Georgia Estate Planning
Georgia Estate Planning Attorneys Serving Every County in the State
Atlanta Estate Planning is a Georgia law firm. Melissa Breyer leads our team, serving every county by phone and video. We build fixed-fee wills, trusts, and powers of attorney for families statewide.
Find Out Where You Stand
Who Is My Estate Planning Attorney in Georgia?
If you live in Georgia and need a will, a trust, or a power of attorney, Atlanta Estate Planning can help. We handle your whole plan by phone and video. It does not matter which county you live in. Attorney Melissa Breyer leads a fixed-fee, remote process, so you never have to drive to an office.
Every Georgia County Has Different Court Rules
Georgia has 159 counties. Each probate court has its own filing rules, its own forms, and its own hearing schedule. A firm that only knows one courthouse can get stuck. This can happen when your case touches a different county. Your estate planning attorney should be able to work in any Georgia county. They should not just know the one closest to their office.
This is true if you live in a big city. It is also true if you live in a small town. Your plan needs to hold up wherever your family lives. It also needs to hold up wherever you own property. Many Georgia families own a second home. Some own a rental property or land in a different county.
What Happens If You Never Make a Plan
If you die without a will in Georgia, the state decides who gets your property. This is called intestate succession. It is set by O.C.G.A. § 53-2-1. Your spouse does not automatically get everything.
If you have children, the law splits your estate. Your spouse gets at least one-third. The rest is divided among your kids. This happens no matter what you actually wanted.
Even with a will, your family still has to go to probate court. The average Georgia probate case costs around $15,000 in fees. It can take 9 to 18 months to close.
During that time, your family often cannot sell the home. They cannot pay bills from the estate without asking the court first. A properly funded trust can help your family skip probate court for the assets it holds. That is why most families we work with choose a trust over a will alone.
Meet the Attorneys Behind Every Georgia Estate Plan We Build
Melissa Breyer is the founder and attorney of record at Atlanta Estate Planning. She has worked in estate planning, real estate law, and tax law for nearly a decade. She started as a closing and estate planning attorney. Later she moved into tax law consulting, where she managed a team of 20 attorneys.
Melissa built our estate planning practice on the side before going full time. Client referrals grew faster than a part-time schedule could handle. Today, she personally reviews every plan before it is finished.
Shawn Breyer runs the operations side of the firm. He started in mechanical engineering. Then he moved into marketing. He spent years designing and installing robotic systems. Then he moved into building businesses. Shawn is usually the first person you talk to on your free strategy call. He keeps your process moving smoothly, from your first call to your final signed documents.
How We Serve Clients in Every Corner of Georgia
Most law firms build their process around clients who can drive to an office. We built ours the other way. Every step of your estate plan can be done by phone, video, or mail. A family in Savannah gets the same process as a family five minutes from our office. So does a family in Columbus or Rome.
This matters for a simple reason. Your plan needs to hold up in whichever Georgia probate court your family ends up in. It needs an attorney who understands your situation, not a generic form bought online. We prepare deeds and documents that are filed across probate courts statewide. We build every plan to meet the rules of the county where you actually live.
Every Kind of Georgia Family We Help
Families come to us with different goals. Some want to make sure their children’s inheritance is protected from a divorce, a lawsuit, or bad money habits. We build trusts that hold assets for a child until they are ready to manage them.
Business owners and real estate investors come to us for a different reason. You could become sick or unable to act. If that happens, your business accounts or rental income can freeze overnight. We pair your estate plan with an LLC operating agreement. Someone you trust can step in right away. They do not have to wait on a court.
Blended families need extra care too. If you have stepchildren, a remarriage, or several sets of heirs, a plain will often is not enough. We write trusts that spell out exactly who gets what, so an ex-spouse or the wrong heir cannot end up with your assets.
What We Build for Georgia Families
We do not sell one plan that fits every family. Your plan may include some or all of these, based on your needs:
- Revocable living trusts, priced from $3,500, built to help your family avoid probate court for the assets the trust holds.
- Irrevocable trusts and Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts, priced from $6,500, used to shield assets from long-term care costs.
- Last wills and testaments, for families who want a simpler plan or a backup document next to a trust.
- Financial powers of attorney, so someone you trust can manage your money and property if you cannot.
- Advance healthcare directives, so your medical wishes are written down and your family is not left guessing.
- LLC formation and business succession plans, so a business can survive if the owner dies or gets sick.
Every price is fixed before you start. See our full pricing breakdown here before you ever book a call.
Why Families Pick an Attorney Instead of a DIY Kit
Online will kits are cheap. But they are built for an average case in any state, not for Georgia specifically. A DIY document can miss a Georgia signing rule or a witness requirement. It can also miss the steps needed to actually fund your trust. A trust that is never funded does not avoid probate. It just sits in a drawer while your family still ends up in court.
An attorney also catches problems a template cannot see. A blended family, an out-of-state property, or a business succession plan all need extra care. We walk through your real situation on a free call, before you pay for anything.
What This Page Covers, and What Your City Page Covers
This page answers one question: who is my estate planning attorney in Georgia? It covers our firm, our attorneys, and how we work. You may have searched for an attorney in a specific city, like Decatur, Marietta, or Peachtree City. That city page answers a smaller question. It tells you whether we serve your community and its nearby probate court. Both pages are correct. They just answer different questions.
Signs Your Georgia Estate Plan Needs an Update
An estate plan is not a document you sign once and forget. Life changes, and your plan should change with it. A few common triggers we see across Georgia:
- You got married, divorced, or remarried since your last plan.
- You had a child or grandchild, or lost a family member named in your plan.
- You moved to a different Georgia county, or bought property in one.
- You started a business, formed an LLC, or added a rental property.
- It has been more than three years since an attorney reviewed your documents.
If any of these sound familiar, your existing will or trust may no longer match your real situation. A quick review call can confirm whether your plan still works or needs an update.
What to Expect on Your Free Strategy Call
Your free call is 15 minutes. There is no sales pitch and no pressure to sign anything that day. Shawn asks about your family, what you own, and what worries you most. Then he explains, in plain language, which documents would actually solve your specific problem.
If a trust or will makes sense for you, you will meet with Melissa next to build the actual plan. If it does not, we will tell you that too. Not every family needs the same documents, and we would rather tell you that upfront than sell you something you do not need.
How It Works
Schedule Your Free Call
Book your 15-minute free strategy call with Shawn. No cost, no commitment.
Meet With Melissa
Melissa reviews your assets, your family situation, and your exposure. Virtual or in-person.
Get Your Plan
Receive a written plan with clear recommendations for protecting your family and your assets.
Move Forward
No pressure, no commitment required. Move forward when you are ready.
Melissa Breyer
Georgia Estate Planning Attorney
Melissa Breyer is a Georgia-licensed estate planning attorney focused exclusively on trust-based planning for individuals and families. She personally meets with every client and designs every plan from scratch. No templates. No associates handling your case. Every plan is built for your specific family, your specific assets, and your specific wishes.
118+ Five-Star Google Reviews
What Our Clients Say
The whole process of creating a family trust felt simple, clear, and stress-free. We really appreciated how patient, helpful, and easy to communicate with the team was throughout everything. Shawn and Melissa gave us great guidance and helped us feel confident every step of the way. We're grateful for their support and would definitely recommend them.
After my father passed away, my mother had to rely on my father's employer to navigate the estate. It was a disaster. After this experience, I knew I needed a plan. I turned to Atlanta Estate Planning Attorneys to set up a trust. I no longer have to worry about my wife and children going through a difficult process if something happens to me. I highly recommend Atlanta Estate Planning Attorneys!
My biggest fear was that if I died first, my wife would have no idea how to navigate the estate and legal system. I reached out to Atlanta Estate Planning Attorneys and they put my mind at ease immediately. Their process is easy to follow and they took care of everything. Atlanta Estate Planning Attorneys is the best decision I've made for my family's future.
Working with Melissa Breyer to set up our Living Trust was one of the best decisions Scott and I have made. We did this so our boys are protected from confusion and chaos if something happens to us. Melissa was knowledgeable, patient, and made what felt overwhelming completely manageable. I would absolutely recommend Melissa Breyer.
Working with Shawn and Melissa at Atlanta Estate Planning Attorneys has been an excellent experience. They asked great questions during our initial call and clearly explained what we needed. We feel confident we're in good hands and would highly recommend them.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Every step happens by phone, video, or mail, from your first call to your final signing. Georgia law does not require an in-person meeting to create a valid will, trust, or power of attorney. It does require the correct witness and notary steps, and we walk you through those by video.
A will only takes effect after you die, and it still has to go through probate court. A properly funded trust can let your family skip probate court for the assets it holds. A trust can also help manage things if you become incapacitated while you are alive. Most families we work with use a trust as the main plan and a will as a backup.
Our revocable living trust packages start at $3,500. Irrevocable trusts and Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts start at $6,500. Every price is fixed and shown to you before you book a call. There is no surprise invoice later. See a full breakdown on our pricing page.
We serve clients in every Georgia county, not just metro Atlanta. Our whole process is remote, so your location does not limit who you can hire. We regularly prepare documents filed in probate courts across the state, from North Georgia to the coast.
Georgia law decides who inherits your property under O.C.G.A. § 53-2-1. Your spouse does not automatically get everything. If you have children, your spouse gets at least one-third of the estate. The rest is split among your children by law. This happens no matter what you actually wanted.
A typical Georgia probate case takes 9 to 18 months to close. It can cost around $15,000 in fees. During that time, your family often cannot sell the home or pay bills from the estate without asking the court first.
Yes. A trust and a will can both be updated whenever your situation changes. This includes a marriage, a new child, a move to a different county, or a change in what you own. We suggest reviewing your plan every few years, or after any major life event.
A guardianship or conservatorship is a court case. It happens when someone cannot make decisions and never signed a power of attorney. We do not handle court guardianship cases. We build your power of attorney and healthcare directive now, so your family can skip that court process later. If you already need a guardianship or conservatorship, we can point you toward an attorney who handles those cases.
Find Out Where You Stand
Whatever brought you here today, the real question underneath it is simple: is your family protected if something happens to you? Without a plan, the people you love could face months in probate court, a fight over what you meant, or bills nobody has the authority to pay.
A clear plan closes every one of those gaps in writing, while you are still here to make the decisions. In one free 15-minute call, you will find out exactly what you have, what is missing, and what it takes to fix it.
- No pressure. This is a conversation, not a sales pitch.
- No jargon. We explain everything in plain language.
- A clear next step. You will know exactly what to do when the call ends.
Where We Serve
Georgia Communities We Serve
Select your city to learn more about estate planning where you live. Not listed? We serve every Georgia county even if a dedicated city page does not exist yet.