I don’t know about your house, but at the Beck household, we’ve got some furry family members. Our dog, Belle, is part hound and mostly mutt. Then we’ve got two Siamese cats, Phineas and Ferb. They agree with each other in their disdain for Belle, but otherwise, it’s a happy family. I’m sure if you’ve […]
Category Archives: Estate Planning
How to Protect Your Will From Unhappy Relatives (and work to avoid will contests)
Don't roll the dice with your estate plan. Instead, prepare it properly to help avoid will contests and ensure your wishes are followed.
The No Hype, Straight Talk on Estate Planning in Georgia In the Midst of a Pandemic
In today's blog post, we'll give you the no hype, straight talk answer on how the pandemic impacts estate planning in Georgia.
Can I write my will and sign it before a notary – is that a valid Will in Georgia?
A question we sometimes get goes something like this, “Can I write out my wishes, and sign it and have it notarized. Is that a valid will?” In today’s short video, attorney Joel Beck answers that question.
Four Strategies to Avoid Probate in Gwinnett County
At some point in your life, you may have heard about someone's estate being tied up in probate. It may have included awful stories involving relatives fighting over money or property to the point where family bonds were forever broken. The reality is that probate isn't always a grueling and emotional process. In fact, a lot of the process boils down to paperwork, signatures, deadlines, and months, or sometimes years, of waiting. However, it's still a process that some people would prefer to avoid because of the costs involved and the time it takes. Here are four strategies that might help avoid probate.
Lawrenceville Attorney Joel Beck Warns, Beware of DIY and Online Estate Planning Options
Lawrenceville (Gwinnett County) estate planning attorney Joel Beck warns of some problems that may arise from online or do it yourself estate plans and gives examples of possible costly mistakes that you should avoid.
Ten Estate Planning Mistakes to Avoid – Episode 3: Picking the Wrong # of People for the Job
In part 3 of this series on estate planning mistakes to avoid, Joel Beck discusses the problem of picking the wrong number of people for the job of executor, trustee, and guardian.
Ten Estate Planning Mistakes To Avoid – Episode 2 – Not Hiring the Right People
In this video series, attorney Joel Beck discusses ten mistakes you want to avoid in your estate planning. In this episode 2, Joel discusses the mistake of not “hiring” the right people to serve in important roles such as executor, trustee, guardian, healthcare agent, and attorney in fact (agent under a power of attorney). But […]
Ten Estate Planning Mistakes to Avoid: Episode 1
In the first video of this series, Joel Beck discusses the biggest mistake in estate planning - not having your own plan.
What if Cinderella’s Stepmother Wasn’t Evil, But Was a Poor Planner? A Tale of Stepchildren in Estate Planning
How does Cinderella relate to Georgia estate planning? The story helps teach a very important lesson: if you want your stepchildren to inherit from you, you must be very intentional with your estate plan. And if you don't have an estate plan, your stepchild will miss out.