How Much Does Estate Planning Cost for a Real Estate Investor in Georgia?
Estate planning for a Georgia real estate investor starts with one flat-fee base package. Each rental property and each LLC adds a set amount. A will-based plan costs less, but it creates a probate problem, not a solution. This page breaks down exactly what a complete investor plan includes and what drives the cost.
Estate planning for a Georgia real estate investor starts at $3,500. That is the base package, and it covers your plan and your home. Each rental property adds $550. Each LLC adds $1,250. Property in another state adds $1,100 per state.
Most competitors charge $1,500–$2,500 for a will-based plan and call it estate planning. For a real estate investor, a will alone creates a probate problem, not a solution. Every property deed and every LLC membership interest must either transfer through a trust or go through the Georgia probate court, which averages about 25 months and $29,700 for a complex estate.
This page explains what a complete investor estate plan includes, what drives the cost up, and what to ask before you hire anyone.
Why Estate Planning Costs More for Real Estate Investors
Standard estate planning handles personal assets: bank accounts, retirement funds, a primary home. Real estate investors have a different set of problems that standard plans are not designed to solve.
Your LLC membership interests do not transfer automatically when you die. Under O.C.G.A. § 14-11-503, if your membership interest is not held in a trust, your heir receives only assignee rights: the right to receive distributions but no authority to manage, sign leases, or make decisions. The LLC is effectively frozen until a Georgia probate court appoints an administrator.
Each property deed must be reviewed and retitled. A revocable trust does not automatically capture property deeded in your personal name. Each deed must be retitled into the trust separately, and out-of-state properties require a separate ancillary probate proceeding in that state if not properly titled before you die.
Your LLC operating agreement must authorize trust ownership. Most operating agreements drafted by a registered agent service or completed online do not include succession provisions. Without an update, the trust may own the membership interest on paper while the operating agreement still requires individual-member consent for any action.
What the Base Package Includes — and What It Costs
For a Georgia real estate investor, a complete estate plan at Atlanta Estate Planning starts at $3,500. That base package covers your plan and your home. Rental properties and LLCs are flat-fee add-ons, listed below.
The base package includes five personal documents:
Revocable living trust: holds LLC interests and any directly titled property, avoids probate at death and at incapacity
Pour-over will: captures anything not titled in the trust at death
Durable power of attorney: includes specific authority to manage LLC accounts, sign leases, and handle rental income during incapacity
Healthcare directive: medical decisions if you cannot speak for yourself
HIPAA authorization: allows family to communicate with your medical providers
The base package also includes two more things:
The deed for your home: moves your home from your personal name into the trust
Trust funding coordination: checks after signing that your home and accounts made it into the trust, and tells you how to fix anything that did not
Estimate Your Cost
Use the calculator below to build your estimate based on your portfolio.
What type of estate plan are you looking for?
Gives instructions on how your property is distributed after your death. Your estate — including rental properties and LLC interests — still goes through the probate courts before your family can access anything.
Keeps your estate out of probate courts entirely. Your rental properties and LLC interests transfer to your beneficiaries without court involvement. You control your assets during your lifetime.
Protects your assets from personal liabilities like lawsuits and creditors. Also avoids probate and controls distribution — but you give up direct control of the assets you transfer in.
What else do you need?
Additional LLC OA Reviews $1,250 each
Count each LLC beyond the first. Each one needs its operating agreement reviewed and amended to authorize trust ownership and include succession provisions.
0
Additional Georgia Deed Transfers $550 each
Count each Georgia property beyond the first that needs a deed transferred into the trust. Properties held inside an LLC do not need a separate deed transfer — the LLC membership interest transfer covers them.
0
Out-of-State Properties $1,100 per state
Count the number of states (not properties) where you own real estate outside Georgia. Atlanta Estate Planning handles the Georgia trust coordination — local counsel in each state handles the deed retitling there at a separate fee.
0
A will-based plan does not include trust funding or deed transfers — those require a trust. If you have rental properties or LLCs, a revocable or irrevocable trust is the right foundation.
Revocable Trust Package $3,500
Additional LLC Reviews
Additional Deed Transfers
Out-of-State Coordination
Your Estimated Total $3,500
The Georgia state recording fee is already included in these prices. Out-of-state deed retitling fees (charged by local counsel) are not included. Your exact quote is confirmed in your Design Meeting with our team.
Rental properties. Each Georgia rental property adds $550, and the county recording fee is included in that price. An investor with four rentals pays that four times, on top of the base package.
LLCs. Each LLC adds $1,250. That covers moving the LLC into your trust and updating its operating agreement. An investor with three LLCs, one per property, pays that three times. More than three LLCs is a custom quote.
Out-of-state properties. Retitling an out-of-state deed into the trust requires working with local counsel in that state. Atlanta Estate Planning handles the Georgia side. We charge $1,100 per state for our side of that work. The local attorney’s fee is separate.
What Happens Without a Plan — and What That Costs
A complex Georgia probate, the kind an estate with rentals and LLCs often faces, averages $29,700 and takes about 25 months. That figure does not include lost rental income during probate, deferred maintenance that cannot be authorized until an administrator is appointed, or the forced sale discount that typically applies when a property must be liquidated under court supervision.
An investor with three rental properties and no estate plan creates three separate probate proceedings: one for each LLC membership interest or directly titled deed. Each is independent. Each has its own timeline, its own attorney fees, and its own court costs.
The cost of a complete investor estate plan is not an expense. It is the documented cost of avoiding a problem with a documented price tag attached to it.
How to Know What You Need
1
Count your LLCs
Start with the base package ($3,500). Add $1,250 for each LLC. That covers moving it into your trust and updating its operating agreement. More than three LLCs: request a custom quote.
2
Count your deeds
Rental properties titled in your personal name each need their own deed into the trust. Each one adds $550, with the county recording fee included. A property already held in an LLC does not need a deed. The LLC itself is moved into the trust.
3
Check for out-of-state properties
Any property outside Georgia requires coordination with local counsel in that state for retitling. Atlanta Estate Planning handles the Georgia trust documents. Our fee for that coordination is $1,100 per state. The out-of-state attorney’s fee is separate.
4
Check your total estate value
If your total estate exceeds $15,000,000 per person (2026 federal exemption), irrevocable trust planning is a separate engagement with its own flat fee.
What to Ask Before You Hire Anyone
Does the quote include LLC operating agreement review? Many firms price the trust and OA review as separate engagements. You need both done together. A trust that owns an LLC membership interest in a non-updated operating agreement creates the same probate problem you were trying to avoid.
Does the quote include deed transfers? Some firms complete the trust documents and leave retitling to you. Retitling is where most investor plans break down. It is not a DIY task when LLC interests and multiple properties are involved.
Has the attorney worked with multi-property LLCs before? Ask how many investor plans they complete per year and whether they have worked specifically with Georgia LLCs holding rental properties.
What happens when you buy another property? A complete investor plan should include a clear process for adding new acquisitions, whether that means a new deed transfer service or an annual review built into the engagement.
Licensed by the State Bar of Georgia, Bar No. 897967
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.
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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.
Allen WakefieldGoogle Review
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!
NicholasGoogle Review
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.
Tristen PursleyGoogle Review
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.
Sharon PalmerGoogle Review
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions
A complete estate plan for a Georgia real estate investor at Atlanta Estate Planning starts at $3,500. That base package covers your plan and your home. Each rental property adds $550. Each LLC adds $1,250. Property in another state adds $1,100 per state for our coordination with local counsel.
Estate planning costs more for a real estate investor because there is more to move into the trust. A standard estate plan handles personal assets. A real estate investor plan must also capture LLC membership interests, retitle property deeds into the trust, and update LLC operating agreements to authorize trust ownership. Without all three steps, the LLC membership interest still goes through Georgia probate: about 25 months and $29,700 on average for a complex estate, even if you have a trust.
Yes for deed transfers. A Georgia deed transfer requires a legally executed deed, a PT-61 form filed with the GSCCCA, and recording at the county courthouse. Errors in the deed, like a legal description mismatch or improper execution, can void the transfer. Atlanta Estate Planning does this for $550 per property, with the county recording fee included.
When you die, your LLC membership interest becomes a Georgia probate asset. Your family cannot sell the property, access equity, or make management decisions without court approval. A complex probate takes about 25 months and costs $29,700 on average. An LLC without a trust above it does not avoid this problem.
Atlanta Estate Planning handles the Georgia trust documents and Georgia deed transfers. For properties outside Georgia, we coordinate with local counsel in each state. Out-of-state deed retitling fees, charged by local attorneys at each state’s market rate, are separate from the Atlanta Estate Planning engagement fee. We charge $1,100 per state for the coordination work on our end.
No. A will distributes property through probate, including a separate ancillary probate proceeding in every other state where you own real property. For a real estate investor, a will creates the exact problem a trust solves. Every property deed and LLC membership interest must transfer through a trust to avoid probate. A will cannot accomplish this.
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.
