Georgia Estate Planning Guide 2026

Georgia is one of the most estate-planning-friendly states in the country — it imposes no state estate tax, no inheritance tax, and no gift tax. But tax-friendliness does not mean planning is optional. In Georgia, the structure of how you hold assets — not the size of your estate — determines whether your family faces a lengthy, costly probate process. Understanding that distinction is the foundation of every good Georgia estate plan.

Overview: Georgia's Estate Planning Environment

For residents relocating from states like Maryland, Illinois, or Massachusetts — where state-level estate and inheritance taxes can impose rates as high as 16% — Georgia is a dramatically different environment. The state imposes no death taxes of any kind at the state level. Your estate will not owe Georgia anything simply because of its size, and your beneficiaries will not owe Georgia anything simply because they received a bequest.

This tax-friendliness is one reason Georgia — and Atlanta in particular — has become one of the fastest-growing destinations for both retirees and working professionals seeking to protect accumulated wealth. Georgia's warm climate, strong economy, and absence of death taxes make it genuinely attractive for estate planning purposes.

However, the absence of state death taxes does not eliminate the need for careful planning. In Georgia, the central estate planning challenge is probate avoidance. Georgia law does not excuse small estates from probate based on their dollar value alone. If assets are titled in your name alone at death — whether a $40,000 bank account or a $2 million home — they must pass through the Probate Court before your heirs can receive them. Structure, not size, is the governing principle.

Georgia's Tax Landscape for Estates

Georgia occupies comfortable company among the most estate-planning-friendly states in the Southeast. Unlike its neighbors in the Northeast — where Maryland imposes both an estate tax and an inheritance tax, and Massachusetts imposes an estate tax starting at just $2 million — Georgia's complete absence of death taxes at the state level is a genuine competitive advantage for long-term residents and newcomers alike.

Federal Estate Tax: The Only Layer That Applies

For the vast majority of Georgia residents, the federal estate tax is the only death-tax exposure that requires attention. In 2026, the federal estate tax exemption is $15,000,000 per individual — meaning a married couple can transfer up to $30 million to their heirs before the federal estate tax applies at all, provided proper portability planning is completed.

For estates below the federal exemption, which encompasses nearly all Georgia families, federal estate tax is simply not a concern. The focus shifts entirely to:

• Avoiding or streamlining probate
• Ensuring assets pass efficiently to intended beneficiaries
• Utilizing Georgia-specific tools like Year's Support and Transfer-on-Death Deeds
• Incapacity planning through powers of attorney and advance directives

How Georgia Compares to Neighboring States

High-Net-Worth Georgia Residents and Federal Planning

For Georgia residents with estates approaching or exceeding the $15 million federal threshold — a group that includes many Atlanta-area business owners and real estate investors who have benefited from decades of rising property values — federal estate tax planning remains important even though Georgia imposes nothing at the state level. Key federal strategies include:

• Portability elections: A surviving spouse can claim the deceased spouse's unused federal exemption, but only if a federal estate tax return (Form 706) is timely filed, even when no federal tax is due. Missing this deadline is a costly and irreversible mistake.
• Irrevocable life insurance trusts (ILITs): Life insurance proceeds owned by a properly structured trust are excluded from the taxable estate, providing liquidity outside the estate.
• Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRATs): Freeze the value of appreciating assets — particularly relevant for Atlanta real estate investors — by transferring future growth out of the taxable estate.
• Annual gifting programs: The federal annual gift tax exclusion ($19,000 per recipient in 2026) allows systematic estate reduction with no state or federal gift tax cost in Georgia.

Probate in Georgia

When a Georgia resident dies with assets titled in their name alone, those assets must pass through the Probate Court of the county in which the decedent was domiciled at death. Georgia has 159 counties, each with its own Probate Court. The probate process is the legal mechanism by which the court supervises the transfer of a decedent's property to their rightful heirs — but it is a mechanism that takes time, costs money, and is open to the public.

The Role of the Probate Court

Georgia's Probate Court handles a range of matters related to death and incapacity, but its core function in estate administration is straightforward: a will must be admitted to probate before the executor (called an "administrator" in Georgia when there is no will, or "executor" when named in a will) has any legal authority to act on behalf of the estate. Until the Probate Court issues Letters Testamentary (or Letters of Administration), the executor cannot open estate bank accounts, sell property, or distribute assets — even if the will clearly names them and their powers seem obvious.

This is an important practical point: if you are named as executor in a family member's will, do not attempt to access or manage estate assets before receiving court authorization. Doing so can create personal liability.

Common Form vs. Solemn Form Probate

Georgia offers two primary tracks for admitting a will to probate:

Common Form probate is faster and less expensive upfront, but carries the risk that an heir could challenge the will up to four years later. Solemn Form probate requires more work initially — all heirs of the decedent, whether named in the will or not, must be served with notice — but it provides finality: once the challenge period expires after notice, the will generally cannot be attacked.

For estates involving blended families, estranged relatives, or significant assets, Solemn Form probate is generally the safer choice, even though it involves more process. An experienced Georgia probate attorney can advise which form is appropriate for your specific situation.

The Georgia Probate Timeline

A typical Georgia probate proceeding — assuming no disputes and a relatively organized estate — unfolds over roughly 12 to 18 months. Key milestones include:

1. Filing the will and petition with the county Probate Court (typically within 5 years of death)
2. Appointment of executor/administrator and issuance of Letters Testamentary or Administration
3. Inventory and appraisement of all estate assets
4. Notice to creditors by publication and direct notice to known creditors
5. Year's Support petition, if applicable (see below)
6. Payment of debts, taxes, and administration expenses
7. Final accounting and distribution to beneficiaries
8. Discharge of executor and closing of the estate

Probate Costs in Georgia

While Georgia probate is not as expensive as probate in some other states, the costs are meaningful and worth planning around:

• Court filing fees: Typically $50–$250 depending on the county and estate size
• Attorney's fees: Commonly billed hourly ($200–$400 per hour) or as a percentage of the estate; complex estates may run $5,000–$20,000 or more in legal fees
• Executor's commission: Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 53-6-60) allows executors to receive reasonable compensation, typically 2–3% of estate assets, subject to court approval
• Publication costs: Notice to creditors requires newspaper publication
• Appraisal fees: Real estate, business interests, and unusual assets may require professional appraisals

Year's Support — Georgia's Unique Provision

Of all Georgia's estate planning rules, Year's Support is the most distinctive — and the most misunderstood. It is a legal right available only in Georgia (and a handful of other states with similar provisions) that can dramatically change the outcome of an estate administration — sometimes eliminating creditor claims entirely and redirecting property away from the general estate to the surviving spouse and minor children.

How Year's Support Works

The Year's Support petition process begins with the surviving spouse, the minor children (through a guardian or next friend), or both, filing a petition with the Probate Court of the county where the decedent was domiciled. The petition requests that the court set aside a specific amount or specific items of property as Year's Support.

The amount of Year's Support is not fixed by law — it is determined based on what is needed to maintain the surviving spouse and/or minor children in the manner to which they were accustomed during the decedent's lifetime. This gives the court meaningful discretion, and the amount can range from modest sums for modest estates to substantial property allocations in larger estates.

Once property is set aside as Year's Support, it passes to the surviving spouse and/or minor children outside of the normal probate distribution. This has two critical consequences:

• Creditor priority is overridden. Most of the decedent's general creditors cannot reach property set aside as Year's Support. Even if the estate is otherwise insolvent, the surviving family retains the Year's Support allowance first. This is a powerful protection for surviving spouses who might otherwise face estate creditors depleting every asset.
• It supersedes will provisions in some cases. Year's Support can take property from the estate even if the will directed that property to go elsewhere — subject to certain limitations and the court's discretion. A surviving spouse is entitled to Year's Support regardless of what the will says.

Strategic Uses of Year's Support

Georgia estate planning attorneys use Year's Support strategically in several contexts:

Important Limitations and Considerations

Year's Support is a powerful tool, but it has boundaries that Georgia residents should understand:

• Timing: The petition must generally be filed promptly — consult a Georgia probate attorney about specific deadlines, as delays can affect the right to petition.
• Court discretion: The amount of Year's Support is not automatic or guaranteed; the Probate Court has significant discretion in determining what is appropriate.
• Waiver in prenuptial agreements: A surviving spouse can waive their right to Year's Support in a valid prenuptial or postnuptial agreement. Blended families should address this specifically.
• Does not replace estate planning: Year's Support is a safety net, not a substitute for proper estate planning with trusts, TOD deeds, and beneficiary designations that can avoid probate entirely.
• Taxable for federal purposes: While Year's Support avoids state creditors, assets received as Year's Support may still have federal income and estate tax implications depending on the circumstances.

Why Probate Is Often Required in Georgia

One of the most important — and most commonly misunderstood — aspects of Georgia estate law is this: Georgia does not have a general small estate exception to probate based on dollar value. Unlike states such as Ohio (which exempts estates under $35,000) or Michigan (which allows a simplified affidavit for estates under $24,000 in personal property), Georgia requires probate whenever assets are titled in a decedent's name alone, regardless of how small or large those assets are.

Assets That Typically Require Probate in Georgia

The following categories of assets generally require probate when they are titled in the decedent's name alone, with no joint owner and no beneficiary designation:

• Real property: A home, rental property, vacant land, or commercial property in the decedent's name alone requires probate for title to transfer. Georgia law does not recognize inheritance of real estate through a will until the will has been admitted to probate. There are no exceptions for small or modest properties.
• Bank and checking accounts: An account that does not have a Payable-on-Death (POD) designation and is held solely in the decedent's name requires probate to transfer funds to heirs.
• Investment and brokerage accounts: Accounts without a Transfer-on-Death (TOD) registration and held in the decedent's name alone must pass through probate.
• Business interests: A sole proprietorship or an interest in an LLC, partnership, or closely held corporation held in the decedent's name typically requires probate — unless the business agreement has specific succession provisions.
• Vehicles: Vehicles titled solely in the decedent's name require a probate process to transfer title, though Georgia does allow a simplified affidavit procedure for motor vehicle titles in some narrow circumstances.
• Personal property without beneficiary designations: Valuable personal property — jewelry, art, collectibles — held without a specific bequest in a trust must pass through probate.

Assets That Do NOT Require Probate in Georgia

By contrast, the following categories of assets pass to beneficiaries outside of probate, regardless of what the will says:

• Assets held in a revocable living trust
• Real estate with a recorded Transfer-on-Death (Beneficiary) Deed
• Jointly owned property with right of survivorship (JTWROS)
• Real estate held as tenants by the entirety (for married couples)
• Life insurance with a named beneficiary (not the estate)
• Retirement accounts (IRA, 401(k), 403(b)) with named beneficiaries
• Bank accounts with Payable-on-Death (POD) designations
• Investment accounts with Transfer-on-Death (TOD) designations
• Annuities with named beneficiaries

The practical implication is clear: a Georgia resident who holds all of their significant assets in a revocable living trust with proper beneficiary designations on remaining accounts can effectively eliminate probate entirely — allowing their estate to be administered privately, quickly, and without court supervision.

Avoiding Probate in Georgia

Georgia law provides several effective mechanisms for keeping assets out of probate. The right combination depends on the nature and complexity of your assets, your family situation, and your goals for how property should be managed and distributed.

1. Revocable Living Trusts

A revocable living trust is the most comprehensive probate-avoidance tool available in Georgia. You create a trust, transfer ownership of your significant assets into the trust during your lifetime, and name yourself as the initial trustee — retaining complete control over all assets during your life. At death, a successor trustee you designate administers and distributes the trust assets to your beneficiaries entirely outside of probate, without court oversight, privately and efficiently. For a short will-versus-trust decision, see Will vs. Living Trust.

For Georgia residents, a living trust offers additional advantages beyond probate avoidance:

• Continuity during incapacity: If you become incapacitated, the successor trustee can immediately step in to manage trust assets without the need for court-ordered guardianship of your property.
• Multi-state real estate: If you own property in multiple states, a living trust can avoid ancillary probate — a separate probate proceeding in each state where you own real property — saving significant time and cost.
• Privacy: Unlike a will admitted to probate, a living trust is not a public document. The details of your assets, debts, and beneficiaries remain private.

A revocable living trust should be paired with a pour-over will — a simple will that captures any assets accidentally left out of the trust and "pours" them into the trust at death. While a pour-over will still goes through probate for those remaining assets, it ensures nothing is left unaddressed.

2. Transfer-on-Death (Beneficiary) Deeds — Georgia's 2018 Innovation

In 2018, Georgia enacted the Transfer-on-Death Deed for Real Property Act (O.C.G.A. § 44-17-1 et seq.), which allows Georgia property owners to record a deed naming one or more beneficiaries to receive real property at death — without probate. Often called a "Beneficiary Deed" or "TOD Deed," this instrument is one of the most significant additions to Georgia estate planning law in recent years.

Key features of Georgia's TOD Deed:

• No loss of control during life: Recording a TOD deed does not transfer ownership during the grantor's lifetime. You retain full ownership, the right to sell, refinance, or revoke the deed at any time.
• Revocable: A TOD deed can be revoked at any time before death by recording a revocation in the county where the property is located.
• Simple execution: The deed must be signed, notarized, and recorded in the county deed records before the grantor's death to be effective.
• Avoids probate completely: At death, the beneficiary records a simple affidavit of survivorship and receives clear title without any probate proceeding.
• No Medicaid lookback period: Because the transfer occurs at death rather than during life, a TOD deed generally does not trigger Medicaid lookback concerns (though this area of law is evolving and should be reviewed with an elder law attorney).

A Georgia TOD Deed is an excellent, low-cost solution for transferring a primary residence or other real property when the owner's overall estate plan is relatively straightforward. For larger or more complex estates — or those involving blended families, minor beneficiaries, or the need for ongoing trust management — a revocable living trust remains the superior tool.

3. Joint Ownership with Right of Survivorship

Property held jointly with right of survivorship (JTWROS) passes automatically to the surviving co-owner at death, bypassing probate. In Georgia, married couples commonly hold real estate as tenants by the entirety, which provides both probate avoidance and an additional layer of creditor protection — creditors of one spouse generally cannot force a sale of property held as tenants by the entirety.

While joint ownership is simple and effective, it carries planning risks worth considering: adding a joint owner creates a present ownership interest (potentially triggering gift tax consequences), and the joint owner's creditors may be able to reach the asset. For more complex situations, a trust is preferable.

4. Beneficiary Designations: POD and TOD Accounts

Life insurance, retirement accounts (IRAs, 401(k)s), annuities, and employer pension plans all pass directly to named beneficiaries outside of probate. This is one of the simplest and most powerful estate planning tools available — and one of the most commonly neglected.

Georgia also allows bank accounts to be designated as Payable-on-Death (POD) accounts and investment accounts to carry Transfer-on-Death (TOD) registrations. Adding these designations is straightforward and typically requires only a brief form from your bank or brokerage. Upon your death, the named beneficiary presents a death certificate and receives the assets without probate, often within days.

Probate Avoidance Tools at a Glance

Planning Strategies for Georgia Residents

Georgia's tax-friendly environment means that most estate planning energy should be directed toward probate avoidance, incapacity planning, and ensuring assets flow efficiently to the right people. The following strategies address the most common planning priorities for Georgia families.

Atlanta-Specific Considerations

The Atlanta metropolitan area presents particular estate planning challenges that have become more acute as the region's real estate market has surged. Georgia residents who purchased homes in Buckhead, Alpharetta, Sandy Springs, Decatur, or similar in-demand neighborhoods two or three decades ago may find their estates are substantially larger than they anticipated when they last reviewed their plan.

For Atlanta-area families, these planning points deserve special attention:

• Review your estate's total value — including home equity, retirement accounts, life insurance, and business interests — at least every three to five years
• If you own investment properties in Atlanta or other Georgia counties, ensure each property is either in a trust or has a TOD deed recorded in the appropriate county
• Business owners in Atlanta's thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem should have buy-sell agreements that prevent the business from being forced through probate at a disruptive time
• Consider whether your estate may approach the $15 million federal threshold and discuss federal tax strategies with a qualified estate planning attorney
• Ensure all beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and life insurance are current — outdated designations naming a deceased beneficiary or a prior spouse are among the most common estate planning disasters

Blended Family Planning in Georgia

Georgia's intestate succession rules (discussed below) and Year's Support provisions can produce unexpected outcomes for blended families — those with children from prior relationships. A surviving spouse's Year's Support claim could conflict with the interests of children from a prior marriage, and without a carefully drafted estate plan, the result may not reflect anyone's actual intentions.

For blended families, a qualified terminable interest property (QTIP) trust — which provides income to the surviving spouse for life with the remainder passing to children from the prior marriage at the survivor's death — is a common solution that Georgia law fully supports. A prenuptial or postnuptial agreement addressing Year's Support rights is also worth considering in these situations.

Intestate Succession in Georgia

When a Georgia resident dies without a valid will, Georgia's intestacy statutes (O.C.G.A. §§ 53-2-1 et seq.) govern who receives the estate. The rules are fixed by law and leave no room for the Probate Court to consider your actual relationships, your intentions, or your financial circumstances. The only way to override intestate succession is to have a valid estate plan — a will, trust, or properly designated accounts and deeds.

Georgia's Intestate Distribution Rules

Georgia's intestacy rules follow a priority structure based on family relationships. The most common scenarios:

The Spouse-and-Children Rule: A Worked Example

Who Is Not an Heir Under Georgia's Intestacy Law

Georgia's intestacy statutes do not recognize the following relationships unless a legal step has formalized them:

• Unmarried partners — a long-term partner who was never legally married to the decedent receives nothing under intestacy, no matter how long the relationship lasted
• Stepchildren — stepchildren who were never legally adopted receive nothing from their stepparent's intestate estate
• Close friends — no matter how important the friendship, friends have no legal inheritance rights
• In-laws — a deceased spouse's family has no claim under Georgia's intestacy rules
• Estranged biological relatives — a biological sibling from whom you have been completely estranged for decades still has legal inheritance rights if you die without a will and have no closer relatives

The only way to ensure that any of these individuals receive a share of your estate is through a valid will, trust, beneficiary designation, joint ownership, or TOD deed. Georgia's intestacy rules are not flexible — the court cannot make exceptions based on what you probably would have wanted.

Powers of Attorney and Healthcare Directives

A complete Georgia estate plan extends beyond wills and trusts. Two critical documents — a durable financial power of attorney and an advance directive for health care — protect you if you become incapacitated while still alive. Without them, your family may face expensive, slow, and stressful court proceedings to gain any authority over your finances or your medical decisions.

Georgia Statutory Financial Power of Attorney

Georgia enacted a revised durable power of attorney statute (O.C.G.A. §§ 10-6B-1 et seq.) that provides a comprehensive framework for financial powers of attorney. Key points for Georgia residents:

• Statutory Form Available: Georgia provides an official statutory form for a durable financial power of attorney. Using the Georgia statutory form offers important practical benefits: financial institutions, banks, and brokerage firms are generally required to honor it, reducing the risk of an institution refusing to recognize the document when your agent needs to act.
• Durable by Default: Georgia's statute makes a properly executed POA "durable" — meaning it remains effective even if the principal becomes incapacitated — unless the document specifically provides otherwise. Durability is what makes a POA valuable for estate planning purposes, as non-durable POAs automatically terminate upon incapacity.
• Execution Requirements: A Georgia financial power of attorney must be signed by the principal before a notary public and two adult witnesses. The agent cannot serve as a witness.
• Hot Powers Require Explicit Grant: Certain high-risk powers — including the ability to make gifts, change beneficiary designations, create or fund trusts, and disclaim inheritance rights — must be specifically and expressly authorized in the POA. An agent does not have these powers based on general language alone. Failing to include appropriate hot power authorizations can leave an agent unable to complete critical estate planning transactions on a principal's behalf.
• Agent's Fiduciary Duty: Under Georgia's revised statute, the agent owes a fiduciary duty to the principal, must act in good faith and in the principal's best interest, and must keep detailed records of all transactions. Choose your agent carefully — someone you trust completely and who has the organizational ability to manage complex financial matters.

Georgia Advance Directive for Health Care

Georgia law provides for an Advance Directive for Health Care (O.C.G.A. § 31-32-1 et seq.) — a single comprehensive document that combines three separate functions into one instrument:

1. Healthcare Power of Attorney: Designates a healthcare agent (also called a healthcare proxy) to make medical decisions on your behalf when you cannot make them yourself — including decisions about specific treatments, medications, surgeries, and care facilities.
2. Living Will: States your wishes regarding life-sustaining treatment, artificial nutrition and hydration, palliative care, pain management, and organ and tissue donation.
3. Designation of Healthcare Agent: Formally appoints and authorizes a specific person (and alternate agents) to communicate with medical providers, access your medical records under HIPAA, and carry out your healthcare instructions.

This single-document approach is designed to be clear, comprehensive, and portable — one document handles all aspects of healthcare decision-making authority in Georgia.

Execution Requirements for the Georgia Advance Directive

To be valid, a Georgia Advance Directive for Health Care must be:

• Signed by the principal (or at the principal's direction if physically unable to sign)
• Witnessed by two adult witnesses who are present at the same time
• Neither witness may be the principal's healthcare agent
• Neither witness may be a healthcare provider, an employee of a healthcare facility where the principal is a patient, or an operator or employee of a community living arrangement where the principal resides
• Notarization is optional (not required for validity) but may be helpful for out-of-state recognition

HIPAA Authorization

Your Georgia Advance Directive should include HIPAA authorization — a provision that authorizes healthcare providers to share your medical information with your designated healthcare agent and other specified individuals. Without explicit HIPAA authorization, medical providers may be legally prohibited from discussing your condition with family members, even in emergencies. A well-drafted advance directive will include this authorization to prevent gaps in communication during a crisis.

When No Documents Exist: Guardianship in Georgia

If you become incapacitated without a financial power of attorney and healthcare advance directive in place, your family must petition the Georgia Probate Court for guardianship of your person (to make healthcare decisions) and conservatorship of your property (to manage your finances). This process is:

• Expensive — legal fees often run $3,000–$10,000 or more, and ongoing costs accumulate over the duration of the guardianship
• Slow — it may take weeks or months for a guardian to be formally appointed, during which time critical decisions may be stalled
• Public — guardianship and conservatorship proceedings are public court records
• Restrictive — court-appointed guardians and conservators must file annual reports and obtain court approval for many ordinary transactions

A durable financial power of attorney and advance directive, properly executed when you are healthy and competent, cost a fraction of what guardianship proceedings cost — and give you far more control over who makes decisions and how they are made.

When to Consult a Georgia Estate Planning Attorney

Georgia's estate planning environment is relatively forgiving — no state death taxes means the cost of imperfect planning is lower here than in many other states. But "lower cost" does not mean "no cost." Probate still takes time and money, Year's Support claims can be strategically important and time-sensitive, and the consequences of dying without any plan — particularly for blended families or business owners — can be severe.

You Should Consult a Georgia Estate Planning Attorney If:

• You own real property in Georgia titled in your name alone, without a TOD deed or trust
• You have not reviewed or updated your estate plan in more than three to five years
• You are in a blended family with children from a prior relationship — Georgia's intestacy rules and Year's Support can produce unintended results without careful planning
• You own a business — business interests require specific succession planning that most generic estate documents do not address
• Your estate — including home equity, retirement accounts, life insurance, and business interests — may approach or exceed $15 million in total value
• You recently moved to Georgia from another state — your existing estate plan may not account for Georgia-specific tools like TOD deeds, Year's Support, or Georgia's advance directive requirements
• You are an unmarried partner who wants to ensure your partner is protected — intestacy will not provide for them
• A family member has died and you are uncertain how to navigate Georgia probate or Year's Support proceedings
• You have a beneficiary with special needs who receives government benefits that could be jeopardized by a direct inheritance
• You own real property in multiple states and want to avoid ancillary probate

Finding a Qualified Georgia Estate Planning Attorney

When selecting an estate planning attorney in Georgia, look for:

• Active membership in the State Bar of Georgia's Fiduciary Law Section
• Experience with Georgia Probate Court proceedings, including Year's Support petitions
• Familiarity with Georgia's Transfer-on-Death Deed Act and its proper implementation
• An AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, or membership in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) — the premier credential for estate planning attorneys
• Clear communication about fees upfront — flat-fee estate plans are common for basic situations, while complex plans with trusts and business succession may be billed hourly

Typical fees for Georgia estate planning work range from approximately $1,200–$3,000 for a basic estate plan (will, financial power of attorney, advance directive) to $3,000–$10,000 or more for a comprehensive plan including a funded revocable living trust, TOD deeds, and business succession coordination.

Additional Resources for Georgia Estate Planning

For further research on Georgia estate planning, these official sources are authoritative:

• Georgia Probate Courts: Each county's Probate Court is located through the Georgia Courts website — the starting point for probate filings, Letters Testamentary, and Year's Support petitions.
• State Bar of Georgia: The State Bar's lawyer search tool allows you to locate licensed Georgia estate planning attorneys by location and practice area.
• Georgia General Assembly: The full text of Georgia's trust and estate statutes (Title 53) is available at the Georgia Code online.
• Georgia Secretary of State: Information on advance directive registration and forms is available through the Secretary of State's office.

For a broader view of how Georgia compares with other states, see our complete state guides library. You can also explore our Trusts Guide, Probate Guide, and Tax Planning Guide for deeper coverage of the strategies discussed in this guide. Published living-trust kit list prices are on how much a revocable living trust costs.