Areas  of  Practice

Estate Planning

A comprehensive estate plan includes a Will, Durable Power of Attorney or Healthcare Power of Attorney (often called Advanced directives).  Depending on the situation a trust may also be utilized.  Creating the best plan for you can be a complicated undertaking.  Therefore,  it is important to use an attorney with experience.  I have specialized in estate work for over 30 years.  The first thing I do as part of the estate planning process is to meet with you to learn about your unique situation and your goals.  From there, I create documents that will help you achieve those goals and ensure your wishes will be fulfilled by those entrusted by you.

​Probate

Although Georgia Law makes probate a relatively simple process, there are a lot of rules that must be followed.  The process can seem foreign and overwhelming.  Additionally,  individuals are often faced with probate issues when they are just not emotionally able to deal with the process.  My goal is to help get the probate process started, advise the client on how to proceed and then stay as involved as each individual client needs.  Each situation is different and I offer an approach to probate that gives each client a comfort level while also giving them control over the amount of attorney fees they incur.

Estate Administration

I assist clients who have been entrusted with the job of administering an estate.  Having worked for the County Administrators in Dekalb County and now serving as a County Administrator in Fayette County for a combined 30+ years, I have a unique expertise and insight into the entire process from start to finish.  My goal is to make the process as stress free for my client while ensuring that all laws are complied with completely.  I either represent the fiduciary or can serve as the fiduciary and in both roles work hard to ensure that the wishes of the decedent are carried out as completely as possible.

Guardianship and Conservatorship

Guardianship and Conservatorship involve gaining complete control over another person’s care and finances.  They often go hand in hand and most people do not have common knowledge of the process.  The proceedings can seem overly complicated and the clients are often dealing with a very stressful situation.  That is all the more reason that an experienced attorney, who specializes in this unique area of law is important.  I have specialized in Guardianship and Conservatorship law for the entire 30+ years of my law practice.  I currently serve as a Fayette County Conservator and also serve as a VA Fiduciary.  This experience and these roles give me a unique ability to offer the best representation when it is determined that there is no alternative but to proceed with obtaining a court appointed Guardian or Conservator.