the trust with every operating agreement.
What the Base Package Includes — and What It Costs
For a Georgia real estate investor with one LLC and one to three rental properties, a complete estate plan costs $3,000 to $4,500.
The base package includes five personal documents:
Revocable living trust — holds LLC interests and any directly titled property, avoids probate at death and at incapacity
Pour-over will — captures anything not titled in the trust at death and directs it into the trust through probate
Durable power of attorney — includes specific authority to manage LLC accounts, sign leases, and handle rental income during your incapacity
Healthcare directive — medical decisions if you cannot speak for yourself
HIPAA authorization — allows family to communicate with your medical providers
The base package also includes three investor-specific components:
LLC operating agreement review — confirms trust ownership is permitted and succession provisions are present; drafts an amendment if needed
Deed transfer for one Georgia property — retitles the deed from your personal name or entity into the trust
Trust funding coordination — confirms LLC interests and financial accounts are transferred correctly after signing
Estimate Your Cost
Use the calculator below to build your estimate based on your portfolio. Start with the base package and add what applies to your situation.
What type of estate plan are you looking for?
Gives instructions on how your property is distributed after your death. Your estate — including rental properties and LLC interests — still goes through the probate courts before your family can access anything.
Keeps your estate out of probate courts entirely. Your rental properties and LLC interests transfer to your beneficiaries without court involvement. You control your assets during your lifetime.
Protects your assets from personal liabilities like lawsuits and creditors. Also avoids probate and controls distribution — but you give up direct control of the assets you transfer in.
What else do you need?
Additional LLC OA Reviews $1,250 each
Count each LLC beyond the first. Each one needs its operating agreement reviewed and amended to authorize trust ownership and include succession provisions.
0
Additional Georgia Deed Transfers $550 each
Count each Georgia property beyond the first that needs a deed transferred into the trust. Properties held inside an LLC do not need a separate deed transfer.
0
Out-of-State Properties $1,100 per state
Count the number of states (not properties) where you own real estate outside Georgia. Local counsel in each state handles the deed retitling at a separate fee.
0
A will-based plan does not include trust funding or deed transfers. If you have rental properties or LLCs, a revocable or irrevocable trust is the right foundation.
Revocable Trust Package $4,000
Additional LLC Reviews
Additional Deed Transfers
Out-of-State Coordination
Your Estimated Total $4,000
County recording fees are not included. Out-of-state deed retitling fees (charged by local counsel) are not included. Your exact quote is confirmed in your Design Meeting with Melissa.
Each of the following increases the total beyond the base package.
Additional properties. Each Georgia deed transfer adds $750 to $1,500 in legal fees plus county recording fees. An investor with four properties should budget $2,250 to $4,500 in additional deed work on top of the base package cost.
Multiple LLCs. Each LLC operating agreement that needs review and amendment adds $750 to $1,500 per entity. An investor with four LLCs — one per property — should budget $3,000 to $6,000 in operating agreement work alone.
Out-of-state properties. A rental property outside Georgia must either be titled in your Georgia trust (permitted in most states) or handled through an ancillary probate proceeding at death. Retitling an out-of-state deed into the trust requires working with local counsel in that state. The Hive Law handles the Georgia side — out-of-state retitling carries separate fees from local attorneys.
Estate tax planning. If your total estate exceeds $13,990,000 (2025 federal exemption), a revocable trust alone does not remove assets from your taxable estate. Irrevocable trust structures — SLAT, GRAT, or IDGT — are a separate engagement and typically add $3,000 to $10,000 or more depending on complexity.
What Happens Without a Plan — and What That Costs
The average Georgia probate for a single rental property costs $30,000 or more and takes 18 to 30 months. That figure does not include lost rental income during probate, deferred maintenance that cannot be authorized until an administrator is appointed, or the forced sale discount that typically applies when a property must be liquidated under court supervision.
An investor with three rental properties and no estate plan creates three separate probate proceedings — one for each LLC membership interest or directly titled deed. Each is independent. Each has its own timeline, its own attorney fees, and its own court costs.
$30,000 for one property. Multiply that by your portfolio size.
The $3,000 to $8,500 cost of a complete investor estate plan is not an expense. It is the documented cost of avoiding a problem with a documented price tag attached to it.
How to Know What You Need
1
Count your LLCs
One LLC with one to three properties: base package ($3,000–$4,500). Two to four LLCs: add $750–$1,500 per LLC for operating agreement review and amendment. Five or more LLCs: request a custom quote.
2
Count your deeds
Properties titled in your personal name or directly in an LLC each require a separate deed transfer into the trust. Each Georgia deed transfer adds $750–$1,500 in legal fees plus county recording fees.
3
Check for out-of-state properties
Any property outside Georgia requires coordination with local counsel in that state for retitling. The Hive Law handles the Georgia trust documents — plan for separate fees from out-of-state attorneys.
4
Check your total estate value
If your total estate — real estate equity, retirement accounts, and other assets combined — exceeds $13,990,000 (2025 federal exemption), irrevocable trust planning is an additional separate engagement.
What to Ask Before You Hire Anyone
Four questions to ask any estate planning attorney before hiring them for a real estate investor plan:
Does the quote include LLC operating agreement review? Many firms price the trust and OA review as separate engagements. You need both done together — a trust that owns an LLC membership interest in a non-updated operating agreement creates the same probate problem you were trying to avoid.
Does the quote include deed transfers? Some firms complete the trust documents and leave retitling to you. Retitling is where most investor plans break down — it is not a DIY task when LLC interests and multiple properties are involved.
Has the attorney worked with multi-property LLCs before? Ask how many investor plans they complete per year. Ask specifically whether they have worked with Georgia LLCs holding rental properties, not just personal real estate.
What happens when you buy another property? A complete investor plan should include a clear process for adding new acquisitions — whether that means a new deed transfer service or an annual review built into the engagement.
Schedule your free strategy call. Melissa reviews your portfolio size, LLC structure, and state exposure before you meet.
2
Meet With Melissa
Review your documents, properties, and operating agreements. Leave with a clear plan for which deeds need retitling and which OAs need updating.
3
Fund Your Trust
Sign your documents, retitle your deeds, and transfer LLC interests into the trust. Your portfolio is protected — no court required at death or incapacity.
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.
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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!
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We highly recommend Hive Law. They were extremely helpful and professional in guiding us through the process of creating a Revocable Living Trust. Melissa and Shawn were thorough, answered all our questions, and made a potentially confusing process easy to understand.
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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!
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My mom chose The Hive firm to help with estate planning after my father passed away. They were very thorough in explaining every step of the process. They made a difficult time much easier to navigate. I highly recommend The Hive Law for anyone needing estate planning services.
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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!
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Working with Shawn and Melissa at The Hive Law has been a great experience. They are very knowledgeable and took the time to explain all of our options. They made the process of setting up a trust simple and stress-free. I would highly recommend them to anyone needing estate planning.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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!!
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Frequently Asked Questions
The base package for a Georgia real estate investor — revocable trust, pour-over will, durable POA, healthcare directive, HIPAA authorization, one LLC operating agreement review, and one Georgia deed transfer — costs $3,000 to $4,500. The final cost depends on whether your existing operating agreement needs amendment and the county recording fees for the deed transfer.
The base package includes one Georgia deed transfer. Each additional property adds $750 to $1,500 in legal fees plus county recording fees. Out-of-state properties require coordination with local counsel in that state — those fees are separate from the Georgia plan cost.
Georgia law does not require a separate LLC per property, but many investors use that structure for liability isolation. Whether you have one LLC or five, each operating agreement must be reviewed and updated to authorize trust ownership and include succession provisions. Each LLC adds $750 to $1,500 to the base package cost.
The Georgia portion of your plan — the trust, your personal documents, and your Georgia operating agreement — stays the same. The out-of-state property is handled by retitling the deed into your Georgia trust (allowed in most states) or by working with local counsel in that state. The Hive Law coordinates the Georgia side. Budget separately for out-of-state legal fees.
The initial plan is a one-time engagement. After that, two events trigger a review: (1) you buy or sell a property, which requires a new deed transfer and potentially an operating agreement amendment, and (2) your portfolio value or family situation changes significantly, which may require updating beneficiary designations or adding irrevocable trust planning. Most investors review every two to three years.
A revocable trust avoids probate and gives your successor trustee immediate authority to manage properties and LLC interests when you die or become incapacitated. It does not remove assets from your taxable estate. An irrevocable trust removes assets from your estate for federal estate tax purposes — relevant if your total estate exceeds $13,990,000 (2025 federal exemption). Most investors start with a revocable trust and add irrevocable planning if the portfolio grows past the threshold.
