Only through a Will can you appoint a guardian to care for your children in the event of your death and an executor to administer your estate. You can direct exactly how your assets will be distributed.

If you made a will years ago, we can review it with you to make sure it addresses your needs and intentions of today. This is especially important if you have since married, had children, divorced, moved to a different state, or accumulated significant assets.

In setting up a new will, we enable you to

• Appoint a guardian for your minor children.
• Name an executor to administer your estate.
• Record instructions on how to distribute your assets, and to whom.
• Set up a testamentary trust to manage the inheritance of any minors until they reach an age of responsibility.

When you haven’t made a will, the State of Georgia makes decisions about your estate for you through the law of intestate inheritance. The results are likely not what you would choose for your family. See this post for more information.

Without a Will,

• Your loved ones may not know what you would want.
• Your estate is in the hands of the public court, which follows Georgia law rather than your instructions.
• The court appoints an administrator, who may or may not be the person you would choose.
• A surviving spouse may inherit only a fraction of your assets, with the remainder bequeathed to children who would gain unfettered access to them at age 18.
• The people you want to inherit your assets may be bypassed in favor of other relatives.
• Creditors and predators may get access to your assets when they shouldn’t.

Related Article:  Establishing a Will — A Gift to Your Children