Wills & Trusts

If You Don’t Have Your Most Important Legal Documents In Order Yet, You Can Trust Us To Draft Custom Tools That Protect Your Assets & Family, Because We Know The Road Ahead.

The truth is that no one is guaranteed tomorrow. Planning for the future today can save your family from stress and debt if anything happens to you. However, creating a will and trust can be complicated, which is why it’s in your best interests to work with a knowledgeable Georgia will and trust attorney who can explain your options and design personalized documents that achieve your legal goals. Fouts Law Group has helped hundreds of clients navigate the estate planning process. Our firm can give you the effective tools you need to preserve a lasting legacy. Call our firm today to schedule a free consultation and get started!

We Can Help Formulate A Will & Trust Strategy That Ensures Your Wishes Will Be Honored, No Matter What The Future Holds!

A will is a directive that dictates what should happen to your assets upon your death, while a trust is a fiduciary relationship that manages assets during your lifetime and provides for their distribution upon your death. 

There are many different types of wills and trusts, including:

• Last wills and testament – the most basic and popular type of will, determines who gets what in the event of your passing
• Living wills – also known as advance directives, these provide wishes for medical care in the event of incapacitation
• Joint wills – created by married couples, allows the spouse to inherit the entirety of the estate upon the passing of the other
• Pour-over wills – are used in conjunction with a trust, and transfer any assets you have outside the trust at the time of your passing into the trust to be distributed according to the trust’s terms
• Revocable trusts – the most popular type of trust, have flexible terms
• Irrevocable trusts – do not offer as much flexibility but may offer more tax protections
• Special needs trusts – created for the purpose of shielding assets from Medicaid so that a loved one with special needs can inherit without jeopardizing their eligibility for benefits
• Charitable trusts – provide for the transfer of assets to charitable organizations you choose upon your passing
• And more.

If you don’t have any of the above documents, Georgia’s intestacy laws – not your wishes – will decide what happens to you, your assets, and your loved ones if you become incapacitated or pass away. If you only have a will, and don’t have a trust, your estate will have to go through probate (a lengthy and expensive Georgia court process) before your family can inherit. With a will and a trust, you can stay in control of your hard-earned wealth and make sure that it goes to the right people at the right time. You can also keep your family from fighting over what you would have wanted (because a will and trust make that crystal clear!) or from being stressed about paperwork (because you will have already taken care of everything for them!). 

Some people attempt to take a “DIY” approach to creating a will and trust in order to avoid the expense of hiring an attorney, but this isn’t advisable and could lead to even more expenses! There’s a reason that attorneys study for years, have to pass a state bar, and build businesses out of estate planning; it’s complicated, and it requires a detailed knowledge of state laws. Legal advice and downloadable templates you may find online may not be accurate, up-to-date, or compliant with Georgia law, and they certainly aren’t personalized to your unique life circumstances. Working with a lawyer is the surest way to create an effective will and trust strategy that you and your family can rely on.

Fouts Law Group Offers Experienced Legal Guidance That Simplifies The Process Of Getting Your Affairs In Order. Call Now For A Free Consult!