As local kids prepare to head back to school, parents will soon be inundated with paperwork, including the task of filling out routine school emergency cards that request the full names and contact information of other adults who can be reached if the parent is unavailable. Yet this year, ou...

You finally bought that vacation home you've always wanted. How can you add it to your estate plan? When it comes to planning your estate, a vacation home is very different from your primary home. Here are some things you should consider. Who Is on the Title? When you purchase the property, y...

Throughout their lives, parents go to great lengths to ensure that their children are protected. The desire to keep one's children safe and well-positioned in life is so strong that it often leads to worries about how children will stay protected when their parents are no longer alive. Taking ...

Losing someone you love is one of the most emotionally challenging experiences a person can have. Even if the person was older, such as an elderly parent or grandparent, the event can still come as a shock. Even so, there are always necessary steps to take to ensure that your loved one's fin...

The typical definition of financial freedom means no debt, six months of savings in the bank, a paid-off house, and saving toward retirement so you can stop working. The pop culture “teachers” of personal finance tell us that this is when you'll experience financial freedom ….and so we spend ...

Losing a loved one is an emotional and life-changing experience. You might be tasked with the responsibility of settling the estate while also grieving your loss. It can be a challenging time in anyone's life. However, it becomes complicated when you must go through probate for out-of-state p...

Going through a divorce can be painful, overwhelming, and stressful. It's the end of one chapter and the start of another in your life. Although it might be the right decision, you're forced to confront various issues. For example, you and your ex must agree to the terms of the divorce, such ...

We are seeing a growing number of online websites offering Do-It-Yourself legal documents and estate-planning software. Surprisingly, most attorneys will tell you that there are some everyday forms where this approach makes good sense. In fact, many law firms offer a selection of standard le...

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.