Moultrie, GA Estate Planning Law Firms & Lawyers

This isn't a question that I can answer, but here are a few factors: Georgia has a (small) income tax; Florida doesn't. Georgia's probate system is much easier and less expensive to deal with than Florida's, and in many cases (not all), Georgia residents end up being able to less complicated estate planning as a result. Georgia has more mountains and hills; Florida has more beaches. Florida tends to be warmer all year round; Georgia has more of the seasonal changes. Florida has a lot of trouble right now with invasive foreign species such as pythons and tarantulas that are taking over the native wildlife; Georgia has some problem with that but not as much. Both states have alligators, although Florida has more of them. If I were trying to decide where I wanted to make my home, I'd pick Georgia. But then, I'm biased; I'm a native. And I like hills and mountains better than the beach.

If there is no will the statute on descent and distribution controls the distribution of assets in the estate. If married at death then: to the spouse and divided among the children born to or adopted by the decedent. If there are two children from the first marriage and two children from the second marriage, then each child receive of the children's 1/2 portion. or 1/8 of the overall estate. Please note that any property held by the decedent in joint tenancy will pass directly to the surviving joint tenant and is not part of the decedent's estate and is not subject to the above described division and distribution.

It is difficult to say what is high, or low, or the right price.  Attorneys have an ethical duty not to charge too much to their clients.  However, what is too much cannot be defined until after a case concludes.  It sounds like your attorney is proposing to work on a contingency fee.  In that case, a 1/3 fee is not necessarily high.  On the other hand, if you pay for the services up front and pay an hourly fee, then $8,000 seems high to establish an estate.  However, there is a lot that goes into creating and administering and estate, and I cannot tell what the complexities might be in this matter, what other assets might exist, what bills must be paid, etc.  Therefore, your best way to determine what a fair price is will be to interview two or three lawyers who specialize in probate work and see which lawyer you like and which lawyer charges you what you perceive to be a fair price.