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2024

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Best Estate Planning Lawyers in Atlanta, GA

Our Recommended Top 11

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Our goal is to connect people with the best local professionals. We scored Atlanta Estate Planning Lawyers on more than 25 variables across five categories, and analyzed the results to give you a hand-picked list of the best.

141Reviewed

89Curated

11Top Picks

Learn about our selection process.

Providers

featured provider = Featured Provider

1000 Parkwood Circle Southeast, Atlanta, GA 30339

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (163)
Facebook
5.0 (38)
Yelp
5.0 (2)

Why choose this provider?

Thrift McLemore's estate planning attorneys work with people of all ages and estates of all sizes. Founders Craig Thrift and Ryan McLemore have over 30 years of combined experience in providing legal counsel and other services in matters concerning last will and testaments, revocable living trusts, powers of attorney, special needs trusts, and advance healthcare directives. Thrift McLemore's estate planning attorneys have been named to the Georgia Super Lawyers list, the Elite Lawyers of the South list by The National Law Journal and American Lawyer Magazine, and Georgia Trend magazine's Legal Elite list for taxes, estates, and trusts. Thrift McLemore offers complementary initial consultations.

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Stephanie Eban - PartnerActive11 yrs
Craig Thrift - PartnerActive17 yrs

Atlanta, GA 30339

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Avvo
5.0 (101)
Google
5.0 (43)

Why choose this provider?

Jeffrey L. Cohen, Attorney at Law is a firm based in Atlanta that focuses on tax law and estate planning. When it comes to estate planning, Attorney Cohen works on probate administration and helps clients draft will and trusts. His range of services goes beyond this as he is experienced in overall tax law. Working over 30 years on tax issues, he can help clients find workable strategies and solutions that might stop properties from being levied and seized.

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Jeffrey Cohen - PrincipalActive43 yrs

1201 W Peachtree Street NW, Suite 2313, Atlanta, GA 30309

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.7 (19)

Why choose this provider?

Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley, P.C., serve Atlanta clients in various legal matters. Its estate planning attorneys assist with estate planning, trust administration, and guardianship matters. The firm offers help with drafting straightforward or complex wills and determining how to avoid probate. It also assists with the preparation of a living will and a durable power of attorney for health care. Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley has been serving the community since 1984. It operates in three other locations in Georgia with their main office in Athens, GA.

  • Trusts
  • Estate Planning
  • Adult Guardianship

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Henry Garrard - ShareholderActive53 yrs
Lee Atkinson - ShareholderActive18 yrs

Stockbridge, GA 30281

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Facebook
4.7 (11)
Yelp
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Pyke & Associates, P.C. is an estate planning firm that has been serving individuals and families in the Stockbridge area for over 26 years. Its team handles a wide array of estate planning matters including asset and business planning, financial planning assistance, IRA and retirement planning, legacy planning, estate planning, special needs planning, and probate or trust administration. Pyke & Associates, P.C. is affiliated with the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys.

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Charles Pyke - PrincipalActive33 yrs

1201 West Peachtree Street, Suite 2300, Atlanta, GA 30309

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Avvo
5.0 (11)
Google
2.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

The Law Office of Keith R. Miles, LLC is an Atlanta-based legal firm that is focused on estate planning, taxation, and elder law. The firm's estate planning attorneys near Johns Creek, with a second office in Duluth, work with clients and their advisors to find the best estate planning and taxation solutions for their unique situation and goals. Keith R. Miles, Esq. founded his private practice in 2008. He began his career in the taxation field and expanded his practice to estate planning in 2009.

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Keith Miles - PrincipalActive17 yrs

Atlanta, GA 30326

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Facebook
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

The Alleyne Law Firm is a general civil practice firm that offers custom legal solutions to individuals and families throughout the greater Atlanta metro area. The attorneys specialize in handling a variety of bankruptcy and estate planning matters including personal bankruptcy and debt relief, consumer protection and debt collection defense, wills and trusts, tax planning, life insurance planning, Medicaid planning, and special needs planning. The Alleyne Law Firm is affiliated with the Atlanta Bar Association, Georgia Association of Women Lawyers, and the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys (NACBA).

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Valentia Alleyne - Managing AttorneyActive13 yrs

Atlanta, GA 30341

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (11)

Why choose this provider?

Nadler Biernath L.L.C. is a law firm that offers personalizes legal guidance to individuals across the Atlanta area. The lawyers have extensive experience in handling estate planning and special needs planning cases and also provide counsel on matters involving probate and estate administration, guardianship and conservatorship, elder law, and Medicaid planning. Nadler Biernath L.L.C. is a member of the National Attorney of Elder Law Attorneys, Inc. (NAELA), ElderCounsel, and WealthCounsel.

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Heather Nadler - PartnerActive23 yrs

Atlanta, GA 30339

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Avvo
5.0 (13)
Yelp
5.0 (4)

Why choose this provider?

Hurley Elder Care Law is a law firm that offers estate planning and long-term care solutions to individuals and families in the Atlanta area. The attorneys handle a broad selection of legal areas including Medicaid planning, estate planning, asset protection, wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, special needs trusts, powers of attorney, probate, guardianship, and conservatorship. Hurley Elder Care Law is a member of the National Attorney of Elder Law Attorneys, Inc. (NAELA) and Life Care Planning Law Firms Association.

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Miles Hurley - FounderActive32 yrs

Atlanta, GA 30342

Expertise.com Rating

Why choose this provider?

Friedman, Dever & Merlin, L.L.C. is a business law firm that offers efficient legal assistance to individuals and companies across the Atlanta area. The firm was established in 1994 and has since resolved matters involving contract negotiation, shareholder agreements and disputes, third-party litigations, estate planning and administration, mergers and acquisitions, and business succession. Friedman, Dever & Merlin, L.L.C. offers free initial consultations.

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Shelly Friedman - PartnerActive49 yrs

274 Washington Ave., Marietta, GA 30060

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.9 (49)
Avvo
4.9 (43)
Facebook
5.0 (24)

Why choose this provider?

Georgia Wills, Trusts, & Probate Firm, LLC, is a private practice serving individuals and families throughout Atlanta. The firm takes on matters involving estate planning, helping clients in the preparation, drafting, and execution of necessary documents to avoid future conflicts. It particularly assists those with minor children, real estate in multiple states, blended families, tax issues, and estranged family members. Dawn R. Levine, past president of the Cobb County Bar Association, leads the firm's all-female legal team.

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
Dawn Levine - Managing PartnerActive18 yrs

400 N. Selvidge Street, Dalton, GA 30720

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.5 (8)
Facebook
5.0 (2)
Avvo
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

The Elder Law Practice of David L. McGuffey, LLC, offers services to families in Atlanta. It helps clients develop estate planning strategies to protect their assets and manage end-of-life requirements in the event of incapacity or death. It also provides protection to beneficiaries who require special needs and disability planning. McGuffey has been practicing law since 1993. He maintains his affiliation with the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. He also served as chair of one of the American Association for Justice's national litigation groups.

Attorney Information

Attorney NameBar StatusExperience
David McGuffeyActive22 yrs

Compare our Top Estate Planning Lawyers

NameExpertise RatingAddressPromotionsLearn more
Thrift McLemore
1000 Parkwood Circle Southeast, Atlanta, GA 30339
Jeffrey L. Cohen, Attorney at Law
Atlanta, GA 30339
Blasingame, Burch, Garrard & Ashley, P.C.
1201 W Peachtree Street NW, Suite 2313, Atlanta, GA 30309
Pyke & Associates, P.C.
Stockbridge, GA 30281
The Law Office of Keith R. Miles, LLC
1201 West Peachtree Street, Suite 2300, Atlanta, GA 30309
The Alleyne Law Firm
Atlanta, GA 30326
Nadler Biernath L.L.C.
Atlanta, GA 30341
Hurley Elder Care Law
Atlanta, GA 30339
Friedman, Dever & Merlin, L.L.C.
Atlanta, GA 30342
Georgia Wills, Trusts, & Probate Firm, LLC
274 Washington Ave., Marietta, GA 30060
Elder Law Practice of David L. McGuffey, LLC
400 N. Selvidge Street, Dalton, GA 30720

Disclaimer:  Consumers utilizing Expertise.com are free to communicate and contract with any lawyer they choose. Expertise.com is not involved in the confidential attorney-client relationship. Featured lawyers pay a reasonable advertising cost to market their legal services with Expertise.com and must meet similar selection criteria as other lawyers. All cases are different. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

FAQs

  • What does an estate planning attorney do?

    An estate consists of the total assets that form an individual’s net worth, no matter how large or small. Estate planning attorneys use their in-depth knowledge of state and federal laws to help people best manage what will happen with their estates after they die or become incapacitated. Estate planning attorneys can prepare wills, form trusts, reduce estate tax burdens, and decrease or eliminate the need for probate court.

  • What are valuable estate planning services an attorney can provide?

    With the many intricacies of assets, taxes, and state and federal laws that can affect a person’s estate, an estate planning lawyer can be a valuable professional asset, no matter how large or small a person’s estate may be. An estate planning attorney can:

    • Create a comprehensive plan to protect a client's legacy, that includes a will, power of attorney, trusts, life insurance, and advanced medical directives
    • Optimize an estate plan as tax laws, life events, assets, and goals change over time
    • Protect a client’s loved ones by preventing assets from entering probate
    • Help clients designate a person to make important health decisions for them if they become incapacitated

  • Can estate planning attorneys help create trusts/wills?

    Estate planning attorneys can create trusts and wills. Through a will, an attorney can help a client designate their estate’s beneficiaries and assign an executor to represent the will in probate court. These attorneys can also create trusts, allowing a client to assign a trustee to oversee the estate, potentially avoiding probate court and holding assets to be distributed over time.

  • Is estate planning the same as drafting a will?

    While both estate plans and wills officially document how their owners wish to allocate certain assets after their death, there are key differences. In estate planning, a will is often just one of several documents that form a comprehensive plan. In a will, people must designate a person responsible for executing their will after their death. The will can include guardians for their children when they die and beneficiaries to receive an inheritance of money, property, and other assets.

  • What are the steps involved in estate planning?

    To create a thorough and effective estate plan, individuals should follow these steps:

    • Prepare a will that designates an estate executor; indicate who will receive what assets, and assign a trust and guardians for any children. Consider using an attorney if the will is in any way complex.
    • To avoid probate, have an attorney create a revocable living trust.
    • Assign beneficiaries to other assets, such as life insurance policies, retirement plans, and securities.
    • Use an attorney to prepare a living will, name a health care proxy, and create a HIPAA release form.
    • Update the plan every five years.

  • How long does the estate planning process last?

    The length of the process can vary greatly depending on the size and complexity of the estate, the specific law office, and whether there’s an emergency or urgent need. If you’re using an attorney, you can generally expect it to take one to five weeks. You may be able to speed up the process by immediately providing your attorney with any bank statements or other documents they need.

  • What is a trust?

    A trust is an agreement between a grantor, a trustee, and a beneficiary. In this agreement, the grantor allocates funds or real property assets to the trustee to be held either until the grantor passes away or until a specific, agreed-upon date. At that point, it's the responsibility of the trustee to distribute funds or property to the beneficiary or beneficiaries. While there are similarities between a will and a trust, a will is a more comprehensive document that typically requires probate court, while a trust allows assets to pass to the beneficiary without probate.