Top Rated Estate Planning & Probate Attorney in Alpharetta, GA

Honors and Awards:

• I am honored to have been named my by peers in the legal community as one of Georgia Trend magazine's 2016 Legal Elite in the area of tax, trust, and estate law., Georgia Trend Legal Elite in Tax, Estate, and Trust Law, Georgia Trend magazine, 2016
• Committee Star, Georgia Association for Women Lawyers (GAWL), 2010
• Golden Key National Honor Society, Member, Georgia State University, 1994
• AVVO.com Top Contributor, 2014, 2015, 2016
• Five Star Professional, Atlanta Magazine (this is the new name for the Five Star Wealth Manager award)- 2015 & 2016
• Selected for inclusion in Super Lawyers Georgia, 2013 - 2016
• Five Star Wealth Manager, Atlanta Magazine, 2010 - 2014
• AVVO.com: rated Superb (10.0 out of 10.0)
• AV Rating - Preeminent, Martindale-Hubbell

Bar/Professional Activity:

• Balser Professional Advisors Giving Circle. This is the second version of this program, which is deisgned to keep alumni from the Philanthropic Advisor Leadership Institute program engaged with charitable giving and planning issues., 2017
• Board Member, Estate Planning Council of North Georgia. I am in my second year of a two-year term as a member of the board of directors., 2017
• Balser Professional Advisors Giving Circle. This is a group of alumni from the Philanthropic Advisor Leadership Institute that is now focused on studying a particular set of social issues and selecting a charity that will receive a grant from the group., 2016
• Board Member; Estate Planning Council of North Georgia. I was honored to be asked to serve a two-year term as a member of the Board of Directors for the Estate Planning Council of North Georgia., 2016
• Atlanta Bar Association, CLE Board of Trustees, Member-at-Large, June 2013 to May 2016
• Atlanta Bar Association, Estate Planning & Probate Section, Member: 2005 - present
• Atlanta Bar Association, Estate Planning & Probate Section, Contributing Editor for The Mortmain, the Section newsletter: December 2005 to May 2013
• Atlanta Bar Association, Estate Planning & Probate Section, Editor-in-Chief for The Mortmain, the Section newsletter: June 2013 - present
• Atlanta Bar Association, Estate Planning & Probate Section, Member-at-large, Board of Directors: June 2007 - May 2009
• Atlanta Bar Association, Estate Planning & Probate Section, Treasurer: June 2010 - May 2011, Secretary: June 2009 - May 2010
• Atlanta Bar Association, Estate Planning & Probate Section, Chair: June 2012 - May 2013, Vice-Chair/Chair Elect: June 2011 - May 2012
• Atlanta Bar Association, Estate Planning & Probate Section, Immediate Past Chair (June 2013 - May 2014)
• North Fulton Bar Association, Member, 2005 - present
• Stonewall Bar Association, Member, 2005 - present
• Georgia Association for Women Lawyers, Co-founder and Host of North Fulton GAWL Neighborhood Networking Breakfast, April 2008 - April 2011
• Member, Georgia Association for Women Lawyers, 2005 - present
• Financial Planning Association, Member, 2001 to 2007
• American Bar Association, Member, 1994 - present
• State Bar of Georgia, Member, 1997 to present
• ProWIN, President: 2011 & 2012, President-Elect: 2010, VP of Finance/Treasurer: 2007 - 2009, Member: 2005 - present
• ProWIN, Immediate Past President, 2013
• ProWIN, Board-Member-at-Large, 2014
• ProWIN, Advisory Board member, 2015 - present
• ProWIN (the Professional Women's Information Network, Inc.), 2007 - present
• Philanthropic Advisor Leadership Institute, Participating Class Member, Class of 2011
• International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, Member, 2010 - present
• Collaborative Law Institute of Georgia, Member, 2010 - present
• Atlanta Estate Planning Council, Member, September 2011 to present
• Atlanta Bar Association, Small Firm/Solo Practitioner Section, 2005 - present
• Atlanta Bar Association, Taxation Section, Member, 2005 - present
• Atlanta Bar Association, Member, 2005 to present
• Georgia Bar Association, Member
• Georgia, 1997
• The Mortmain, the periodical issued by the Atlanta Bar Association's Estate Planning & Probate Section, Editor-in-Chief June 2013 to present; Contributing Editor December 2005 to June 2013)
• Estate Planning Council of North Georgia (Member - 2008 to present)
• North Fulton Bar Association (Member - 2005 to present)
• Stonewall Bar Association (Member - 2005 to present)

Pro bono/Community Service:

• Review and answer questions posted by laypeople on avvo.com and Lawyers.com about estate planning, probate, trust, and tax related issues., 2008

Scholarly Lectures and Writings:

• Presented at the Women Inspiring, Supporting, & Educating seminar that was put on by Lincoln Financial Advisors for women financial advisors., Speaker, Some Not-So-Obvious Reasons That Estate, Trust, Conservatorship, & Guardianship Related Disputes Are Going To Explode In Number In the Future , 2017
• Understanding the Basics of the Most Common Trusts and The Top 10 Estate Facts that ALL CPAs Must Know; both presented at the 2014 Federal Tax Day Seminar of the American Woman's Society of Certified Public Accountants, Georgia Affiliate, on November 7, 2014
• Estate Planning's New Paradigm; Presenter, 2014 Estate Planning Conference of the Georgia Society of CPAs, August 1, 2014

Transactions:

• Assisted client in the creation of a Delaware-based perpetual trust designed to benefit client's grandchildren and other, lower-generation beneficiaries, 2011
• Assisted client who filed Petition for Letters of Administration for an estate pro se, was appointed as Administrator, and then later discovered someone believed to have been an heir was not, 2010
• Helped client develop and establish a 501(c)(3) public charity for the purpose of conducting a major annual automotive event and raising funds for charity, 2000
• Helped client develop ideas for and then drafted extremely complex trust which contained extensive incentive and "disincentive" provisions for client's child.
• Have worked with many, many clients on estate planning which is intended to maximize the benefits of clients' generation-skipping transfer ("GST") tax exemption amounts, using both inter vivos and testamentary trusts. Developed extensive understanding of the GST tax rules
• Assisted client in settling large and complex estate which involved the establishment and funding of two testamentary trusts, allocation of decedent's GST exemption, and preparation and filing of the IRS form needed to elect out of the application of the federal estate tax for the decedent, who died during 2010
• Assisted numerous clients with planning and executing gift transactions designed to allow them to take advantage of the gift tax and generation-skipping transfer ("GST") tax exemptions in effect for 2012 before December 31, 2012
• Have worked with numerous gay and lesbian couples to prepare and implement estate planning measures intended to protect them and, in many cases, their children in the event of the death or disability of either member of the couple.

Video:

• Appeared on There's Joy in the House in April 2010, Internet TV show, There's Joy in the House

Newsletters:

• Latest issue of The Passionate Estate Planner; Morgan & DiSalvo, P.C.'s newsletter addresses the issue of planning estates for families with special needs children, Common Pitfalls When Planning Estates for Families with Special Needs Children
• The January edition of the newsletter is about The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012: Estate Planning Game Changer?
• What is a Trust?
• Estate Planning for Blended Families - Let Me Count The Ways
• Co-writer, Newsletter for our clients and professional contacts, The Passionate Estate Planner
• Special Needs Trust Accounts Created Under the ABLE Act
• The Essence of Estate Planning: Let the Journey Begin (Updated August, 2015)
• Should I Use a Will or a Revocable Living Trust? Separating Facts From Fiction- (Updated June 2015)
• VA Benefits FAQ
• Primer on Special Needs Trusts
• Estate Planning is Not a One-Time Event
• Planning for Incapacity and Death
• What is a Trust?
• Estate Planning – The Big Picture, but Critically Important, Issues.
• POWERS OF ATTORNEY – How to Avoid Potential Agent Liability with a Quick Fix
• Take Steps to Prevent Destructive Post-Death Disputes Over Your Estate Plan
• “Do-It-Yourself” Wills & Other Estate Planning – If You Really Care, Beware!
• Same Sex Couples: If You Really Care About Building a Life With Your Partner… You Need to Do the Planning Now! (Updated)
• The Essence of Estate Planning: Let the Journey Begin
• Preparing for Incapacity: The Documents You Need and Traps to Avoid
• When Mom Isn't Quite Right: Aging and Incapacity
• Perpetual Dynasty Trusts – Maximizing The Benefits Of Trusts By Structuring Them To Last Longer
• IRAs and Qualified Plan Accounts: Should You Pass Them to Beneficiaries Outright or in Trust?
• The Passionate Estate Planner; Morgan & DiSalvo, P.C.'s newsletter – June 2012, Corporate Fiduciaries for Estates & Trusts: Reliability, Prudence, Reasonableness, Protection and Peace of Mind
• The Passionate Estate Planner; Morgan & DiSalvo, P.C.'s newsletter – December 2012, Housing for Veterans in Need of Assistance and the Negative Impact of the VA’s Recent “Fast Letter”
• The Passionate Estate Planner; Morgan & DiSalvo, P.C.'s newsletter – November 2011, Long-Term Trust-Based Planning Makes Focusing on Intent More Important
• The Passionate Estate Planner; Morgan & DiSalvo, P.C.'s newsletter – September 2011, Historically Low Interest Rates Create Incredible Planning Opportunities For Those Who Act Quickly
• The Passionate Estate Planner; Morgan & DiSalvo, P.C.'s newsletter – May 2012, Ethical Wills Revisited: What you really want to communicate to your loved ones
• The Passionate Estate Planner; Morgan & DiSalvo, P.C.'s newsletter – March 2012, Time is running out for those who want to save taxes and provide huge benefits to their loves ones
• The Passionate Estate Planner; Morgan & DiSalvo, P.C.'s newsletter - January 2012, The 2010 Tax Act, Gifts, and Perpetual Dynasty Trusts - The Perfect Estate Planning Combination
• The Passionate Estate Planner; Morgan & DiSalvo, P.C.'s newsletter  February - 2013, Navigating the Estate Planning Pitfalls Created by the Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012
• The October 24 issue of The Passionate Estate Planner; Morgan & DiSalvo, P.C.'s newsletter addresses the issue of Planning for the Protections of the Elderly and Disabled., Planning for the Protection of the Elderly or Disabled

Educational Background:

• Georgia State University, B.A., cum laude, with distinction in History, 1994