Experienced Wills, Trusts, Estates & Probate Attorney in Brookhaven, GA
The future can be frightening. Good or bad, none of us knows what tomorrow may bring. But there is something we can do to take the future into our hands today and protect our loved ones for whatever waits ahead: plan.
While no one enjoys thinking about death, the reality is that each of us will pass away some day. When we do, we will leave behind our family members, pets, and cherished friends. Part of what it means to care for them is doing what it takes now to protect them from legal challenges, unexpected diagnoses (e.g. Alzheimer’s or dementia), or unintended consequences down the road.
An experienced estate planning attorney in Brookhaven can work with your family to craft a wise and protective plan for your family’s future.
Contrary to popular misconception, most people in Georgia need an estate plan — even if you aren’t especially wealthy. Even if you’re relatively young and healthy. Even if you don’t have children or grandchildren.
That’s because the estate laws in Georgia are complex, and without a proper estate plan in place, many families find themselves in a quagmire of consequences and frustrations that their dearly departed would never have wanted.
Even in more straightforward cases, surviving family members may end up with a much smaller portion of the deceased’s assets and finances than they might have received with a strong estate plan in place. Georgia’s default probate process can be costly, time-consuming, unpleasant, and uncomfortably public.
At Siedentopf Law, you can meet one on one with an estate planning attorney in Brookhaven who can help spare your family from these headaches and misfortunes in the future. We offer confidential, educational consultations to individuals and families all throughout Georgia, whether you live in Brookhaven, the greater Atlanta metro, or beyond. Consultations are available via telephone and video chat for your convenience.
Remember: estate planning is for everyone. We all own assets, and we all have people we love. It’s up to you safeguard their best interests. Siedentopf Law can help. Contact us to schedule a consultation today.
Estate Planning Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated (Or Expensive)
For most people, estate planning in Brookhaven is a stress-free and affordable process that leaves them with tremendous peace of mind.
Many of our clients find that the whole process takes less time than they had anticipated, though every situation is different and each family is unique. During your initial consultation, we can help you get a sense of the timeframe, cost, and complexity that your particular estate plan might entail.
Planning for Death, Disability, or Incapacity
An estate plan should contemplate more than the end of life. As the rates of stroke, aneurysm, Alzheimer’s, and dementia continue to grow here in Georgia and all around the world, most adults need to prepare a legally enforceable contingency plan in case they ever become incapacitated or unable to care for themselves.
Incapacity can happen suddenly and may even impact young adults, as we have seen through unexpected car accidents, serious workplace injuries, acts of violence, or severe illness with COVID-19 or other diseases.
An experienced estate planning attorney in Brookhaven can you help plan for the unexpected so that you and your family are taken care of no matter what the future may bring.
How an Estate Planning Attorney in Brookhaven Can Help
At Siedentopf Law, our goal for you is to:
- Protect your assets
- Safeguard your spouse, children, and loved ones
- Maximize your potential tax benefits
- Minimize the potential for costly surprises in your family’s future
- Create estate planning documents that will put your intentions into action
- Prevent domestic disputes that could arise within your family as a result of probate proceedings or legal challenges
- Answer all your questions
- Give you and your family confidence and peace of mind for the future
We understand that life circumstances are always changing. That’s why we craft documents designed to be enforceable when needed but also modifiable as your family, finances, and medical circumstances evolve over time. A solid estate planning strategy includes making updates from time to time.
Whatever your estate planning or probate needs may be, Siedentopf Law can help with an experienced estate planning attorney in Brookhaven — serving Buckhead, the wider Atlanta metro, and all across the state of Georgia.
Our Estate Planning and Probate Services in Brookhaven
Siedentopf Law offers a wide range of services for estate planning and probate in Brookhaven, including:
- Estate planning
- Asset protection
- Charitable giving and philanthropy planning
- Planning for the care, custody, or guardianship of your children, pets, or senior loved ones
- Powers of attorney and advance directive for health care planning
- Business planning for LLCs
- Will disputes
- Probate representation
- Non-traditional family estate planning
- And more
We can assist with each and every piece of a comprehensive Georgia estate plan, which depending on your circumstances may include:
- Wills (Last Will and Testament)
- Trusts
- Power of Attorney
- Health Care Power of Attorney
• Living Will (i.e. advance directives for health care decisions) - Special types of trusts (e.g. living, marital dedication, testamentary, spendthrift, qualified domestic, charitable, burial, gun trusts, etc.)
Help for Talking Through Difficult Estate Planning Issues with Your Loved Ones
Talking to your loved ones about death, disability, disease, or inheritance can be difficult and uncomfortable. But it’s a conversation every family needs to have — and sooner than later.
Attorney Sarah E. Siedentopf has extensive experience in helping families of all types talk through these challenging issues and make decisions that matter.
However unique your family may be, we are here to offer sensitive, safe, compassionate, and confidential legal counsel to help guide you toward the best possible future for the people you love. Let us help you have these conversations in a way that is delicate, positive, constructive, and empowering.
About Siedentopf Law
Siedentopf Law has the legal experience to make estate planning easy, effective, and stress free for families like yours in Brookhaven and beyond. Sarah E. Siedentopf, who heads our practice, is an attorney licensed in both Georgia and Tennessee who has helped numerous Brookhaven and Atlanta residents protect their families and assets for the days ahead. She is on the board of the Estate Planning and Probate Section of the Atlanta Bar Association as well as a current member and former chair of the Elder Law Section. She is also a member of the Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce.
We want you to know that our Brookhaven law firm is meeting the challenge of COVID-19 and “the new normal” head on, putting your health and safety first. In most cases, we are able to offer a blend of in-person and remote options for our services. Give us a call or contact us online to discuss any special needs you may have.
Schedule an Easy Consultation In Person, Over the Phone, or Online Today
If you need assistance with estate planning, or if it’s something your family has been meaning to address but for one reason or another has never quite accomplished, Sarah and her team at Siedentopf Law are here to help.
Your estate is your legacy for the people you love. Protect it. Protect them.
After all, no one knows what tomorrow holds. So don’t delay. Contact our office to talk with an experienced estate planning attorney in Brookhaven today.
