Blog
Are Real Estate Agents Obsolete?
If you have been in the home buying market in recent years, you may have had this very thought. After all, home buying is more high-tech than ever, and, contrary to popular belief, millennial homebuyers make 34% of all home purchases (that’s the largest share of...
How to Exclude Heirs from Inheriting
In movies, it seems like parents are disinheriting their children left and right for reasons ranging from a nasty argument to marrying someone the parent doesn’t like to remarrying a new spouse. In fact, the circumstances surrounding disinheritance are far more complex and often messier. Choosing to disinherit a family member is a sensitive subject, […]
How to Leave Assets to a Loved One who Struggles with Addiction
In the United States, 21.5 million adults (aged 12 or older) battle with some kind of substance abuse disorder. The opioid epidemic is on the rise, and addiction affects many families nationwide. Decades of research have shown that addiction is a chronic illness, and many in recovery have one or more relapses (60% of patients […]
Brian M. Douglas, Esq. Explains Revocable Living Trusts
We’ve heard the buzz. We know what people are saying, and I am here to dispel the myths. A will is not the only way to transfer assets to your loved ones. Trusts are not reserved for the wealthy and the financially-minded. DIY wills you complete online will not create the same results as working […]
What Does it Mean to Administer a Trust in Georgia?
At Brian M. Douglas & Associates, we work with individuals and families who want to avoid the costly Georgia probate process. Often, that means creating a revocable living trust and naming a trusted individual to serve as successor trustee, easing the transfer of assets and property to loved ones. But what does a successor trustee […]
Homeowners: Ever Thought of Getting into Show Biz?
What does your home say? Not just what does it say about you, but what does it have to say on its own? If you were to take photograph or a video of your home, does it set a certain mood? Evoke particular emotions? Is it spooky? Grand? Elegant? Eclectic? Historic?...
How Often Do You Need to Revisit Your Estate Plan?
We’ve mentioned this statistic before, but it bears repeating: 6 out of 10 adult Americans do not have any estate plan documents in place. Of course, we know that doesn’t mean that nothing will happen to their assets or their loved ones after they pass. Instead, a...
Resolve to Succeed: The #1 New Year’s Resolution Your Business Should Make
In January, we set goals for ourselves in the hopes that this year will be a little bit better than the last. Our resolutions can be small and concrete, like cutting down on caffeine, or big and transformative, like changing our outlook on things outside of our...
Can You Tell Whether You are Dealing with a Real Expert?
On the internet, anyone can claim to be an expert. Even in the legal profession, websites and blogs can be misleading. How can you tell whether an attorney truly specializes in a particular area of law? You don’t want to risk your money and your time on an attorney...
New Federal Law Requires Hospitals to Publish Prices
On January 1, 2019, a new federal law came into effect, requiring hospitals to publish their pricing for the public to see. This regulation, created in response to notorious problems with healthcare cost transparency, was intended to provide patients with more...
Airbnb Cities May Become a Reality in 2019
You know Airbnb as the company that revolutionized travel around the world by making home-sharing easy. You have probably also heard about the big waves the $38 billion company has caused in the hotel industry, sparking legislation and regulation throughout the US....
Homeowner 101: What is an Escrow Account?
If you are a first-time homebuyer, you probably have noticed that there is a whole language that you have to learn as a homeowner. We promise, it gets easier, but it can be a huge help to get some background information on the lingo you’ve been hearing. To that end,...