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 Atlanta
probate attorney, Sharon Rowen, is a frequent speaker at
Continuing Legal Education seminars given on behalf of the
Georgia estate and probate lawyers. She has spoken on numerous
state of Georgia attorney probate and estate topics. Rowen
and Klonoski understands the complexity of estate and probate
law and their need to stay apprised of the continuing changes
in statutes. The following
are links to materials presented at some of the seminars
at which Ms. Rowen has spoken. These materials may be of
use to both the lay person attempting to get oriented in
the world of Georgia probate and estate law, as well as to
those needing more detailed
information.
Update: In 2006, our attorneys have seen
an increase in inquiries regarding the estates of decedents
not domiciled in Georgia at the time of
their death. Immediately below, are new
links geared
to the practicing Georgia probate lawyer.
These are excerpts are from the June 8,
2006, Georgia attorney estate and probate
seminar materials, to be presented in Atlanta
by Sharon Rowen to practicing
attorneys. The lay person with questions related to decedents
domiciled outside of Georgia may find some
answers to their probate questions here.
Feel free to contact a Rowen & Klonoski,
P.C., for more information.
Links:
Out
of the State of Georgia Probate Issues
Out of the State of Georgia Decedent with Property in Georgia
Simple Will Questionaire
Georgia
Probate and Estate Checklist
For
the Georgia Probate Attorney
Heirs
and Beneficiaries
2006
Contingency Fee Contracts with Minor Clients
R&K has provided legal representation
in Atlanta and throughout the state of Georgia to clients
for over 28 years. For the non-attorney, the
following is a bit of general information
that the probate attorneys at R&K provide
almost daily in respone to general probate
inquiries. Most basic is the need for a
will. There is nothing more important than
preparing a will which ensures that after
death, your assets will be distributed according
to your wishes. Without a will, distribution
of your assets will be governed solely by
the laws of the state in which you resided.
Each person has different concerns which
must be addressed by the lawyer preparing
the will. These concerns may include estate
tax planning, trusts for minor children,
or relatives whom you do not wish to inherit.
Most people also wish to have a durable
power of attorney prepared, in which you
name a person to be in charge of health
care decisions such as remaining on life
support if you are not able to communicate
your desires to your doctors. Rowen & Klonoski
probate attorneys work with clients to ensure
that their probate and estate documents are
legally enforceable.
When a person dies, the relatives of the
decedent will usually be involved in probating the decedent’s
will or asking the court to have an administrator of the estate
named if there is no will. A personal representative of the
estate is appointed by the probate court in the county where
the deceased last resided. The personal representative is
responsible for collecting the assets of the estate, paying
the debts, and distributing the remaining assets to the beneficiaries
or the heirs. The personal representative is called the executor
if there is a will, or the administrator if there is no will.
Probating a will is often
simple, and can be done without a probate
lawyer. However, sometimes there are disagreements
which must be litigated. For example, there
might be questions about the will’s
validity or who the administrator should
be. Or the question may be whether the
executor or administrator is disbursing
the assets of the estate properly and according
to the law. Many of these disputes boil
down to “Who
is entitled to the assets of the deceased?”
or “What did the deceased intend?”
Many times questions arise regarding the
pension or insurance benefits of a deceased person. Pension
and insurance benefits normally are paid outside of the estate
to the beneficiary named by the deceased. If there is a question
regarding the intentions or actions of the deceased (for example,
did he intend to change his beneficiary from his ex wife to
his children, and did he take steps to do so), these questions
often need to be litigated.
Finally, as the population of our older
citizens increase, there has been an increasing number of
legal "elder law" issues. These include nursing
home malpractice, disputes over guardianship of a relative,
estate planning, and Medicaid issues.
Sharon
Rowen has 28 years of experience preparing
wills and litigating probate issues. She
has represented the full range of probate
clients: from assisting indigent clients
pro bono to litigating complex estate matters
for some of the wealthiest families in Georgia.
Her experience and in-depth knowledge of
the law gives her clients the confidence
and peace of mind knowing that their probate
and estate issues are in the best of hands.
For
a free consultation you may contact an Atlanta
probate attorney at the telephone
numbers below or email us with your questions. We
try
to respond to all inquires within 24 hours.
For additional Georgia
probate and estates information click on the following links.
The "Probate and Estate Checklist" may offer initial
help to individuals that recently lost a loved one and need
to know what to do next.
Links:
Out
of the State of Georgia Probate Issues
Out of the State of Georgia Decedent with Property in Georgia
Simple Will Questionaire
Georgia Probate and Estate Checklist
For the Georgia Probate
Attorney
Heirs
and Beneficiaries
2006
Contingency Fee Contracts with Minor
Clients
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