“What Do I Do With The Deceased Will?” By Leslee Hungerford

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When a loved one dies you may be left with several questions, including what do I do with their Last Will & Testament? Under Georgia law, a person in possession of a Last Will & Testament has an affirmative duty to file it with reasonable promptness with the probate court of the county having jurisdiction. See, O.C.G.A. §53-5-5. However, filing the Will with Probate Court is not the same as formally offering the Will for Probate. To formally initiate the probate process, you must file the requisite petition with the court in addition to filing the Will. Generally, the named Executor of the Will is responsible for offering the Will for Probate. If for any reason the executor fails to offer the will for probate with reasonable promptness, or if no executor is named, any interested person may offer the will for probate.

If you find yourself in possession of the deceased’s Will, the first step will be to check the Will to see if an Executor is named. If so, you should contact the Executor and discuss moving forward with initiating the probate procedure, including filing the Will with the court. If there is no named Executor in the Will, you may be permitted to file the Will and initiate the probate process yourself. Schedule a consultation to discuss the probate process and what responsibilities you may have as a holder of a Will.

Leslie O’Neal 2017 Next Generation Award Winner

Marietta Daily Journal.Next Award. 08.10.2017.

The 2017 recipients were selected from a group of nominees who are active within the community, essential to their profession and offer a unique perspective. Both winners demonstrate the potential to be prominent leaders within the Cobb community.

Leslie O’Neal has been named one of Georgia’s Super Lawyers Rising Stars by Atlanta Magazine in 2014 and 2015 and was named as a Top 20 under 40 Rising Star by Cobb Life Magazine in 2014. She is an active member of the Georgia Bar Association, Cobb County Bar Association, Cobb County Bar Association Family Law Division, Cobb County Bar Association Young Lawyers Division and the Atlanta Bar Association Family Law Division. She serves as a New Member

Ambassador for the Cobb County Bar Association, is a member of the Steering Committee for Cobb Executive Women, served as former chairwoman for CYP in 2015, graduated from the Leadership Cobb Class of 2014 and was a member of the 2016 Honorary Commanders Class.

Alyssa Blanchard 2017-18 Class of Leadership Cobb

Cobb Leadership 7.11.17Congratulations to our attorney Alyssa Blanchard for being announced in the 2017-18 class of Leadership Cobb. This recognition is focused on personal and professional growth through awareness, community resources and the social, political and economic needs of the community

4th of July Parade with O’Dell & O’Neal Attorneys

12111098765321Every year we invite the public to join us in watching the 4th of July Parade. Our office is located in the heart of downtown Marietta, an ideal spot to watch the parade. We also had complementary biscuits, snow cones, parking and beverages for everyone to enjoy. This year attorney Justin O’Dell handed out biscuits to trolley riders and drivers as they came by during the parade. We had a great crowd for 2017 and can’t wait to host again next year!

The Bitter End of Brangelina Includes Supervised Visitation by Leslie O’Neal

Hollywood has been stunned by the sudden split of one its golden couples, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.  It was announced in September that the couple is divorcing after a lengthy and high profile relationship spanning more than ten years.   They share six children together – 3 of whom are adopted – and they have a vast estate that includes a Chateau in the South of France with a working winery.  However, unlike many high profile splits, it is not the asset division that has become the biggest source of contention in this saga, but rather custody and visitation rights over their six children.

In a twist that would rival any Hollywood script, it was revealed shortly after Jolie’s divorce filing that the L.A. Department of Child and Family Services (“DCFS”) was investigating Pitt for becoming physically confrontational with the couple’s oldest son Maddox on an international flight aboard a private plane.  As a result, it has been widely reported that Pitt’s initial reintroduction and visitation with his children has been supervised by a third party based on temporary recommendation from DCFS.

Supervised visits are generally imposed by Courts in Georgia when there is a potential risk of an unsafe and/or unhealthy environment for the children involved.    This tool is also used when an investigation is being made into allegations of abuse or inappropriate behavior.  Until the investigation is complete and a determination can be made regarding the validity of the allegations, a judge may impose supervised visitation out of an abundance of caution.  This ensures the protection of the children if the allegations are later validated, but also ensures continuing contact between the children and that particular parent.  This is likely what is occurring in Pitt’s case, as it has been reported that all parties are awaiting the results of the DFCS investigation before moving forward with a more permanent visitation schedule.

Supervised visitation services in Georgia generally come at a steep price.  They generally run at about $50 per hour, plus an added fee for the supervisor to prepare a written report at the conclusion of the visit.  In addition to the cost, both parents must fill out forms in advance of the visits and follow-strict guidelines during the visit. However, despite the cost and strict guidelines, supervision services often place a particular emphasis on keeping the visits as natural as possible for the child.  The following provides more detailed information for supervised visitation services offered in Georgia and other states:  http://www.svnetwork.net/.  Thankfully for Pitt, he can easily afford any cost associated with supervised visits with his children, though the affordability probably doesn’t ease the sting of the negative stigma.

“I’M DIVORCED: NOW WHAT?” by Justin O’Dell

So Dick and Jane got divorced.  Jane has the kids on a primary basis with Dick having visitation.  Before they each settle back into their own lives, each one of them has some important “I’s” to dot and “T’s” to cross related to their respective estates.

First and foremost, Dick and Jane should each immediately update their life insurance policies, 401k policies, IRA policies and any other benefits or plans wherein a beneficiary has been named.  Their divorce may require them to name each other as the beneficiary (or a trustee beneficiary for the children) for a certain amount. If so, that provision should be followed.  However, all other policies and accounts need to be immediately updated.  If, for example, Dick were to die and Jane was still listed as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy or IRA, the policy or account is going to pay out to her.

The second thing each needs to do is update their Wills.  In the instance where a party has a Will executed while married, but then gets divorced, the Will is not revoked.  However, the spouse is treated as predeceasing the maker of the Will.  This is a safety net for the parties in the event that they do not update their Wills and avoids the draconian consequences seen with life insurance and the like, but the situation is still rife with potential problems.  First of all, the Wills created as a married couple probably created a Guardian for the children and a person to serve as Trustee over any money left to the children.  Either person may wish to revisit that decision.  If the parties had named Jane’s sister while married, Dick may want to change Trustees of money he leaves to the children to someone from his own family.  As for the Guardian, the opposite spouse would be the presumptive guardian of the children if one of them died.  However, when that second spouse died, the Court would make a decision based on the person appointed in that spouse’s Will.  It is imperative that each side make an expression as to whom they would wish to have in that role.

Thirdly, both spouses need to make a note about their tax status and future filings.  The parties have probably been filing joint returns.  Now as separate tax filers, they are no longer both benefitting from certain deductions.  One spouse may be able to file head of household, one may have the dependency exemptions over the children and one of them may have the mortgage interest deductions.  If one is paying alimony to the other, it may be tax deductible to the payor and taxable to the payee.  Both Dick and Jane may want to speak with their CPA and tax preparer to review their withholding status and also to plan to set money aside for future taxes.

Lastly, Dick and Jane may want to start a diary or journal of the various dates, deadlines and obligations arising under the decree.  It might be beneficial to keep a calendar regarding the dates visitation and parenting time is exercised and the dates when it is swapped.  Each side may wish to keep a log of any disputes and of the other parties’ attendance at the children’s events, activities, conferences and the like.  Often times parties will act like this sort of journaling is unnecessary under the belief that “We are getting along and working together, so I don’t need to arm myself for future court.”  Those parties are well-served to remember that the couple also exchanged wedding vows which contained a host of promises and commitments, yet wound up in a divorce.  Life changes and situations certainly present themselves which neither party anticipated.  It is better to be ready than to be caught off-guard and guessing.