It is important that the executor of an estate is chosen carefully and is a person who can unbiasedly act in the best interests of the estate. So what happens when the named executor in a will presents a conflict of interest? O.C.G.A. § 53-7-55 allows the court the discretion to deny issuance of or to revoke letters testamentary when good cause, like a conflict of interest, is shown. For examples of conflicts of interest, we will look to the cases of In re: Estate of Moriarty and In re: Estate of Farkas. In In re: Estate of Moriarty, Catherine Moriarty petitioned to be executor of the estate of her husband, Edward Moriarty. Catherine was named executor in Edward’s will. However, Edward’s daughter, Maureen Weare, filed a caveat and petitioned to have Moriarty disqualified as executor, because Catherine had a conflict of interest with her representation of the estate. Catherine was not a beneficiary under the terms of the will; however, she did maintain a joint account with Edward which she claimed was payable to her by right of survivorship (i.e. not a part of the estate). After the Court disqualified her as executor, Catherine appealed the decision, stating that… [Read More]
Atlanta Probate Attorney: Guess Who Gets Assets When There Is No Will
As an Atlanta probate lawyer, I am always representing clients who must administer an estate without a Will. In Georgia, when a person dies without a Will (i.e., dies intestate), the state legislature has decided how her estate will be divided. The legislature passed a statute that identifies the heirs-at-law of an intestate decedent and the amount each heir-at-law is entitled to. The following persons are entitled to a share of the intestate decedent’s estate in the following shares: If the decedent was married without children: entire estate to spouse. If the decedent was married with children: estate divided evenly among spouse and children*, except that spouse receives no less than 1/3. To illustrate, if the decedent was married and had one child, the spouse and child each would receive 1/2 of the estate, but if the decedent was married and had three children, the spouse would receive 1/3 of the estate, and the three children would split the remaining 2/3 of the estate. If the decedent had children but was not married (was either single, divorced, or widowed): estate divided equally among children. If the decedent was not married and had no children: estate divided among living parents. If… [Read More]
Georgia Guardianship Attorney: Plan for Dementia-Related Incapacity
As part of my Atlanta guardianship law practice, I have represented several clients in guardianship actions seeking to be appointed guardians of a parent, spouse, or other relative with a dementia-related disease. In most instances, the proposed ward had either been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or exhibited many symptoms of the disease. I am reminded with each client how important it is for everyone to have an estate plan in place that includes, at a minimum, a Last Will and Testament, financial power of attorney, and Georgia Advanced Directive for Healthcare. Having these three documents may save you and your family not only from problems that might arise after you die but also from problems that arise due to your incapacitation, whether by a dementia-related disease or otherwise. But for this post I focus on the growing prevalence of dementia-related diseases, and especially Alzheimer’s disease, because it is these types of diseases people least expect but are, year after year, more likely to have as they get older. Over the last decade, the prevalence of dementia-related diseases has grown among the elderly, and Alzheimer’s disease is leading the pack. The Alzheimer’s Association provides a remarkable and worrying fact sheet at… [Read More]
Georgia Probate Attorney: Understanding Probate vs. Administration
In my experience as a Georgia probate attorney, I’ve noticed many people are confused by the terms “probate” and “administration” because they often are used interchangeably, even by legal professionals, but their meanings are different. The reason for the confusion likely is caused by the two most common methods for opening an estate: (1) a petition to probate a Will and (2) a petition for letters of administration. Both petitions result in the appointment of a person to manage an estate, but they are very different in nature. Probate is the process by which a Last Will and Testament is proved to the probate court. When a deceased person leaves a Will, an interested party usually will file a petition to probate the Will in the probate court in the county where the deceased resided at the time of death. Typically, the person nominated as executor in the Will does this. The petition to probate the Will is actually a request made to the court to declare the Will valid. Before the court will do so, it will notify all heirs-at-law of the deceased that the petition has been filed so that the heirs-at-law have an opportunity to review and… [Read More]
Georgia Administrators and Annual Returns – What’s in a Waiver? Part I
As an Atlanta estate lawyer, I get a lot of calls from heirs complaining that the personal representative (a.k.a. executor or administrator) refuses to disclose any information to them. Usually, the caller is unaware that the law in Georgia is very lenient on executors and administrators with respect to their duty to report. By default an executor and administrator is required to file an inventory with the probate court within 6 months of her appointment and an annual return not later than 60 days after the first anniversary of the appointment, and then annually thereafter until the estate is closed. It’s difficult enough for an heir to have to wait an entire year to receive a report on an estate. Still, each individual heir can waive his right to receive a copy of the inventory and return, and all of the heirs can consent unanimously to the waiver of the personal representative’s obligation to file an inventory and returns with the court at any time. It’s surprising to me how often heirs do this. Also, a Will can relieve the executor from the inventory and return filing obligations regardless of what the heirs wish to happen. When this happens, the… [Read More]
Atlanta Probate Lawyer on Joint Accounts: Use Them with Spouses, Not with Children
In my Atlanta estate law practice, I work with clients on a regular basis regarding accounts owned by a parent who added another person (most often a child) prior to the parent’s death (i.e., joint accounts). The problem that arises is that, upon the death of the parent, Georgia statutory law presumes the parent wanted the child who was added to receive all funds in the account, but other children of the parent typically do not believe such an outcome was intended by the parent. Therefore, the other children seek to pull those funds into the parent’s estate where it will be divided according to the parent’s will or Georgia intestacy laws, in which case the other children are likely to receive some portion of the funds. Joint accounts between parents and children are problematic because of the several ways the parent’s actions can be interpreted. Did the parent really intend the child to receive all of the funds in the account when the parent died? Maybe. Joint accounts can be useful estate planning tools, but if the parent does not tell his other children about the account and makes no mention of the account in his will or some… [Read More]
Georgia Estate Attorney on Home with Mortgage: Sell It or Scrap it?
As an Atlanta probate lawyer, I’ve dealt with dozens of Georgia estates that include a home with a mortgage on it. How to handle the home and mortgage in Georgia can be difficult to determine, especially if the mortgage loan balance is close to the value of the home. The following is a basic guide to follow, though I urge any person facing this question to contact a Georgia estate attorney before following through on any decisions as each situation has specific facts that may not fit neatly into any of the scenarios below. Also, the guide below only takes into consideration financial considerations of the estate and heirs, not any sentimental attachments that an heir may to a home, which should be taken into consideration when determining how to proceed. If a Georgia estate holds a home in good condition with a mortgage, and the mortgage loan is significantly less than the fair market value (“FMV”) of the home (by at least 10%), it usually is best to continue to make payments on the mortgage and plan on either distributing the home to the heirs or selling the home directly from the estate as quickly as possible to relieve… [Read More]
Georgia Probate: What Does That Mean?
In Georgia, probate means the proving of a Last Will and Testament by a court of law. When a person who has made a Will (a.k.a. testator) dies as a resident of a county in Georgia, his Will must be presented to the court and proved to be valid. Once a Will is “admitted to probate,” or proved, the probate process is completed. The next steps are the appointment of the executor nominated in the Will and then administration of the estate of the testator according to the terms of the Will. The term probate no longer has any practical relevance once the Will is proved. A probate court in Georgia handles a variety of matters in addition to the probate of Wills. It oversees the administration of both testate and intestate estates, the appointment and removal of personal representatives of estates (a.k.a. executors and administrators), claims made against personal representatives, guardianship and conservatorship matters, marriage licenses and wedding ceremonies, and weapons carry licenses. If you are having any problems with an estate or other matter before a probate court in Georgia, email me or call me at 404-467-8611 to find out how we can help you. Our firm is located… [Read More]
Georgia Will Contest: Is It Worth It?
I get a lot of calls from people in Georgia, all over the United States, and sometimes abroad interested in contesting a will. Invariably, the first question they ask is whether they have a case? For an in-depth answer, please review the Will Contests page of this website. You may also find will contest article published at AARP.org helpful, not just because it provides an overview of when a will contest may be appropriate but also because it poses an important question: is the cost of a will contest worthwhile? There are several factors to consider when determining the value of a will contest? Most importantly, the case must have a good chance of success. This usually means a set of facts known from the outset that make it more likely than not that the will is invalid. However, the strength of a will contest must be analyzed from a legal perspective, not a moral or ethical perspective. I get plenty of calls from people who desire to contest a will because they do not like the contents of the will but have no legal basis to overturn the will. I also get a lot of calls from people who claim… [Read More]
Georgia Estate Dispute: Avoid One with Communication
What should you do when there is trouble brewing in your family regarding an estate matter in Georgia? Should you stay quiet and hope the dispute never erupts? Should you head off a dispute by telling everyone else how things ought to be done. The New York Times recently published a Q&A with Sheila Heen (“Negotiating Conflicts, Part 5: A Tug of Wills“). Ms. Heen is a negotiations and communications expert and faculty member at Harvard Law School, that emphasizes one major theme: communicate your concerns before it is too late. Estates are uncomfortable topics. To most, asking a parent about his estate probably seems cynical and self-serving. Even close siblings often have a difficult time discussing with each other what to do about their parents’ estates (who should do what, who should get what, etc.). However, failing to address valid concerns sooner may cost the family time and money fighting over those concerns later. There are a variety of smart, healthy ways to break the ice on such a difficult topic. If you are concerned about how things will play out in your family, don’t be afraid to let someone know. If you are too uncomfortable to say something… [Read More]
