I'm Steve Worrall from Georgia Estate Plan. We're an estate planning and probate law firm serving Marietta and Woodstock, Georgia, and the surrounding areas. I often hear the question about whether and how often you need to review your estate planning documents, so that's what I'm going to discus...

Meat Loaf, whose real name was Michael Lee Aday, passed away earlier this year at the age of seventy-four. The singer behind 1977's Bat Out of Hell—one of the best-selling albums of all time—experienced ups and downs befitting his larger-than-life persona. He hit bottom with his 1983 bankruptcy...

We all plan for “just-in-case” scenarios. When packing for our week-long vacation, we throw in a rain jacket even though the weather forecast is sunny—just in case. When planning for the future, it is also important to consider what will happen just in case one of your loved ones becomes disabl...

Estate planning lawyers in Marietta sometimes feel like they're fighting an uphill battle.  We have seen first-hand just how important a good estate plan is, and we certainly want others to understand why it's imperative.  Unfortunately, there are a lot of myths that estate planning lawyers enc...

What is a QTIP trust? A qualified terminable interest property (QTIP) trust is an estate planning tool that married couples can use to minimize uncertainty about the future and maximize certain tax advantages. Since no one can predict how much they will own at the time of their death, which ...

With couples of similar ages, planning for the future is naturally a joint effort. However, if you are married to someone who is significantly older or younger than you, the future can look different and mean different things to each of you. To protect yourself, your spouse, and other loved o...

A nonfungible token (NFT) is a unique digital code that represents a digital item such as art or music, as well as a growing number of physical items, that runs on the blockchain (a secure, decentralized, and cryptography-backed online ledger) and provides proof of ownership of virtual collecti...

Why do we practice estate planning? Because of planning mistakes we have seen too many people (including members of our family) commonly make, that result in their plans not working the way they had intended. Take a listen as Steve Worrall explains why. 

February 21 is the day on which we celebrate several US presidents who made noteworthy contributions to our country. As with any discussion that involves politics, a discussion about US presidents risks generating a variety of opinions about which reasonable minds can disagree. However, polit...

Confused about the differences between a will and a trust?  If so, you are not alone. While it is always wise to contact experts like us, it is also important to understand the basics. Here is a quick and simple reference guide: What a Revocable Living Trust Can Do – That a Will Cannot Avo...

When using trusts in estate planning, a key element includes transferring the trustmaker's real estate into the trust by recording a deed with the local recording authority. This step is crucial for ensuring that the trustee has the authority to manage and ultimately sell or transfer the prop...

For grandparents who want to leave a legacy to their grandchildren, the gift of a 529 college savings plan is an option. Not only can opening a 529 plan account help a grandchild with educational expenses, it can also help grandparents with their estate planning goals. In the past, grandpare...

Estate planning in Marietta is about more than preparing for the inevitable. A good estate plan should also consider the unexpected. Your plan may have detailed instructions for what happens when you are no longer around, but what if something goes wrong while you are alive? If you can no lo...

Marietta GA Estate Planning Lawyer suggests the Ultimate Gift of Love for your family: an up-to-date estate plan! With budgets tight and uncertainty in the air, this Valentine's Day is the perfect time to give your loved one a priceless gift that never grows old — financial security. Sure, yo...

A Priceless Valentine's Gift In Times of Uncertainty Marietta GA Estate Planning Lawyer suggests the Ultimate Gift of Love for your family : an up-to-date estate plan! With budgets tight and uncertainty in the air, this Valentine's Day is the perfect time to give your loved one ...

As our probate lawyers commonly say, “If you don't create your own will while you're alive, the state will give you one when you're gone.” What that means is that if a person dies without a will (called “intestate”) their estate will be administered according to state law. Likewise, the heirs w...

Estate planning has five major purposes, one or more of which will surely apply to you. With a good estate plan you can: 1. Designate how your assets are to be distributed among beneficiaries after you die. 2. Avoid or minimize the delays and expense of probate. 3. Appoint a guardian for your minor children and a person to manage the children’s assets. 4. Provide for the possibility that you will become incapacitated and unable to manage your finances or make medical and other decisions for yourself. 5. Eliminate or minimize estate taxes.

Avoiding Probate. Probate, the court-supervised process of distributing your estate, can be time-consuming and expensive. You can minimize the assets that need to pass through probate or eliminate probate altogether by using certain devices such as: Revocable living trusts. Joint tenancie...

A revocable living trust is a trust that you create to hold your property while you are alive and to distribute it among your beneficiaries on your death. The three main reasons for using a living trust (rather than a will) as the central feature of your estate plan are to (1) avoid probate, ...

WHAT IS PROBATE? Probate is the legal process for settling an estate after someone has died. It is also known as estate administration.The main purpose of probate is to provide inheritors of a deceased person's property with clear title to the property. During probate, the decedent's personal...

Q: WHO CAN MAKE A WILL? A. Any individual can make a will so long as he or she is of legal age (in most states 18 years of age; in Georgia you can make a will at the age of 14)) and is mentally competent. In other words, a person needs to know and understand that he or she is executing a will and...

  It's been nine years since my father passed. I wanted to repost this, my eulogy to him, on this anniversary date. My Dad was a hero. Now, not just your ordinary, average, everyday hero, mind you. Oh, he was that, to be sure. But he was so much more. As I was growing up, there was the hero...

Most people think of estate planning as the process to deal with your “stuff” when you are gone. Estate planning attorneys certainly help their clients create legal documents such as wills and trusts to ensure their clients' wishes are honored and that assets are transferred to loved ones in a ...

Social media is about putting yourself out there to connect with people, sometimes all over the world. If you are a social media influencer, not only are you being social, you are also gaining a following that may be bringing in cash. If you are using social media to earn income, here are fiv...

As a Marietta estate attorney, I believe that a medical Power of Attorney, or Healthcare Directive, should be included in every estate plan. A properly created Healthcare Directive allows someone to make important medical decisions for you in the event you are incapacitated or unable to speak f...