Atlanta Estate Planning

Find the right Wills & Trusts attorney in Atlanta, GA

In Atlanta, estate planning refers to the procedure of deciding what should be done with one's assets after their death.

The problems that estate planning raises are sometimes very perplexing. Without competent legal and financial advice, many problems can pop up, which can quickly throw your entire plan into disarray, and cost your survivors a great deal of time, energy, and money.

Estate planning can have various positive effects on the planner during life, as well. These benefits are normally somewhat intangible, revolving around the peace of mind that comes with knowing that, after your death, you family will be taken care of and that they'll know what your last wishes are. Nonetheless, most people find this very valuable. To that end, you should come up with a power-of-attorney agreement. When you grant someone power of attorney, you have given them the power to make particular decisions on your behalf. You can grant them as much or as little authority as you want. Most individuals, however, give family members or life partners power of attorney with respect to medical care, so if they become incapacitated, their wishes will still be carried out.

A seasoned estate planner in Atlanta, can make this process much easier, minimizing the chances that your estate plan will end up in court, saving your survivors a huge amount of time and money.

Common Features of Atlanta Estates

Will: This is the centerpiece of most estate plans. A will is a document written by a person (the "testator"), normally with the help of a lawyer, which says what is to be done with their property after they die. Most provisions in a will are legally binding, to the extent that ownership of the property legally passes to the named beneficiary. Nonetheless, a will cannot compel a person to do anything against their wishes (though it can certainly state your preferences on the matter, phrasing them as requests).

Living Will: A living will contains instructions about your medical care, typically for the purpose of informing your family and doctors of your preferences if you suddenly become incapacitated. A living will is extremely critical if you have any strong preferences in this area. It should be written with the advice of a doctor, so you know the particular medical consequences of your decisions, and a lawyer, so it is virtually guaranteed to be legally binding.

Power of Attorney: This is an arrangement in which you give someone else, normally a trusted family member, the permission to make financial and medical decisions on your behalf, in case you become unable to make or express your own decisions.

Funeral Arrangements: Some people, for religious and other reasons, have very particular wishes regarding the disposal of their remains after they die. Some want to be buried. Others, cremated. No matter what your preferences on this matter are, it's necessary that you inform your family of them far in advance. These instructions should be included in a document that is likely to be read before your death (such as a living will), or very shortly thereafter. This excludes a will, because it's commonly weeks after a person dies until their will is read.

Do I Need a Atlanta Estates Lawyer?

A flawed estate plan in Atlanta can result in those affected by it being confused as to your intent, which can then lead to disputes between them. A seasoned attorney can commonly avoid this confusion by ensuring that there is as little ambiguity as possible in your will and other related documents.

Talk to a Wills, Trusts & Estates Law Attorney now!

Life in Atlanta

Atlanta has the highest population of any city in the State of Georgia with just under 500,000 people. The Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport as been the world's busiest airport since 1998. That's two years after the city hosted the 100th Olympic Games. Atlanta is the seat of Fulton County government as well as for the entire State of Georgia. Atlantans work for some of the most well known companies who have world headquarters located in the city. The Coca-Cola Company, ATT, UPS, Turner Broadcasting, The Home Depot, and UPS are just a few of the nearly 75% of Fortune's 1000 who have operations in Atlanta. All that industry grosses the city over billion each year. All of the productivity doesn't mean it comes at a lack of greenery.

Atlanta is known both as the "City of Trees" and the "City in a Forest" for the dense tree cover that blankets nearly 40% of downtown. It's the most dense tree cover of any American city. The Atlanta Botanical Garden even offers a Canopy Walk through 600 feet of canopy at 40-feet into the trees. Other city attractions include the Georgia Aquarium, Fox Theatre, Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, World of Coca-Cola, Delta Heritage Museum, Carter Center and Presidential Library, and Atlanta sports teams draw patrons from across the globe.

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