Atlanta Estate Planning
Estate Planning Attorney in Atlanta, Georgia
You've worked hard for your Atlanta home and stock compensation. You don't want your family stuck in court, guessing what you wanted, while they grieve.
Find Out Where You Stand
What Atlanta Families Are Really Worried About
You did not wake up planning to research estate planning today. Something happened. Maybe a coworker got sick without warning. Maybe a business partner asked what happens to the company if one of you dies. That question does not have a good answer yet, and it is bothering you. A real plan gives you one. Book a free call today.
Why a Simple Will Is Not Enough in Atlanta
Many Atlanta families in Buckhead and Midtown earn $100,000 or more a year. The median home price in Buckhead alone is now $765,000. A lot of that wealth is not just a paycheck. It sits in restricted stock, stock options, or an executive bonus plan. A one-page will was never built to sort out stock grants and vested shares.
A will alone does not stop that home, or those shares, from going through Fulton County Probate Court. Getting a judge to name who can act on a vested stock grant can take even longer than a normal case. The plan administrator usually will not move without a court order naming an executor. Nine to eighteen months is the normal wait. Legal fees alone can run near $15,000 before anything gets resolved.
A properly funded revocable living trust already names a successor trustee. That skips the whole process for whatever it holds. There is no executor to appoint. No judge to convince. No plan administrator waiting on paperwork that does not exist yet. Your family, or your business partner, gets a direct answer instead of a court date.
Say you got promoted two years ago. Your RSU grant changed with it. Did you update who receives those shares if something happens to you? Most people do not, because nobody reminds them to. We check that form against your current grant as part of your plan. If you have a child or family member with a disability, we can also add a special needs provision, so an inheritance never puts their government benefits at risk.
Atlanta also has a lot of business partnerships and blended families. Sometimes they reach past your own household. Say your stepdaughter and your business partner both expect the same block of shares. A trust settles that before it becomes a fight, because you already wrote down who gets what. A business succession plan keeps the business itself running while that gets sorted out. Our Georgia estate planning overview walks through how this works across the state.
What This Looks Like for Your Family
Without a Plan
Picture this: something happens to you. Your family gathers at your Buckhead or Midtown home. Nobody can find a will. Nobody can prove your stock compensation ever moved into a trust.
Your home sits in Fulton County Probate Court for months while the case gets sorted out. Your company’s stock plan administrator will not release a single vested share. It needs a court order naming who is legally in charge first. Your business partner and your children end up on opposite sides of a fight neither one wanted. A judge who never met you decides how it ends.
With a Plan
Now picture the other path. Your revocable living trust already lists who gets the home. It already says how your stock compensation gets split.
Your stock plan administrator only needs to see the trust papers. Not a court order. Your successor trustee can act right away. There is no Fulton County filing, no waiting on a judge’s calendar, and no standoff between the people you love. They spend that time settling into the home and the accounts you left them, not arguing over who was supposed to get what.
The Complete Family Trust Package
What's in Your Atlanta Estate Plan
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Revocable Living Trust
Holds your assets, avoids Georgia probate, and controls exactly who receives what and when. A pour-over will acts as a safety net for anything not yet titled to the trust.
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Durable Financial Power of Attorney
Lets someone you trust handle your money and property if you get sick or hurt. A regular power of attorney can stop working the moment that happens. A durable power of attorney does not. It keeps working, so you will not need a court to name someone for you.
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Advance Healthcare Directive
Writes down your medical wishes. Names someone to speak for you if you cannot. Covers end-of-life care and other treatment choices.
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HIPAA Authorization
Lets the people you choose see your medical records. This helps them make good decisions for you.
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Trust Funding Guidance
Step-by-step support to transfer your home, investment accounts, and other assets into the trust. An unfunded trust does not avoid probate. We make sure yours works.
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One-Year Follow-Up
A check-in session at 12 months to update your plan if your family, assets, or wishes have changed. Estate planning is not a one-time event.
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
Downtown Atlanta traffic and parking are the last thing a grieving family wants to deal with. The good news: you usually will not have to. Your attorney files with Fulton County for you. A funded trust can skip the courthouse step. The plan administrator can act on trust papers instead of waiting for a court order.
It is a fair worry. Stock compensation rarely feels like something a will can touch. Those shares usually pass to whoever you named on your plan’s beneficiary form, not through your will or trust. We check that form as part of your plan, so there is no gap between what you meant and what your paperwork actually says.
Nobody wants a surprise bill after months of legal work. Our revocable living trust package is a fixed fee of $3,500. You know the full cost before we start. There is no hourly billing and no invoice you did not expect.
A lot of Atlanta families are caring for a parent who wants to stay in their own home as long as possible. A Medicaid Asset Protection Trust can shield that home, and other savings, from the cost of long-term care. It only works if you set it up years in advance, before care is actually needed. We build it into the same plan that covers your Buckhead or Midtown home and your stock compensation. Nothing falls through the cracks.
Yes. Say a family member can no longer make their own decisions, and there is no power of attorney on file. Fulton County Probate Court then has to name someone to decide for them. We help Atlanta families skip that court step by having the right papers ready ahead of time. We also help families through that same court process when no plan is already in place.
Where We Serve
Other Fulton County Families We Help
We serve families across Fulton County. Select a city to learn more about estate planning where you live.
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.