Peach State Wills & Trusts

09/01/2026

We prepared our 2026 Client Update video and just shared that with our clients. But the information is too good not to share with you. So, here's the update and what you need to know about estate planning in 2026 in Georgia. We encourage you to check this out. And, if it reveals some weaknesses in your own planning, now is a great time to get that addressed.

Estate planning laws and options can change over time, and your pla...

08/31/2026

Starting a business is only the first step. Choosing the right legal structure can help protect everything you're working to build.

A Georgia LLC can help protect your personal assets, provide flexibility as your business grows, and support your long-term business and estate planning goals.

Build your business on a strong legal foundation.

Contact Peach State Wills & Trusts® to learn how thoughtful planning can help protect your future.

📞 (678) 730-2079
https://www.peachstatewills.com

08/27/2026

Creating a revocable living trust does not automatically keep real estate out of probate. The property must also be formally transferred into the trust through a properly prepared and recorded deed.

This step is especially important for owners of property in multiple states who want to avoid ancillary probate. Because mortgage rules and due-on-sale protections vary by property type, each transfer should be reviewed before the deed is changed.

Have Peach State Wills & Trusts review your trust and real estate holdings to identify any property that still needs to be transferred and help you complete the process correctly.

📞 (678) 730-2079
https://www.peachstatewills.com

08/24/2026

A will should change when your life does. Marriage, divorce, the birth or adoption of a child, changes in your assets, or the loss of a beneficiary may affect whether your current estate plan still reflects your wishes.

Reviewing your will periodically is also important. Avoid making handwritten edits, crossing out provisions, or altering the original document, as these changes may create questions about its validity.

If your family, finances, or wishes have changed, Peach State Wills & Trusts can review your existing will and help you make legally valid updates. Schedule an estate planning consultation to keep your plan current.

📞 (678) 730-2079
https://www.peachstatewills.com/contact-us

08/21/2026

It happened again. And these conversations are never easy.

I sat down with someone who’s spouse had died. In trying to sort things out, the surviving spouse didn’t have all of the information that was needed. Where was the money – what banks and what investment firms? Who was the mortgage supposed to be paid to? What about the car loan? No doubt that when this happens, the person in my office is grieving, and also terribly frustrated and concerned and ... scared.

In many marriages, one spouse often takes on the role of paying the bills and managing the couple’s money. It’s a divide and conquer thing – someone manages the money, and the other one handles some other things. And that approach is OK. My wife and I do this as well, sharing the workload by dividing tasks up.
Here’s where the issue comes in, though. When the spouse who manages all the money and pays the bills dies suddenly, and hasn’t left detailed information, it leaves the surviving spouse and rest of the family in a tight spot. Not all accounts are joint. Maybe one spouse doesn’t even know where all the accounts are kept. Then what? It can be a nightmare situation to sort through.

But it doesn’t have to be, and it shouldn’t be.

To help your family, we’ve created The Emergency List. It’s a great tool to help organize the needed details. Where the bank accounts are, where the investment accounts are. Information on bills and loans and credit cards. Information about where your planning documents are located. Instructions about how to get into your email. And more. In short, this is the starting point for compiling the information that your loved ones need if you are incapacitated or dead.

The good news – we give this away for free. Download it now at https://www.peachstatewills.com/theemergencylist.

The bad news – you have to take 25 minutes and actually fill it out. Then review it and update it at least once a year.

No one plans to make things terribly difficult for their family. But it happens all the time, because some people didn’t plan NOT to do that. Getting your emergency list in place is a decision to make right now to make things far easier for them.

As always, let us know how we can help.
- Joel

08/20/2026

Managing an estate involves more than distributing assets. A personal representative may need to locate legal documents, notify creditors, inventory property, file final taxes, address probate court requirements, and resolve disputes before beneficiaries receive their inheritance.

Because Georgia estate administration can take months or even years, experienced legal support can help prevent delays and costly mistakes.

If you have been named a personal representative, Peach State Wills & Trusts can help you fulfill your responsibilities, address complications, and move the estate toward resolution. Schedule a strategy session to discuss the next steps.

📞 (678) 730-2079
https://www.peachstatewills.com

08/19/2026

Joel here. I had a cancelation so I have 30 minutes free today (Wednesday,August 19th) at 2PM.

I'm doing an impromptu live zoom conference - half an hour maximum.

Topic: How to make sure your estate avoids probate. (Why: did you know that probates in Georgia can now routinely take a year or longer?)

This will be live on zoom. No replays of the session. No selling. All teaching. Learn some practical concepts in under 30 minutes.

Cost: Free.

Want to join? If yes, drop a comment below with your email address before 1:45pm and I’ll send you the zoom link.

08/17/2026

A trust can do more than distribute assets. It can help your loved ones receive their inheritance without lengthy probate delays, preserve privacy, protect assets, and provide a plan if you become incapacitated.

A revocable living trust may be especially valuable for blended families, parents concerned about a child’s creditors or divorce, and Georgia residents who own property in another state.

Contact Peach State Wills & Trusts to determine whether creating a trust is the right next step for you.

📞 (678) 730-2079
https://www.peachstatewills.com/contact-us

08/06/2026

The dog days of summer are nearly over.

This means our hottest days are behind us.

Of course, we are in Georgia, and one thing the Georgia heat doesn’t care about is our predictions.

Now, if you predicted that the “dog days of summer” has anything to do with dogs blowing their double coats or lying out, panting in the heat, that’s not so.

Or if you thought somebody’s grandma used to say something like, “It’s hotter than a prissy dog in season,” or something like like that, you’re at least right about somebody’s grandma saying this.

But it still has nothing to do with the phrase.

We get this phrase because the second brightest star in the sky after the Sun is Sirius–often called the “Dog Star”. For about 40 days each summer, it rises with the sun. The dog days!

This phrase that seems miserable and overbearing is actually a gorgeous sky phenomenon you don’t want to miss (Little Mulberry Park or Stone Mountain at sunrise might be worth a trip this week).

It sounds bad . . . but it’s good.

Estate planning suffers from a similar naming convention.

A lot of people think estate planning is morbid or something to get through quickly and never touch again.

But planning done well can be powerful and fulfilling, and creates a lasting legacy for your hard work.

Too many people make wills and tuck them in a distant memory, like they are a sticky, overbearing day you want to forget.

But guess what can happen if you never revisit your will or other documents and make appropriate updates? Georgia state laws could change in a flash. All of a sudden your perfectly fine will from 20 years ago now lands your spouse and children in probate with an outcome different than you intended due to changes in your circumstances and changes in the law.

Give your family the gift of clarity on the horizon as they grieve just by updating or creating a better plan for your situation and goals. Our team is ready to help.

-Joel

P.S. Are you interested in setting up a trust or revisiting an existing will, trust, advance directive or other plan? Call us to set up a consultation: 678-344-5342, or contact us online at PeachStateWills.com.

07/30/2026

Last week, one of our team members hung up on a prospective client.

That might sound surprising, but when she told me what happened, I commended her and assured her she had done exactly the right thing.

The caller contacted our office looking for legal help. From the beginning, though, he refused to explain why he was calling and insisted on speaking only with an attorney. As our team member calmly tried to gather enough information to determine whether we could help, the caller became increasingly hostile. He began yelling at her and then directed profanity and personal insults toward her. At that point, she ended the call by hanging up.

Later, I listened to the recording (the caller had been notified that calls may be recorded), and the conversation happened exactly as she described. We flagged the number in our system because that's not someone we'll be doing business with.

At Peach State Wills & Trusts, we work hard to build a culture where people genuinely enjoy coming to work. We want our team to feel respected, supported, and empowered to serve families at a high level. That doesn't happen by accident—it happens because we intentionally protect the culture we've built.

One of our core beliefs is simple: we don't tolerate abusive behavior.

That applies whether someone is a prospective client, an existing client, a vendor, or anyone else we interact with. Every member of our team knows that if someone is verbally abusive, they have my full support to end the conversation and report it. More often than not, we simply choose not to do business with people who treat others that way.

Some may think turning away business is bad for business.

I believe the opposite.

The people on our team deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. When they know their leaders will stand behind them, they can focus on what they do best—serving our clients with excellence, compassion, and professionalism.

Protecting our culture isn't separate from serving our clients well. It's one of the reasons we're able to.

-Joel