Suwanee Estate Planning Attorneys
Our firm’s wills and estate practice assists individuals in the drafting and review of wills and other estate planning documents. At Kenney & Medina, P.C., we believe that the key to an effective estate plan is performing a comprehensive and thorough analysis of an individual’s plans and goals for themselves and their families.
Often, our firm works with other professionals in and around Gwinnett County, such as insurance and tax/accounting professionals, to provide the clients with comprehensive advice. We take the time to thoroughly review a client’s needs and then offer a means to accomplish those needs and goals.
What Is Estate Planning In Georgia?
Creating an estate plan in Georgia involves crafting the documents that you will need to guide your heirs and caretakers when you cannot make the calls yourself anymore. An estate plan will aid your family not only after you’ve passed but also if you’re incapacitated in anyway. It includes many key documents, including:
- Wills: We draft wills regularly to provide guidance on asset distribution and plans for our clients wish to settle affairs.
- Powers of attorney and advance directives for health care: We craft these documents to provide the authority to others to care for their financial and medical well-being while our client is incapacitated.
- Trusts: We create trusts to allow our clients to remove assets from their estate to minimize their probate impact.
- Family partnerships and LLCs: We create these important tax entities that help estates manage affairs more effectively, without creating burdens for beneficiaries.
- Probate: The complications of probate court are a major stress to families and beneficiaries, and we gladly usher our clients through these challenging experiences.
- Administration of estates, guardianships and trusts: Executors, trustees, personal representatives and guardians can count on our advice and assistance in the intricate matters of administrating their duties.
We are experienced attorneys with over 70 years of combined experience in the courts of Gwinnett County. We’re available to speak on any issue in estate planning and offer you the guidance you need.
Frequently Asked Questions About Estate Planning
Estate planning is a broad topic with a lot of different parts. Here are the answers to some key questions we hear from our clients:
How often should my estate plan be reviewed or updated?
It is generally suggested that an estate plan be updated every three to five years. That can help capture ongoing changes in the testator’s life circumstances and assets and make sure they are properly reflected. However, it is also important to update an estate plan after certain “triggering” events, such as a marriage, the death of a beneficiary, the birth of a child or a grandchild or a move across state lines.
What happens if I die without a will in Georgia?
Someone who dies without a will is said to die “intestate.” That means the court will manage the probate process, appoint someone to administer your estate and require your assets to be distributed according to Georgia’s intestate succession laws. If no heirs are found, then the assets will likely be taken by the state.
Intestacy lengthens the probate process significantly and subjects an estate to significant expense, which can create hardships for your loved ones. In addition, you have no ability to express your wishes about who should receive anything of yours, including personal items. This is why it is important to have a valid will before you die.
Can an estate plan help avoid Georgia probate?
Yes. Probate is a long and complicated matter that can delay the grieving process for loved ones. It is also public, which can be uncomfortable for families that like to keep their affairs private. Many estate plans focus on probate avoidance.
One of the most common ways to avoid probate is via the use of trusts. A trust is a legal arrangement that grants a trustee the responsibility for managing and distributing trust assets after you pass away on behalf of your chosen beneficiaries, and it bypasses probate. Payable-upon-death designations can also be used to pass assets directly to your chosen beneficiaries.
An experienced estate planning attorney can help you evaluate your options and strategize the best way to accomplish your goals regarding probate.
Let Us Help Get Your Estate Planning Documents In Order
Contact our estate planning and probate lawyers to help take this important process off your plate or guide you through the duties of probate and estate administration. Call our office at 770-564-1600 or email us today.