Estate Planning in Light of the Pandemic, Divorce

How are these three things related… estate planning, the pandemic, and divorce?

There’s nothing like a major challenge to test a marriage. Life always dishes out an endless variety of challenges that some couples manage to negotiate while others don’t. And 2020 threw every couple a real wingding of a challenge in the form of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

It might have felt romantic at the beginning for couples to have to shelter-in-place. And, if there are children, it might have been fun for the whole family to be together as typically done on weekends or vacations. But most people expected that to last for a short time. Well, here we are a full year later with social distancing, quarantining, mask-wearing, homeschooling, working from home, still in place. And it’s all taking a toll on some marriages.

According to a National Law Review article posted on their website last October, “The evidence that the pandemic might lead to an uptick in divorce rates came early this year. By April, the interest in divorce had already increased by 34% in the US, with newer couples being the most likely to file for divorce. In fact, a full 20% of couples who had been married for five months or less sought divorce during this time period, compared with only 11% in 2019.

https://www.natlawreview.com/article/divorce-rates-and-covid-19

For those couples still in the ‘honeymoon’ phase of their marriage seeking a divorce, chances are they hadn’t had time to create an estate plan. If this is the case, you can still take estate planning actions while a divorce is pending. In some cases, this may be prudent, while in other cases it won’t be.

For instance, if you are going through a divorce you can establish a durable power of attorney. If you have an Advanced Health Care Directive, you can change that too. And, you can establish or change your will. If you do have an estate plan and are getting divorced, it’s important to review your plan with your attorney and make the necessary changes before the divorce is finalized.

The pandemic is taking its toll on everyone especially, and as we are seeing, can be especially hard on relationships whether new or long-term. Unfortunately, experts anticipate that the divorce rates will continue to increase as the pandemic lingers.

Looking to find an experienced estate lawyer in the Georgia area who is skilled in asset protection and estate plan preparation? Shannon Pawley is an attorney in Georgia with expertise in estate planning and asset protection. Shannon can provide assistance with creating an estate plan to include making a will and how to establish a trust properly. If you have questions about asset protection or questions about making an estate plan, reach out to Shannon and she will be glad to help answer all the estate planning questions you might have!

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21:58 07 Feb 24

Shannon and her team were great. Went in for a consultation and got my money worth. She explained and made sure we understood. I will be using them in the future.

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18:55 17 Dec 23

We had excellent service from Shannon and her team, they are true professionals and helped us and explained every step in the process. We highly recommend The Estate and Asset Protection Law Firm.

Virgil Price Young

20:16 18 Jul 23

Stephanie Deal

15:22 07 Jul 23

My father and I recently used the estate, an asset protection, law, firm for new wheels, new, power of attorney’s, and a creation of a trust. Brooke and her entire team could not have been more helpful and more professional! We loved working with them, and they took everything seriously therefore I didn’t have to worry about a thing. I highly recommend everyone at the law firm.

Barry Amos

01:22 01 Jul 23

Great firm. Had answers to all our questions and explained everything clearly. Never felt rushed to make a decision Could not ask for a better experience. Every one we dealt with was professional and knowledgeable. We highly recommend this firm for estate planning.

Lee Jay

21:30 28 Jun 23

Shannon provided invaluable information regarding a family estate matter. Although her firm did not quite fit our immediate needs, the consultation was informative and extremely HELPFUL! Shannon clearly explained what our next steps should be and offered to assist if we had any questions along the way. Her expertise and willingness to help puts her in a league of her own!

Alice Guppy

02:01 23 Jan 23

Shannon and everyone at The Estate and Asset Protection Law Firm are professional, very knowledgeable, and a pleasure to work with. They answered all our questions in great detail and the plan they developed for us is exactly what we need to protect our assets and estate as we age especially with my husband's health issues.

Lynn McKibbin-Moore

23:09 24 Feb 22

My husband has dementia. This firm has been patient, kind and professional while we went through a move from a house of 37 years in to a condo to be closer to my daughter and her husband. (Miami to Atlanta). There was also a wedding. All in 6 months.We now have a trust, power of attorney. Wills for my daughter and her husband and more. All at a fair price. I could not recommend higher.

Tammy Lee

22:03 29 Jan 22

Shannon Pawley and her team are exceptional at helping families navigate tough situations. We began working with her upon finding out my father had Stage 4 kidney cancer. His decline was more rapid than expected.Attorney Pawley and her entire team expedited paperwork that allowed me to focus on my father’s care, make decisions that suddenly needed to be made for him medically and financially, and has allowed me the ability to focus more on grieving and less on legal matters upon his passing.It is obvious she is knowledgeable about the best ways to navigate estates to protect the assets for the owners and their loved ones. It is just as obvious that she is passionate and has true heart for what her clients go through.We will be using her for own estate needs, and I recommend her expertise to everybody I can.This service is worth every penny we paid as it has saved us more money and time than I could imagine.

H Jessie Brewer

18:26 18 Nov 21

Attorney Shannon Pawley and paralegal Alexis McCoy are legal professionals that my wife and I highly recommend. Their grasp of the Georgia law pertaining to Medicaid assistance and the interworking's of the State department is exceptional. Additionally, their client-attorney relationship skills are excellent. We wouldn't hesitate to use this law firm again should the need arise.

Dawn Hardy

15:06 13 Nov 21

Shannon and her team are the best! They listened to my needs and provided the best advice. They are patient and professional as well as personable, they didn't make me feel like I was just another client. Highly recommend!