» Estate Planning

Couple holding out keys to new home. Concept for When to Update Your Estate Plan

Updating Your Estate Plan: When Is It Necessary?

Putting an estate plan in place provides you with the peace of mind that comes from knowing that you have taken care of yourself and your family for the future. To maintain the sense of accomplishment, you need to make sure you keep the plan current.… Read More
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Categories: Estate Planning
Placing flowers on a grave concept for Talk with a Medicaid planning attorney when considering a burial contract.

How Does a Burial Contract Affect Medicaid Eligibility?

Seniors often consider buying a burial contract to pay for final expenses, to save loved ones from being responsible for the costs. While Georgia Medicaid rules for long term care benefits have a burial exclusion in calculating assets for eligibility… Read More
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Wordcloud with Trust related words concept for Do You Need a Lawyer to Establish a Trust?

Do You Need a Lawyer to Set Up a Trust?

As the popularity of trusts has grown in recent years, people sometimes think they can — and should — create a trust on their own without help from a legal professional, which is a serious misconception. In fact, you should not even decide that a… Read More
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Categories: Estate Planning
Young man and woman planning with the executor of their estate Couple holding hands together.

Who Should Be the Executor of Your Estate?

When you make an estate plan, one of the important tasks is designating the executor of your estate. A designated executor who accepts the responsibilities becomes the personal representative of the estate following court appointment. The position is… Read More
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Categories: Estate Planning
Man putting a coin into a pink piggy bank concept for funding a trust.

Why Is Funding a Trust Important?

Trusts are a valuable estate planning tool that can accomplish important goals and objectives. Establishing a trust requires executing a legal document that defines the terms of the trust, as well as transferring assets into the trust, commonly refer… Read More
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Categories: Estate Planning
Back view of embraced grandparents enjoying while looking at their family on a field in autumn day.

What Are the Georgia Laws of Intestate Succession — and Why do They Matter to You?

When an individual passes away, their property is distributed to their beneficiaries and heirs. If the deceased person left an estate plan or last will and testament, those documents determine who receives the property. But if someone dies without va… Read More
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Categories: Estate Planning
Role of a Trust in an Estate Plan

What Is the Role of a Trust in an Estate Plan?

Your estate plan protects you during your lifetime and provides for distribution of your estate to your designated beneficiaries after death. While some estate plans do not need a trust to fulfill estate planning goals, a trust can achieve crucial go… Read More
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Categories: Estate Planning
Law book about wills and trusts on the desk.

What Is the Difference Between Wills and Trusts?

Wills and trusts are both important and valuable tools in estate planning. But there is a significant difference between a will and a trust. Virtually every estate plan includes a will. Since a trust can accomplish goals that a will cannot, some esta… Read More
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Categories: Estate Planning
Older couple smiling laughing and enjoying their time on the water.

Are Trusts Only for Rich People?

A common misconception about estate planning is that trusts are only for rich people. The truth is that many people with modest assets can benefit from including a trust in their estate plan. To determine whether a trust can help you — and what kin… Read More
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Categories: Estate Planning
avoiding georgia probate

How to Avoid Probate in Georgia with the Right Estate Plan

The State of Georgia requires many estates to go through probate, which is a statutory legal process. Probate takes time and costs money. It also makes the financial details of the estate public information. Avoiding probate is a legitimate estate pl… Read More
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Categories: Estate Planning