George Fusner provides estate planning and probate expertise for families in the Nashville, Brentwood, Franklin, and Middle Tennessee area. If you need estate planning advice, if a loved one has died and you need help navigating probate, or if you are interested in learning more about establishing a conservatorship or a probate guardianship, please read the following overview of Mr. Fusner's practice and contact our office for more information.

Estate Planning

Even if you already have a will, it may be outdated if you have since acquired property, had additional children, have changed your marital status, or have decided to make a substantial gift to a friend, family member, or charitable organization. By making a new will or amending an outdated will, Mr. Fusner can help you avoid costly litigation and ensure that you have the last word in the distribution of your assets.

Mr. Fusner also assists with crucial legal documents related to end-of-life decisions. Drafting a durable power of attorney for financial and medical decisions is a necessary step in ensuring that your life is in trustworthy hands if you are unexpectedly hospitalized. Additionally, a living will is the clearest statement you can make to your physician regarding the scope of medical treatment acceptable to you should you become incapacitated. Taking your individual situation into account, Mr. Fusner will sympathetically and confidentially advise you on important issues that often go overlooked in drafting these documents.

Probate

Often, loved ones will unwittingly leave a tangled financial situation for their survivors to unravel. Any combination of substantial debt, an ambiguous will, or a contentious family dynamic can easily trap an estate in probate, which can steadily drain the estate of its assets if proper care is not taken. Let Attorney George Fusner lead you through will contests and debt collection and help you obtain a judgment that is fair to you and respects your loved one's last wishes.

If you are trying to collect a debt from someone who recently died, we strongly encourage you to obtain legal counsel as soon as possible. The time limits on collecting a debt in probate are short and inflexible, and filing a creditor's claim in probate court may be necessary.

Whether or not the above complicated issues arise, there are other important, routine tasks that must not be overlooked when someone dies. The process of transferring the deceased person's property to his or her survivors is under the supervision of a probate judge. Additionally, estate tax forms must be completed and payments must be made to avoid penalties. Mr. Fusner's father recently passed away, and he understands that losing a family member is a complicated and stressful time. He will handle these responsibilities for you so that you can keep your thoughts with your family.

Conservatorships & Guardianships

If an adult close friend or family member is incapable of providing for himself or managing his assets, a conservatorship may be the best way to make sure that he is well cared for, and that unscrupulous people cannot take advantage of his situation. Mr. Fusner can advise you of your powers and duties as a conservator so that you can decide whether that is the best course of action, and will help you establish a conservatorship.

A guardianship provides an adult with parental responsibilities for a minor child. Among other things, guardians must provide for a child's housing, education, and health care. If a child has been orphaned, abandoned, neglected, or abused, a probate court may appoint an adult who is not the parent to care for the child and keep her assets in trust. This special kind of trust is called a "probate guardianship." A probate guardianship, however, can only be established if the child is not a party to any Family Court or Juvenile Court matters. If you are interested in establishing a guardianship, do not hesitate to contact Mr. Fusner for a consultation.

To set up a free consultation to discuss any of the above estate and probate services, contact us online or call me at (615) 251-0005.