The Estate & Asset Protection Law Firm Owner, Shannon Pawley, Focuses On A Georgia Specific Law Designed To Help Surviving Spouses And Minor Children When The Breadwinning Spouse Dies Without A Will.
Estate & Asset Protection Law Firm Owner, Shannon Pawley, turns her attention to petitions for a Year’s Support in light of so many people who have died without a will since the beginning of the pandemic leaving behind spouses and minor children.
DECATUR, GA, January 24, 2022: Shannon Pawley, Owner of The Estate & Asset Protection Law Firm, has posted a new article on the law firm’s website entitled “What Happens To Surviving Spouses And Children When Breadwinner Dies With No Will.” Ms. Pawley provides an overview of how the law works and when it is most commonly used.
Pawley launches into her article with a striking statistic, writing, “About half of all people who die in the United States die without a will – a legal directive of what will happen to their money, debts and properties after they’re gone.” https://news.gallup.com/poll/191651/majority-not.aspx
She continues adding, “To date, more than 800,00 people have died from COVID-19 in the United States, which means hundreds of thousands have died without wills. Many surviving spouses and minor children have been left without support and income. In many cases some children have lost both parents to COVID-19.” She states, “This brings up an important Georgia law designed to help surviving spouses and minor children.”
“Year’s support,” Pawley explains, “is a probate petition designed to ensure that a surviving spouse and/or minor kids do not wind up on the street after the family’s primary breadwinner passes away.” She points out, “It is a very old law from a time when the family was primarily supported by the husband, while the wife stayed at home to raise the kids.” She further elaborates, “The “Year’s Support” is a law very specific to Georgia. In most states, surviving spouses and minor children are entitled to a portion of the estate by law, regardless of what the Will says. However, in Georgia, the spouse and minor children can be excluded from the estate under a Will.”
Pawley explains, “The most common use of Year’s Support is when an estate is unable to pay its debts. Year’s Support takes precedence over all other claims on an estate. It has a higher priority than funeral expenses, last illnesses expenses and creditor claims, with the exception of loans that are secured such as a mortgage or car loan.”
The entire article can be read at LINK HERE
About The Estate & Asset Protection Law Firm
The Estate & Asset Protection Law Firm was established to serve the legal needs of retiring citizens. The Firm focuses its entire practice on providing strategies to protect independence, privacy, assets and taxes from the government. Shannon Pawley has grown her law practice by providing excellent customer satisfaction with personalized wealth protection plans.
About Shannon M. Pawley, J.D., LL.M
As the owner of The Estate & Asset Protection Law Firm, Shannon M. Pawley and her entire team share a passion which focuses on being able to serve the legal needs of retiring individuals. In our firm, WE BELIEVE that people should not have to lose everything they’ve worked a lifetime to earn and that every person is an individual who deserves respect and the highest quality of life possible, regardless of age or ability. We also believe that privacy and protection are the keys to personal peace. Born and raised in the Tidewater area of Virginia to a tightknit family with strong military service roots, Shannon learned from an early age the value of hard work and the importance of social awareness to ensure you always leave a situation in a better place than how you entered it. In her junior year of high school, Shannon served as U.S. House of Representatives Page during the 101st United States Congressional Session in Washington, D.C. This experience exposed her to numerous new cultures and worldly issues. Walking away from her experience as a U.S. House of Representative Page, Shannon knew that she wanted to pursue legal studies and be able to assist others in obtaining the best results available in difficult situations.
Shannon earned her undergraduate degree at North Carolina Wesleyan College and pursued a law degree from Michigan State University College of Law. After obtaining her law degree and becoming a licensed attorney in Michigan, she continued her educational pursuit by acquiring a LL.M. (Master of Law) in Taxation from Wayne State University. After moving to Georgia in 2018, Shannon obtained her Georgia law license and has enjoyed being able to pursue her desire of ensuring persons are able to age with dignity, grace and independence.
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!
