Top Probate Lawyers in ZIP 30097 | 1 available

Firm: Andersen, Tate & Carr, PC

One Sugarloaf Center , Duluth , Georgia 30097

Practice Areas: Business , Civil , Corporate , Municipal , Probate , Real Estate , Land Use & Zoning

Melody is a Partner in the Zoning, Land Use, and Government Relations group at Andersen, Tate & Carr.  Melody successfully maintains an active zoning and land use practice wherein she advocates land use positions of property owners, builders, and developers throughout the metro Atlanta area. She has negotiated numerous zoning and development actions and advises clients regarding environmental regulations and municipal ordinances. This includes representation of clients at public hearings and during court proceedings.. Melody also successfully maintains an Estate Planning & Probate practice, which focuses on preparation of estate planning documents, as well as disputes involving wills, trusts, and estates. She represents clients in all phases of fiduciary litigation, including filing pleadings, conducting discovery, and preparing for hearings and trial. She also engages in settlement discussions and negotiations with her clients in an effort to resolve their disputes prior to lengthy litigation in an attempt to preserve client resources. Melody has administered numerous complex estates and successfully prosecuted and defended will contests and fiduciary claims involving executor and trustee misconduct. Melody further assists families with contested and uncontested guardianships and conservatorships, and all phases of probate administration. In terms of transactional estate work, she represents clients of all wealth classifications with estate planning, including preparation of Last Will & Testaments, Powers of Attorney, and Healthcare Directives.. Melody received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from The University of Georgia in 1996, and then obtained her paralegal degree before joining the firm of King & Spalding as a certified paralegal. Melody then attended The Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, where she was selected for membership on the Mercer Law Review as well as the Mercer Moot Court Board. During law school, she was awarded several honors, including the D. Meade Field Memorial Award, the Faculty Award for Outstanding Achievement in Legal Writing, and an alumni merit scholarship.. Melody initially started her legal career as an associate with the insurance defense firm of Swift Currie. After practicing for several years in Atlanta, she returned home to Gwinnett County where she soon became a Partner with Webb, Tanner, & Powell, LLP. In January 2014, Melody joined Andersen Tate & Carr, P.C.. Melody is very active in the Gwinnett County community and serves on numerous charitable boards and organizations. She served on the State Disciplinary Board for the State Bar of Georgia for eight years, which investigates members of the State Bar of Georgia for violations of the Standards of Conduct set forth in the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct, serving as Chair in her last year. Melody also served as Chair of Estate Planning & Probate Section for the Gwinnett County Bar Association. She is a current Board Member of the Council for Quality Growth, including Chair of the Gwinnett Advisory Board.  Melody is also an active alumni of the Leadership Gwinnett program.. Since 2018, Melody has been recognized annually as a Georgia Super Lawyer by Law & Politics Magazine, a designation reserved for only 5% of attorneys in the State of Georgia.. Melody is a life-long resident of Gwinnett County, where she resides with her husband and two children.