Atlanta Estate Planning Blog

If you're searching for information, you may not even be sure what to ask yet. Probate terms like "common form" or "solemn form," documents like a Georgia advance directive, and procedures for claiming tax sale excess funds can feel technical and overwhelming at first. This Atlanta estate planning blog is built to answer those questions in practical language, with Georgia-specific context rather than generic summaries. Each article is written from the day-to-day perspective of Perigon Legal Services, LLC, reflecting the realities of Georgia courts, county filing practices, and real estate closing procedures.

Life Estate Deeds in Georgia: How They Work and When to Use One

Life Estate Deeds in Georgia: How They Work and When to Use OneFor Georgia homeowners who want to ensure their property passes to the right person after they die — without going through probate — a...

Qualified Income Trust in Georgia: How It Works and Who Needs One

Qualified Income Trust in Georgia: How It Works and Who Needs OneFor many older Georgians, the cost of nursing home care — averaging more than $7,000 per month for a semi-private room — is...

Probate Records in Georgia: What They Are and How to Access Them

Probate Records in Georgia: What They Are and How to Access ThemWhen a person dies and their estate goes through the Georgia probate court system, a paper trail is created — one that becomes part...

Probate Bonds in Georgia: What They Are and When They're Required

Probate Bonds in Georgia: What They Are and When They're RequiredWhen someone is appointed to administer a deceased person's estate in Georgia, they take on a significant fiduciary responsibility —...

Power of Attorney for Mortgage Transactions in Georgia

Power of Attorney for Mortgage Transactions in GeorgiaMost real estate closings in Georgia proceed straightforwardly — the buyer and seller appear, documents are signed, and funds are transferred....

Planning for Incapacity: Why a Durable Power of Attorney Matters

Planning for Incapacity: Why a Durable Power of Attorney MattersMost people understand that a will governs what happens to their assets after they die. Far fewer people plan for what happens if...

Pet Trusts: How to Provide for Your Animals After You're Gone

Pet Trusts: How to Provide for Your Animals After You're GoneFor pet owners, one of the more uncomfortable realities of estate planning is that animals cannot be beneficiaries under a will or trust...

Navigating Distressed Commercial Real Estate

Navigating Distressed Commercial Real EstateDistressed commercial real estate occupies a distinct corner of the property market — one where financial pressure, operational difficulties, or legal...

Medicaid Asset Protection Trust in Georgia: How It Works and Why Timing Matters

Medicaid Asset Protection Trust in Georgia: How It Works and Why Timing MattersThe cost of nursing home care in Georgia runs well over $7,000 per month for a semi-private room — a figure that can...

Living Trust vs. Will in Georgia: How to Choose the Right Tool

Living Trust vs. Will in Georgia: How to Choose the Right ToolMost people approach estate planning knowing they need some kind of document — but aren't always sure whether a will, a living trust,...

Living Trust in Georgia: How It Works and How to Create One

Living Trust in Georgia: How It Works and How to Create OneA living trust is one of the most widely used tools in Georgia estate planning — and for good reason. When set up and funded correctly, it...

Real Estate Attorneys as Real Estate Brokers

Real Estate Attorneys as Real Estate BrokersReal estate attorneys and real estate brokers occupy distinct professional roles in Georgia property transactions. Attorneys handle the legal dimensions...

Last Will and Testament in Georgia

Last Will and Testament in GeorgiaA last will and testament is one of the most fundamental documents in any estate plan. It is your written statement — legally binding after your death — of how you...

How to Transfer Property Into a Living Trust in Georgia

How to Transfer Property Into a Living Trust in GeorgiaCreating a living trust is only half the work. A trust document that is never funded — meaning assets are never formally transferred into it —...

How to Start a Family Foundation in Georgia

How to Start a Family Foundation in GeorgiaFor families with significant philanthropic goals, a private family foundation offers one of the most direct and lasting ways to pursue charitable work —...

How to Probate a Will in Georgia: A Step-by-Step Overview

How to Probate a Will in Georgia: A Step-by-Step OverviewWhen someone passes away leaving a will, the document doesn't simply take effect on its own. It must go through a court-supervised process...

How to Leave Your Home to Your Kids in Georgia

How to Leave Your Home to Your Kids in GeorgiaFor most families, the home is the single most valuable asset in the estate — and the one with the most emotional significance. Deciding how to pass it...

How to File for Conservatorship in Georgia

How to File for Conservatorship in GeorgiaWhen a loved one loses the ability to manage their financial affairs — whether from a serious illness, progressive cognitive decline, a sudden accident, or...

How to Convert a Sole Proprietorship to an LLC in Georgia

How to Convert a Sole Proprietorship to an LLC in GeorgiaMany Georgia businesses start as sole proprietorships — the simplest and most immediate way to begin operating. But as a business grows,...

How Probate Courts Handle Missing Beneficiaries

How Probate Courts Handle Missing BeneficiariesWhen someone passes away and probate opens, one of the executor's first responsibilities is identifying and contacting every person named in the will....

How Much Does a Living Trust Cost in Georgia?

How Much Does a Living Trust Cost in Georgia?A living trust is one of the most effective estate planning tools available to Georgia residents — but before committing to one, most people want to...

How Long Do You Have to Contest a Will in Georgia?

How Long Do You Have to Contest a Will in Georgia?When a loved one passes away and the will doesn't reflect what you expected — or raises serious questions about how it was created — the natural...

Transfer on Death Deed in Georgia: How It Works and When to Use One

Transfer on Death Deed in Georgia: How It Works and When to Use OneAvoiding probate for real estate in Georgia has traditionally required either a living trust or joint ownership with right of...

Who Chooses the Closing Attorney in Georgia?

Who Chooses the Closing Attorney in Georgia?If you're buying or selling property in Georgia, one of the first things you'll encounter is a requirement that sets this state apart from much of the...

When Can Someone Be Declared Legally Incompetent in Georgia?

When Can Someone Be Declared Legally Incompetent in Georgia?Watching a parent, spouse, or close family member lose the ability to manage their own affairs is one of the most difficult situations a...

What is the Due Diligence Period in Georgia?

What Is the Due Diligence Period in Georgia?When a buyer and seller execute a real estate purchase contract in Georgia, the clock starts on one of the most consequential windows in the entire...

What Is a Simple Estate Plan and Do You Need One?

What Is a Simple Estate Plan and Do You Need One?Estate planning has a reputation for being complicated, expensive, and reserved for people with significant wealth. None of that is accurate. A...

What Is a Codicil to a Will?

What Is a Codicil to a Will?After a will is signed and witnessed, it doesn't have to remain frozen in time. Life changes — an executor moves away, a beneficiary passes, a new grandchild arrives, or...

What Elements Do You Need for a Will to Be Valid in Georgia?

What Elements Do You Need for a Will to Be Valid in Georgia?Writing down your wishes for how your property should be distributed isn't enough to create a legally binding will in Georgia. A document...

What Does a Georgia Real Estate Attorney Do?

What Does a Georgia Real Estate Attorney Do?Real estate transactions in Georgia involve more than finding the right property and agreeing on a price. They involve legal documents that bind the...

Using Annuities in Estate Planning

Using Annuities in Estate PlanningAnnuities occupy an unusual place in estate planning — they're primarily thought of as retirement income tools, but they also carry features that make them...

Types of Trusts in Georgia: A Comprehensive Guide

Types of Trusts in Georgia: A Comprehensive GuideTrusts are among the most flexible tools in estate planning. Where a will takes effect only at death and operates through the public probate process...

Trust Administration in Georgia: A Guide for Successor Trustees

Trust Administration in Georgia: A Guide for Successor TrusteesBeing named a successor trustee is a mark of trust from someone who valued your judgment and reliability. It is also a legal...

Administrator of Estate in Georgia: Who They Are and What They Do

Administrator of Estate in Georgia: Who They Are and What They DoWhen a Georgia resident passes away without a valid will, their estate cannot manage itself. Someone must step in — and do so with...

The Probate Administrator's Role: A Guide for Georgia Families

The Probate Administrator's Role: A Guide for Georgia FamiliesWhen someone passes away without a valid will, their estate doesn't manage itself. Someone must step in, gather the assets, pay the...

The GSCCCA: Georgia's Statewide Real Estate Records System Explained

The GSCCCA: Georgia's Statewide Real Estate Records System ExplainedWhen a deed is recorded in Georgia, when a lien is filed against a property, or when a plat is submitted for a new subdivision,...

Testamentary Trust vs. Living Trust

Testamentary Trust vs. Living TrustTrusts come in many forms, but two of the most commonly compared are the testamentary trust and the living trust. Both can accomplish meaningful estate planning...

Tenancy in Common in Georgia: What Co-Owners Need to Know

Tenancy in Common in Georgia: What Co-Owners Need to KnowWhen two or more people own property together in Georgia, the way that ownership is structured matters — both while everyone is alive and...

Special Needs Trust in Georgia: How It Works and Who Needs One

Special Needs Trust in Georgia: How It Works and Who Needs OneFor families with a loved one who has a disability, one of the most consequential estate planning questions is also one of the most...

Setting Up an Asset Protection Trust in Georgia

Setting Up an Asset Protection Trust in GeorgiaProtecting assets from creditors, lawsuits, and judgments requires more than good intentions — it requires legal structures that are properly...

Revocable vs. Irrevocable Trusts in Georgia

Revocable vs. Irrevocable Trusts in GeorgiaTrusts are among the most versatile instruments in estate planning — capable of avoiding probate, protecting assets from creditors, reducing estate taxes,...

Real Estate Partition in Georgia: When Co-Owners Can't Agree

Real Estate Partition in Georgia: When Co-Owners Can't AgreeJointly owning real estate works well when co-owners agree. It works poorly when they don't. Whether the disagreement is between siblings...

Real Estate Broker vs. Real Estate Attorney: Understanding the Difference

Real Estate Broker vs. Real Estate Attorney: Understanding the DifferenceWhen buying or selling property in Georgia, two types of professionals are frequently involved: real estate brokers and real...

Cobb County Probate Court: A Guide for Families and Executors

Cobb County Probate Court: A Guide for Families and ExecutorsWhen a Cobb County resident passes away, or when a family member can no longer manage their own affairs, the Cobb County Probate Court...

Estate Planning for Entrepreneurs in Georgia

Estate Planning for Entrepreneurs in GeorgiaFor most people, estate planning means deciding who inherits their house and retirement accounts. For entrepreneurs and business owners, it means all of...

Emergency Conservatorship in Georgia: When and How It Works

Emergency Conservatorship in Georgia: When and How It WorksMost legal processes move slowly by design — hearings are scheduled, notices are served, and decisions are made after deliberation. But...

Easement Disputes in Georgia: What Property Owners Need to Know

Easement Disputes in Georgia: What Property Owners Need to KnowAn easement is a legal right that allows one party to use a portion of another person's property for a specific, defined purpose....

Does Georgia Have an Estate Tax?

Does Georgia Have an Estate Tax?One of the most common questions Georgia residents ask when thinking about estate planning is whether their estate will owe state taxes at death. The answer is...

Does Georgia Have a Gift Tax?

Does Georgia Have a Gift Tax?For Georgia residents thinking about transferring wealth to family members or others during their lifetime, one of the first questions is whether those gifts will...

Dissolving a Trust: How Trust Termination Works in Georgia

Dissolving a Trust: How Trust Termination Works in GeorgiaTrusts are designed to last — but they don't always last forever. Whether a trust has fulfilled its purpose, become impractical to...

Contingent Beneficiaries: What They Are and Why They Matter

Contingent Beneficiaries: What They Are and Why They MatterMost people know they need to name a beneficiary when they set up a life insurance policy, open a retirement account, or create an estate...

Commercial Real Estate Financing and Loan Structuring

Commercial Real Estate Financing and Loan StructuringAcquiring, developing, or refinancing commercial real estate requires navigating a financing landscape that is considerably more complex than...

Codicil vs. New Will: How to Decide Which One You Need

Codicil vs. New Will: How to Decide Which One You NeedLife rarely stands still, and neither do the circumstances that shape an estate plan. When something in your life changes — a new grandchild, a...

Code Enforcement Actions: What Georgia Property Owners Need to Know

Code Enforcement Actions: What Georgia Property Owners Need to KnowOwning property in Georgia comes with ongoing obligations that extend well beyond paying taxes and keeping up with maintenance....

Gun Trusts in Georgia: What They Are and Why They Matter

Gun Trusts in Georgia: What They Are and Why They MatterMost firearms can be bought, sold, and transferred with relatively straightforward legal requirements. A particular category of weapons —...

Closing Costs in Georgia: What Buyers and Sellers Pay

Closing Costs in Georgia: What Buyers and Sellers PayWhen a real estate transaction closes in Georgia, both the buyer and seller walk away having paid a range of fees, taxes, and service charges...

Cherokee County Probate Court: What Families and Executors Need to Know

Cherokee County Probate Court: What Families and Executors Need to KnowWhen a Cherokee County resident passes away, or when a family member needs legal protection due to incapacity, the Cherokee...

Charitable Remainder Trusts: Pros, Cons, and How They Work

Charitable Remainder Trusts: Pros, Cons, and How They WorkFor individuals who have built significant wealth — particularly in the form of highly appreciated assets like real estate, concentrated...

Certificate of Trust in Georgia: What It Is and When You Need One

Certificate of Trust in Georgia: What It Is and When You Need OneOne of the core advantages of a living trust is privacy. Unlike a probated will, which becomes a public document, a trust's terms —...

Can a Trust Protect Your Home From Medicaid?

Can a Trust Protect Your Home From Medicaid?For many Georgia families, the home is the most valuable asset they own. It carries financial weight and, often, deep personal significance. So when long...

Can Someone Have More Than One Trust?

Can Someone Have More Than One Trust?Estate planning often gets treated as a single-document exercise — create a will, maybe add a trust, and call it done. But for many people, a single trust doesn...

Can My Attorney Be the Executor of My Will?

Can My Attorney Be the Executor of My Will?Choosing an executor is one of the most consequential decisions in the estate planning process. The person you appoint will be responsible for carrying...

Advance Healthcare Directive vs. Medical Power of Attorney in Georgia

Advance Healthcare Directive vs. Medical Power of Attorney in GeorgiaPlanning for the possibility that you may one day be unable to communicate your own medical wishes is one of the most important...

A Guide to Commercial Real Estate Transactions

A Guide to Commercial Real Estate TransactionsBuying, selling, or leasing commercial real estate involves a level of complexity that most residential transactions simply don't reach. The sums of...

Fiduciary Duty in Real Estate

Fiduciary Duty in Real Estate: What It Means and Why It MattersWhen you hire a real estate professional to help you buy or sell property, you're placing a significant degree of trust in that person...

Finding the Best Land Surveyors in Atlanta, GA

Finding the Best Land Surveyors in Atlanta, GAWhether you're buying property, resolving a boundary dispute, or planning a construction project, a land survey gives you the legal and factual...

Handling Insolvent Estates in Georgia Probate

Handling Insolvent Estates in Georgia ProbateNot every estate leaves something for the heirs. When a person dies owing more than they own — when total debts exceed total assets — the estate is...

Guardianship in Georgia: How It Works and When It's Needed

Guardianship in Georgia: How It Works and When It's NeededWhen a person — whether a minor child or an adult — loses the capacity to make decisions for themselves and no private planning is in place...

Georgia Property Taxes Explained

Georgia Property Taxes ExplainedProperty taxes are the primary funding mechanism for local government services in Georgia — schools, roads, public safety, and county administration all depend on...

Generation-Skipping Trusts in Georgia: Preserving Wealth Across Generations

Generation-Skipping Trusts in Georgia: Preserving Wealth Across GenerationsEvery time property passes from one generation to the next through a taxable estate, the federal estate tax takes a share...

Georgia Advance Directive for Health Care: What It Is and Why You Need One

Georgia Advance Directive for Health Care: What It Is and Why You Need OneA medical emergency, a stroke, a progressive illness, a serious accident — any of these can leave a person unable to...

Georgia Property Laws: What Property Owners Need to Know

Georgia Property Laws: What Property Owners Need to KnowGeorgia's property law framework governs how real estate is owned, transferred, used, and protected across the state. Whether you're buying a...

Georgia Probate Time Limits: Deadlines Every Family Should Know

Georgia Probate Time Limits: Deadlines Every Family Should KnowWhen a loved one passes away, the probate process often begins within weeks — but the timeline from start to finish can stretch...

Georgia Land Survey: What Property Owners Need to Know

Georgia Land Survey: What Property Owners Need to KnowA land survey is one of the most practically important documents a property owner can obtain — and one of the most commonly overlooked. It...

Georgia Intestacy Laws: What Happens to Your Estate Without a Will

Georgia Intestacy Laws: What Happens to Your Estate Without a WillEvery Georgian who dies without a valid will leaves their estate to be distributed by the state — not by their own wishes, but by a...

Georgia Homestead Exemption and Estate Planning

Georgia Homestead Exemption and Estate PlanningFor many Georgia homeowners, the family home represents both their most valuable asset and their most significant property tax obligation. Georgia's...

Georgia Inheritance Tax

Georgia Inheritance Tax: What Residents Actually OweFew questions come up more often during estate planning conversations than this one: will my heirs have to pay inheritance tax in Georgia? The...

Title Search in Georgia: What It Is and Why It Matters

Title Search in Georgia: What It Is and Why It MattersBuying real estate in Georgia involves much more than agreeing on a price and signing a contract. Before any transaction closes — before funds...

Transfer on Death Designations in Georgia: What They Are and How They Work

Transfer on Death Designations in Georgia: What They Are and How They WorkOne of the quieter revolutions in estate planning over the past few decades is the expansion of transfer on death...

Medical Power of Attorney in Georgia: What It Is and How It Works

Medical Power of Attorney in Georgia: What It Is and How It WorksMost people focus their estate planning attention on what happens to their property after they die. Far fewer give comparable...

Commercial Real Estate Tax Strategies: How Investors Reduce Their Tax Burden

Commercial Real Estate Tax Strategies: How Investors Reduce Their Tax BurdenCommercial real estate creates real tax liability — from ordinary income on rent receipts to capital gains on property...

Georgia Small Estate Affidavit

Georgia Small Estate Affidavit: A Simpler Path Through ProbateWhen someone passes away in Georgia, their assets generally need to go through the probate process before they can be transferred to...

Does Tenancy in Common Go Through Probate in Georgia?

Does Tenancy in Common Go Through Probate in Georgia?When co-owners hold property as tenants in common in Georgia, there is a question that eventually becomes unavoidable: what happens to a co...

Irrevocable Trust in Georgia: Benefits, Types, and How It Works

Irrevocable Trust in Georgia: Benefits, Types, and How It WorksFor most people, a revocable living trust provides exactly what they need from an estate plan — probate avoidance, privacy, and a...

Everything You Need to Know About Georgia Probate Forms

Everything You Need to Know About Georgia Probate FormsThe Georgia probate process is administered through standardized court forms — documents that initiate proceedings, establish authority,...

Who Does the Closing Attorney Represent in Georgia?

Who Does the Closing Attorney Represent in Georgia?Georgia is one of a number of states that require a licensed attorney to supervise every real estate closing. This attorney-closing requirement is...

Deed of Assent in Georgia

Deed of Assent in Georgia: How Property Transfers After DeathWhen someone passes away and leaves real estate to a beneficiary through their will, the transfer of that property is not automatic....

Asset Protection Planning in Atlanta and Georgia

Asset Protection Planning in Atlanta and GeorgiaAtlanta's economy — built around healthcare, law, real estate, finance, technology, and professional services — creates a population with meaningful...

How Settling an Estate in Georgia Works

How Settling an Estate in Georgia WorksWhen a person passes away, the task of managing and distributing their assets falls to those left behind. In Georgia, that process follows a defined legal...

Georgia Executor Fees: What Personal Representatives Are Owed

Georgia Executor Fees: What Personal Representatives Are OwedServing as the executor of an estate — called a personal representative in Georgia — is a demanding role. It involves court filings,...

Georgia Estate Law: An Overview

Georgia Estate Law: An OverviewThe term "estate law" encompasses a broad range of legal rules that govern what happens to a person's property during their lifetime — through planning and asset...

Forsyth County Probate Court: What Families and Executors Need to Know

Forsyth County Probate Court: What Families and Executors Need to KnowWhen a Forsyth County resident passes away or when a family member needs legal protection due to incapacity, the Forsyth County...

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