Blog

Setting up an estate plan is a crucial step in preparing for the end of your life, but many people wonder about the cost of estate planning in Georgia and whether it's worth the expense. Review the general costs of estate planning below, then learn how this process may actually save you money. E...

Estate planning and probate law in Georgia might initially appear complex and overwhelming due to its extensive legal terminologies and intricate processes. At Peach State Wills & Trusts, we make it our priority to demystify this complexity for you. The crucial question we often hear from our cli...

Estate planning presents various unique challenges, especially when it comes to the complexities of familial relationships. One particularly poignant question that many of our clients raise is whether or not to include gifts of money or other assets to an estranged child in their will. As attorne...

Estate planning comes with a unique set of challenges if one of your close family members is an individual with special needs. How do you make sure you help your loved one maintain a decent quality of life after you're gone? The following overview will help you understand the basics of planning ...

You may put off planning for incapacity because you're healthy and young. You might think it's something to worry about later when you're much older. But if you don't plan for incapacity in Georgia, you and your family could face a wide range of problems down the road. Below, learn about the leg...

It's frightening and upsetting when your loved one can no longer make decisions for themselves. Older adults may spend money recklessly, fail to pay bills, and make other poor choices if they're not of sound mind. Serving as a guardian allows you to step in and make choices on your family member...

How Do I Create a Trust in Georgia? Creating a trust and creating the right trust to meet your needs are two different things. The first step in creating a trust is to understand your goal for the trust so you can ensure that the terms of the trust document will meet those goals and comply wit...

What will happen to your assets and belongings when you pass away? Even if you've made a will, your estate must go through probate in Georgia. Dealing with probate court can turn into a messy and complicated ordeal for loved ones you've left behind, so it makes sense you'd want to spare your fami...

What is a Trust and Do I Need One in Georgia? Trusts can be confusing, and that often makes it challenging to determine whether you need one and how it would be used. To add to the potential confusion, there are many different types of trusts used in different ways. Here's an overview of how t...

Have you considered what will happen to your family after you're gone? Life insurance policies and retirement accounts may offer them some peace of mind. If you don't name a beneficiary, though, the court might not distribute your money as you would've liked. Are you wondering, “How do I name be...

How Do I Update or Change My Will in Georgia Georgia law includes many requirements that must be followed for a will to be valid. That means any updates or changes must be done in compliance with the requirements for the changes to have the legal effect you intend. Changes attempted incorrectl...

After your death, family members will typically need to go through a process called probate to settle your estate. Going through probate is the last thing anyone wants to deal with when they're grieving, but you can make this process a bit easier for loved ones by having a will. What is probate ...

It's one of the more difficult calls we receive, but somewhat frequently, the caller on the other end tells us something like this: “I've been diagnosed with X, and the doctor said I should get my affairs in order. Can you help with that?” What does it mean to get my affairs in order? When a do...

What Is a Power of Attorney and How Do I Create One in Georgia? If you become incapacitated due to an accident or progressive disease, do you have a plan to manage your affairs? Designating an agent with a power of attorney (POA) grants one person the power and responsibility to manage your fi...

What is a Will and How Do I Create One in Georgia? Every adult in Georgia should have a will, and they should be sure that it is enforceable under Georgia law. It is also important to know what a will does, what it doesn't do, and how to create a will that can stand up to scrutiny in probate c...

How Do I Put My House Into a Trust in Georgia? If you want to leave real estate to your beneficiaries when you pass away, especially your home, you're probably wondering, “How do I put my house into a trust?” It's nearly as simple as setting up a living trust and completing a deed transfer whe...

What Happens to Debt When You Die in Georgia? The overwhelming majority of people who die in Georgia leave some debt behind. Our society is built on credit. So, many people are uncertain about what happens to their debt when they die. Does it get wiped out? Or is the family expected to pay it...

Understanding Advance Directives: Creating a Living Will in Georgia Chances are, somewhere along the line, you have heard that you should have a living will. But the same people who tell you that you need one are not always quite certain about why you need it or what the document even does. E...

Should You Store Estate Planning Documents in a Safe Deposit Box After you put the effort into creating a good estate plan, you will have important documents that need to be protected. Sometimes, when people think, “protection,” they immediately think, “safe deposit box.” With the locks, secur...

What is Estate Planning and Why is it Important? The term “estate planning” covers a lot more than most people think. An estate plan can establish protective options for your property during your lifetime, help ensure debts are covered, and enable your loved ones to have the resources they nee...

In some states, probate laws provide for a very simplified and streamlined probate process for what are considered to be small estates. This can help reduce the time and costs of going through a full probate proceeding when there are limited assets.  People with experience with those simplified probate processes often ask if Georgia has a similar, simplified process. In this blog we answer this question and explain how some parts of Georgia's probate process works.

One of the biggest assets most business owners have to support themselves and their loved ones is their business. We know they work hard to keep their business running and want to ensure they are doing everything they can to protect it. However, one thing we have seen is that most owners don’t think about planning for the continuity and succession of their business. In other words, we see a lack of plans in place for how the business will operate, and who will operate it, if something were to happen to the owner, such as incapacitation or death. In this blog we will talk about why this is important and what business owners can do start their plan.

How Trusts Avoid Probate and Protect Privacy Probate and the formal estate administration process can take considerable time and legal knowledge to manage properly. For that reason, many people now ask their estate planning attorneys to set up a revocable “living” trust to avoid probate. As an...