Our Atlanta estate planning attorneys work with people across Georgia at every age and asset level to create customized Wills, Trusts, and Powers of Attorney that bring clarity, confidence, and long-term security.
At Thrift McLemore, we help people across Georgia protect their families and their assets through thoughtful estate planning. Whether you want a straightforward plan to keep things simple for your loved ones or advanced distribution and tax planning strategies, we have the experience and expertise to design an estate plan that reflects your wishes.
Your estate is everything you own when you pass away. It includes your home, bank accounts, retirement savings, life insurance, business interests, personal belongings, and any other asset in which you have an interest.
Estate planning gives you control over decisions that affect you, your health, your finances, your assets, and the people you care about most. Without an estate plan, Georgia law makes these decisions, and the outcome often does not reflect what people would want.
If you are a parent to young children, estate planning allows you to decide who will raise your children if something happens to you and ensures that money set aside for them is managed responsibly, rather than being handed over too soon. It can also protect your children’s inheritance from creditors, divorces, or other risks later in life.
If you have adult children, estate planning helps you pass down what you’ve built in a way that avoids conflict and keeps your family out of unnecessary court proceedings. It also lets you decide whether your children should receive assets outright or if a trust would better protect what you leave them. Many parents of adult children use trusts to simplify the administrative process after they pass away, safeguard inheritances from lawsuits or divorces, and reduce taxes and other expenses.
If you do not have children, an estate plan is equally as important. It allows you to decide who handles your finances and healthcare decisions if you are unable. You can also provide for a spouse, partner, siblings, nieces, nephews, close friends, or charities in the event of your passing. Without a plan, the state decides all of this, and it may be very different from what you intended.
Even an 18-year-old without any assets can benefit from an estate plan. Once someone becomes a legal adult, their parents lose the automatic right to step in if their child needs them. If they are in a car accident or become seriously ill, doctors cannot share medical information without legal authority. A Healthcare Directive gives parents or another trusted person that authority. The same is true with finances. If a college student has an issue with insurance or financial aid, or they are studying abroad and need bills paid, a Financial Power of Attorney makes that possible without unnecessary red tape. Without these tools, families can face unnecessary delays, stress, and expenses in emergencies.
The right estate plan for you depends on your situation and your goals. The experienced estate planning attorneys at Thrift McLemore can explain your options and design a plan that works the way you intend.
Estate Planning Essentials in Georgia
If you do not have an estate plan, Georgia law creates one for you. By using the right estate planning tools, you can stay in control of who inherits your assets, protect your loved ones, and plan for incapacity.
A Last Will and Testament ensures that your assets pass according to your wishes. It names your chosen beneficiaries, appoints an executor to settle your estate, and nominates a guardian for your minor children if needed.
Similar to a Will, a Revocable Living Trust controls the disposition of your assets upon your death. Unlike a Will, the Revocable Living Trust has the added benefits of protecting you and your assets if you become incapacitated, and it avoids the costs, delays, and publicity of the probate process.
A Financial Power of Attorney designates someone (called your “agent”) to act on your behalf if and when it is necessary. Your agent may perform any of the powers you give them, but only while you are alive.
The Georgia Advance Directive for Health Care combines the prior Georgia Power of Attorney for Health Care and Living Will. It allows you to do the following: (1) name someone (called your “agent”) to make health care decisions for you if you cannot make health care decisions for yourself; (2) express any one of three treatment preferences for end of life care if you have a terminal condition or if you are in a state of permanent unconsciousness; and (3) nominate a guardian should the need for one arise.
Speak with an Experienced Atlanta Estate Planning Attorney
When it comes to your family, peace of mind, and wealth, the stakes are too high to cut corners with your estate plan. At Thrift McLemore, we take the time to listen to your concerns and provide thoughtful guidance tailored to your needs.
Speak with one of our Georgia estate planning attorneys today. Call 678-882-0830 to schedule a consultation.
We offer a full array of estate planning services, including: