Estate Planning & Probate









Estate Planning

Effective estate planning requires more than the preparation of a will. Greg can help you navigate the options that are available to help protect your assets, ensure your personal and financial well-being throughout the remaining years of life, and protect your estate upon death.

You must consider a host of factors when doing “estate planning.” Estate Planning includes much more that the transfer of your property at your death. It  requires much knowledge of probate law, tax law, Medicaid rules, elder law and property law. An effective Estate plan will also work with existing federal estate, gift, and income taxes.

An effective Estate plan will likely include a Last Will & Estate, a Durable Power of Attorney, a Living Will. It may also involve trusts for minor beneficiaries, family with special needs, or those with creditor or marital problems. It will include nominations for Guardianship of a person’s children should something disable them from caring for the minor children.

An effective Estate plan will also coordinate your Last Will with your deeds, Payment of Death designations. A person may have the fanciest last will; however, if it does mesh with everything else, it could be a waste of money.

The Alabama State Bar provides this Brochure to explain the concepts of a Last Will in Alabama in more detail. The Bar also provides this Brochure to discuss Advanced Healthcare Planning.


Probate

Probate can be a seemingly overwhelming process. It is more so because it regularly is needed shortly after the loss of a family member.

Probate is simply the process whereby some one is authorized legally to act on behalf of the deceased. The process is largely dictated by whether the decedant maintained a Last Will at their death. If not, the statutory rules of Intestate Succession determine the disposition of assets.

The Law Office of Greg Varner represents personal representatives and beneficiaries in the Alabama probate process, statewide.  Our Florida probate services can be divided into the following areas.
  • Probate Administration
  • Intestate Succession
  • Probate Litigation
  • Will Contests
  • Breach of Fiduciary Duty and Beneficiary Rights
  • Ancillary Probate
  • Rights of Surviving Spouses in Florida
  • Abuse of a Power of Attorney
Probate represents a sizable portion of the practice of the Law Office of Greg Varner. While most only require management assistance and legal direction, some of these matters involve contests requiring particular skill and knowledge of relevant statutory and precedential law.

Greg Varner serves east, central Alabama including Clay County (Ashland and Linville), Coosa County (Rockford and Goodwater), Talladega County (Talladega, Lincoln, and Sylacauga), Tallapoosa County (Alexander City and Dadeville), Chambers County (LaFayette, Lanett, and Valley), Randolph County (Roanoke, Wadley, Wedowee, and Woodland), Cleburne County (Heflin), Calhoun County (Anniston and Oxford), Etowah County (Gadsden and Rainbow City), St.Clair County (Pell City) and Elmore County (Wetumpka), and Lee County (Auburn and Opelika).