here.
We are fortunate in Bibb County in that our
Probate Judge was an experienced attorney at law before leaving private practice when
he was elected Probate Judge of Bibb County, Georgia. He has been kind enough to
write several booklets for the benefit of the general public which he has given us
permission to reproduce on this site. In one of them, he covers the various types of
proceedings involved in the administration of an Estate, and that article may be read
by clicking here.
Another area that the average person may be faced with is the debilitation of a loved one,
such as a spouse, parent, or close relative who has lost, either temporarily or permanantly,
their physical or mental faculties. Judge Self addresses the alternatives in such
cases with another article which may be read by clicking
here.
For some reason many people think that if their estate
goes through probate the courts and lawyers will "get it all." Nothing
could be further from the truth, since the average fee for the relatively
simple estate runs $500.00 (or less), plus court costs of approximately
$100.00-$150.00. When you are dealing with your home and everything that
has been worked for throughout your life, this seems to be a small price to
pay to ensure that your last desires as to the distribution of your property
is carried out as you would want it to be. The usual cost in this office
for the preparation of a simple Will is $100.00 per will, or $150.00 for mutual
simple wills of a married couple. This would mean that the total cost
of the preparation of a Will and the administration and probate of that will
would likely run far less than $1,000.00.
The preparation of Last Wills is not a big "money maker"
in this or most law offices. The reason that many attorneys emphasize
the importance of a Will is because they realize how potentially destructive, both
financially and emotionally, the lack of a Will can be to a family where one
doesn't exist. Remember also that a Will should be reread every few years
to see that its provisions still meet the needs of your current financial and
family situation and environment.
