Business Details
40 Years
experience
Atlanta LGBTQ Legal Services for Estate Planning & Probate
Since 1986, our firm has provided compassionate, experienced legal representation to individuals and couples across Georgia, with a specialized focus on the unique needs of the LGBTQ community. We offer comprehensive estate planning services, including Wills, Advance Directives for Health Care, and Financial Powers of Attorney, ensuring clients maintain control over their medical, financial, and familial decisions. Our expertise extends to domestic partnership agreements, probate administration, and name change petitions, with a proven track record of advocating for legal recognition of same-sex relationships.Backed by decades of experience and active involvement in legal advocacy organizations, we prioritize client education and personalized solutions. Our practice combines technical proficiency with a deep understanding of the challenges faced by LGBTQ individuals, ensuring every document we draft protects our clients' chosen families and preserves their legacies.
Services
Estate Planning
Domestic Partnership Agreements
Probate Services
Name Change Petitions
Advance Directives
Financial Powers of Attorney
Will Drafting
Probate Administration
Joint Tenancy Deeds
Guardianship Documents
Details
- Year established: 1986
Highlights and features
- We specialize in LGBTQ estate planning and domestic partnership law since 1986
- Our practice focuses on protecting non-traditional family structures in Georgia
- We offer comprehensive probate services for estates with complex family dynamics
- Our documents comply with evolving Georgia same-sex marriage recognition laws
- We provide practical solutions for joint property ownership and hospital visitation rights
Services
Estate Planning
We create customized estate plans that ensure your assets are distributed according to your wishes while protecting your family's rights. Our services include drafting Wills, trusts, and inheritance documents that comply with Georgia law. Specializing in LGBTQ-specific needs, we help clients establish legal protections that biological family relationships automatically receive.
Domestic Partnership Agreements
Our firm drafts legally binding agreements that define property rights and responsibilities for unmarried couples. These documents establish clear guidelines for asset division, financial obligations, and decision-making authority. We help clients create enforceable contracts that provide legal recognition for their relationships in Georgia's evolving legal landscape.
Probate Services
We guide executors through Georgia's probate process for estates with or without Wills. Our services include court filings, asset inventory, debt settlement, and property distribution. We specialize in handling estates where family dynamics require additional legal protections for surviving partners and non-traditional heirs.
Name Change Petitions
We assist clients with all aspects of legal name changes, including court petitions and birth certificate modifications. Our expertise includes handling name changes for transgender individuals and couples seeking shared surnames. We ensure proper documentation for both personal and official record updates.
Advance Directives
We create Georgia-compliant Advance Directives that specify medical preferences and designate healthcare agents. These documents ensure your medical wishes are honored and your chosen representative has legal authority. We emphasize protections for LGBTQ clients facing potential family conflicts during medical crises.
People
Kathleen Womack, Attorney At Law
Attorney at Law
With over 35 years of legal experience since graduating from Emory University School of Law in 1986, Kathleen specializes in estate planning and domestic partnership law for LGBTQ clients. She has served on multiple bar associations and received recognition for her advocacy work, including the Stonewall Community Award.
Questions
What estate planning documents are essential for unmarried couples?
Unmarried couples need Wills, Advance Directives for Health Care, and Financial Powers of Attorney to ensure legal recognition of their relationships and protect their rights.
How does same-sex marriage affect existing estate plans?
Georgia's recognition of same-sex marriage since 2015 may require updating documents to ensure your estate plan reflects current legal protections and marital status.
What happens during the probate process?
Probate involves validating the Will, inventorying assets, paying debts, and distributing property according to the deceased's wishes through Georgia court procedures.
How can domestic partners protect joint property ownership?
We create joint tenancy deeds with survivorship rights and domestic partnership agreements to ensure proper transfer and protection of shared assets in Georgia.
What legal protections exist for non-biological parents?
We draft Powers of Attorney for Minor Children to grant non-biological parents legal authority for educational and medical decisions regarding their children.
