Forsyth County Estate Planning Attorneys Providing Legal Services and Advice for Local Residents and Their Families

Forsyth County is home to a wealth of natural beauty and cultural landmarks from countless hiking trails to Civil War sites. Our law firm is proud to be able to serve Forsyth County residents who need assistance crafting or updating their estate plans, or who need to navigate the sometimes-overwhelming process of probate. With the right set of estate documents in place, you can better enjoy the little things in life—like grabbing a bite to eat at some of the best spots in Cummings, such as Tam’s Backstage, or getting some fresh air at Poole’s Mill Bridge Park—without worrying about what tomorrow may bring. Contact our Atlanta office at (404) 436-1752 for all your estate planning needs.

What Documents Should I Include in My Estate Plans?

Estate plans should be tailored to your specific needs and family relationship dynamics. This means that no set of estate plans will be the same, and it is important to set goals and dedicate enough time to the process of crafting your plans. Generally speaking, however, estate plans can be as simple as a will and a power of Estate Planning Attorney in Atlanta or as complex as having multiple trusts and several beneficiaries. It simply depends on what best fits your needs.

Your estate plans should at the very least contain a living will, a last will, a healthcare proxy, and a power of attorney. For some, it might be more advantageous to set up a living trust to hold their assets. Business owners need to also think about including succession planning as part of their estate plans. Regardless of what you choose, make sure you don’t procrastinate on creating the basic documents you need to ensure your wishes are recorded and your decisions respected regarding asset distribution, medical care preferences, and even preferences for who should care for any children who are minors.

How Often Do I Need to Update My Estate Plans?

We recommend updating or revisiting your estate plans every three to five years, or as soon as a major life event takes place. Major life events may include the birth of a grandchild, a wedding, a divorce, an accident resulting in disability, or receiving a medical diagnosis such as Parkinson’s disease (which points to current or future incapacitation and/or the need for long-term care). Keeping your estate plans current is vital for them to work the way they should. A common mistake is forgetting to update your beneficiaries, like leaving your family to find that an ex-spouse or sibling received money instead of your children or current spouse. At Oren Ross & Associates, not only can we help you with keeping your estate planning documents updated, but we can also assist you in many other related practice areas:

• Estate planning
• Living wills
• Living trusts (revocable and irrevocable trusts)
• Special needs trusts
• Probate representation
• Business succession planning
• Personal injury

Our legal team focuses on client satisfaction and obsesses on providing the care and individualized attention only a smaller law office can offer while still achieving the results often seen in bigger law firms. Whether you need help now or are planning for the future, you can count on the estate planning attorneys at Oren Ross& Associates for the legal help and advice you need.

Are Online Wills Legal in Georgia?

Online wills have become more popular in recent years through the dissemination of free and paid online tools that promise to help you draft your will in just a few minutes. While those types of wills are legal in Georgia, they may not necessarily be the best choice for you and your family. If you have complex assets, multiple beneficiaries, or suspect that one of your heirs might want to challenge your will, it is best to consult an attorney. Online wills leave a lot of room for being contested and may be deemed invalid if signed improperly. Besides, these do-it-yourself estate planning tools cannot help you craft a will that reflects your unique situation and leave you unsure of whether your will is going to do its job when you need it to.

Creating a solid will with the help of an attorney may not be as costly as you think and can help spare your family from undue stress and save your estate from paying unnecessary costs at the Forsyth probate court. Schedule a time to talk with our estate planning attorneys at our Atlanta office at 200 Galleria Pkwy #1880 or in Roswell, at 300 Colonial Center Pkwy #100. You can reach us by calling Roswell at (678) 250-4281 or Atlanta at (404) 436-1752. We look forward to speaking with you.