Our Georgia Probate Law Firm Provides Top Level, Compassionate Service.
Georgia Probate Law Group is a compassionate, dynamic Georgia probate law firm on a mission to make the probate and estate process fair and simple for our clients.
Our Team
FOUNDER & CEO
Erik J. Broel
Erik founded the firm in 2009. He sees it as his personal mission to demystify the process of handling an estate or trust, and to help people by making the complex estate process simple and accessible. He believes there is always a better way to do things, and loves finding new and innovative ways to deliver better, more effective service that solves the client’s key problem or issue, and improves the client’s life.
SENIOR ATTORNEY
David S. Beale
A coin flip over forty-six years ago resulted in David S. Beale joining our firm. That’s how David, a native of New Orleans, and his wife, Susan, a native of Baltimore, decided where to settle. Atlanta won then and, forty-six years later, after a distinguished career as a solo practitioner, so did we.
ATTORNEY
Stacey L. Ferris
When Stacey was twelve years old she had two great loves – the theatre and music– and one, and only one, thing she wanted to be when she grew up – a lawyer. She’s not sure where that came from, just knows she was twelve, knew what she wanted, and never strayed from that path, despite the allure of acting. Specifically, roles in Jesus Christ Superstar, A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum, Kiss Me Kate, many more, in high school and at the University of Georgia.
ATTORNEY
Courtney B. Newman
The moment Courtney knew she wanted to be an attorney came when her father was diagnosed with a rare cancer.
“An estate planner met with my parents and developed the right tools to ensure that no matter what happened, all of his children would have funding to support their education. Taking that weight off his shoulders was noticeably helpful to both of my parents, and allowed all of us the maximum amount of time to focus on him and each other.”
ATTORNEY, OF COUNSEL
Henry M. Abelman
While most children his age were watching cartoons, 6-year-old Henry was watching Perry Mason, dreaming of the day when he could walk into a courtroom with a briefcase and a plan.
Henry’s best day as an attorney came years later when he worked for 12 hours straight at a mediation. They worked for so long that day that the building closed and they had to finish up across the street outside of a restaurant. “It was such a good feeling when the settlement agreement was written out and I went over each provision with my client.”
ATTORNEY, OF COUNSEL
Dave D. Dupee
David Dupee was born in Kentucky, but grew up in Iowa. He earned his law degree from Emory University School of Law. Prior to that, he earned his undergraduate degree in history from Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. David attends, and serves as a deacon at All Souls Fellowship in Decatur, Georgia. David has been married to his wife, Rachel since 1990, and they have a 16 year old son whom they adopted after fostering him.
Erik J. Broel
FOUNDER & CEO
David S. Beale
SENIOR ATTORNEY
Stacey L. Ferris
ATTORNEY
Courtney B. Newman
ATTORNEY
Henry M. Abelman
ATTORNEY, OF COUNSEL
Dave D. Dupee
ATTORNEY, OF COUNSEL
What We Do for Our Clients
Our clients can trust us to provide levelheaded, strategic guidance on how to handle their estates and deal with any disputes that arise.
Uncontested Estates
Clients often come to us for help with uncontested probate. This is the process of transferring assets in an orderly fashion from the estate to creditors, heirs and beneficiaries. It is our mission to keep this process simple, easy to understand and low stress. We make it easy for you, and we are always here to answer your questions.
We can also assist if you need help shepherding a business from one generation to the next. Maybe you’ve recently lost your husband or wife, and you need help sorting through everything. Or maybe you want to protect the estate from creditors or sell the estate’s property. Georgia Probate Group can help you leverage Georgia law to protect your assets.
Contested Estates
Our goal is to ensure fairness and help our clients feel back in control of what’s happening.
Disagreements over the estate or trust process can lead to a situation known as a contested estate.
Perhaps the executor in charge of the will has been acting suspiciously or withholding information. Or maybe family members are fighting over property or over what to do about a particular asset.
Georgia Probate Law Group can help you deal with the contested probate peacefully, if possible, or leverage powerful negotiation and litigation strategies, if necessary.
We can fight to prevent a wrongdoer from trying to convince the probate court to accept a fraudulent will, take advantage of the estate, flout the deceased’s wishes or unfairly take or misappropriate estate property.
Our goal is to ensure fairness and help our clients feel back in control of what’s happening.
Trust Administration
Your loved one may have established a trust, which is a legal agreement to hold and distribute property to beneficiaries, to protect those assets from probate and tax consequences and to make transfers simpler after death.
After the person who made the trust dies, another person, known as the trustee, manages the trust and ensures that beneficiaries, such as close family members or charitable institutions, relieve the assets in an orderly, fair fashion in accordance with Georgia trust laws.
During this process, concerns can arise. The trustee, for instance, may be unsure about how to interpret a certain provision of the trust or may have trouble inventorying what’s in the trust, evaluating assets or preparing key documents. Our legal team can ensure excellent communication, compliance with Georgia law and fair treatment for all beneficiaries, while also making sure the trustee observes all fiduciary duties.
Trust Disputes
Trust disputes, also sometimes called fiduciary litigation or trust litigation, generally arise when the trustee and the beneficiaries come into conflict somehow.
For instance, perhaps the trustee failed to communicate important information or stopped distribution without justification.
Or maybe the beneficiary believes that the property in trust has been mismanaged or misappropriated. We can help you strategically negotiate or aggressively litigate a solution that leads to a fair result.
Thank you.
We appreciate you taking the time to tell us about your situation. A member of our team will be in touch shortly.
If you still need our help, you can reach us at 770-920-6030 or email us at Team@GPLG.com
We're an award winning firm
Reduce stress and worry over the estate.
Your Next Steps
Do you need help with a Georgia probate law situation?
Please contact Georgia Probate Law Group today to schedule a confidential and thorough complimentary consultation with us
Call us at (770) 920-6030 now
Don’t live in uncertainty. Get answers and take charge. Over 1,000 families have trusted our caring team to help.
We work to make the process peaceful and efficient, when possible, and we negotiate disputes and litigate them aggressively, if necessary.
The probate process can be an intense and highly personal experience. We provide steady guidance to protect our clients from wasting time, money and energy, and we strive to ensure that the process respects the wishes of their loved ones.
Our team of dedicated attorneys, paralegals and professional staff
© 2019 Georgia Probate Law Group by Broel Law, LLC. All rights reserved.
Our founding attorney, Erik Broel, lost his uncle when he was in college. He watched his aunt go through a very challenging experience.
His uncle didn’t leave a will, and his aunt didn’t know how to manage the estate. As a result, chaos erupted in the family, creating confusion and discord at a moment in time when the family needed peace and unity.
Although Erik tried to help, he had to watch, mostly helpless, as his aunt put on an estate sale and tried to sell her possessions, when what she really needed was space to deal with her grief.
To make matters worse, his aunt had to buy her house back from the estate, since Erik’s “old fashioned” uncle had kept the title in his name.
Our passion for probate comes from a very personal experience.
Watching his aunt being pushed around in a wheelchair — because she was too overwhelmed by the chaos of the estate and grief-stricken to stand — formed an indelible impression on Erik and inspired him to his life’s work.
He became driven to help others avoid the indignities and frustrations that his aunt had to endure.
As soon as Erik finished law school, he knew right away that he wanted to work on Georgia probate law matters and to help people like his aunt. To that end, he recruited a fantastic team to build Georgia Probate Law Group and rally around this important mission.
SPEAK WITH A TEAM MEMBER
What you need to know to make sure it is done right
3 phases of settling an Estate.
How to handle Estate disputes.
What to do if you cannot find the will.
Common probate terms.
FAQ answering common questions
What to do right now.
Download the Georgia Probate Law Group Handbook