Law Firm Overview
Atlanta Probate Attorney, Lisa Blackstone practices in all the metro Atlanta counties, offering probate services to families who need the gentle counsel and support of an attorney that understands this very difficult time.
Besides offering a guiding hand, she avoids legalese and speaks plain English to bring you an understanding of the probate process.
There are many things you need to consider during the probate process and it can be overwhelming, especially with a fragile and emotional mind frame. Most people find comfort in delegating this task to an attorney who can handle it for them.
If you select the right Atlanta probate attorney, the probate process will no longer be intimidating. Contrary to what you may hear, probate is no longer something you need to avoid. Georgia streamlined their probate process and have very “user friendly” probate courts.
In fact, if you feel capable, you may be able to proceed without an attorney at all! Just be sure you have a full understanding of your duties and carry them out properly. There are several articles on this site that will give you some guidance about what to be mindful of.
There is a slightly different procedure depending on whether the deceased left a valid will or not.
Remember, a will allows YOU to decide how to leave your property. Without a will, the STATE decides who gets your property, and it is not always intuitive! For example, surprisingly, in Georgia the surviving spouse does not receive all of the property from their spouse if they had children.
There is an article on this site delineating what the Georgia statute dictates regarding descent and distribution and it is worth looking at. If you do not have a will, you really need to get that done!
Assuming there is a will, you as the executor will need to go through certain steps to probate the will. For example, you will need to contact all the natural heirs of the deceased, provide them with certain paper work as well as copies of the will. This can be easy or more difficult depending on how many there are and how easy they are to reach.
If these steps become very involved (depending on the nature of the estate) you may want help. Most of us faced with the loss of a loved one, embarking on the probate process may be more than you want to take on at this time in your life. Then, let an Atlanta Probate Attorney help you get through the process, efficiently, correctly and with as little hassle as possible.
You can look for Atlanta probate attorneys through various sources. Whomever you choose, be sure it is someone with whom you feel comfortable and can trust during this time. It is not necessary to find a probate attorney in your same county because probate is conducted the same in all the metro counties. Just pick someone you like and trust them to help you.