508-A Pettigru Street, P.O. BOX 10327, Greenville, South Carolina 29603

Contact The Firm

864-242-4221 864-242-4221

Estate Planning, Wills and Probate

Compassionate Counsel for Legal Planning around Aging, Infirmity and Death

Whether you are planning the parameters of your future medical care or establishing support for loved ones upon your death, attorney Theresa A. Horton can help with all aspects of planning for aging, infirmity, and death, including:

  • Estate planning
  • Choosing the appropriate executor
  • Guardianships for adults
  • Living wills
  • Wills drafting
  • Living Trusts when they are appropriate under South Carolina law

Personal Attention

Only in emergency situations will we prepare documents until we have met the client face to face. We never allow a person to sign a document when Ms. Horton has not met directly with that client. We like to meet with a client and discuss his or her situation face to face and in person so that a level of individual rapport can be developed and we can begin to understand your concerns and issues. Estate planning is not exclusively about the transfer of wealth. So much more goes into it. We take into consideration what you tell us about your children’s or other fiduciaries’ personalities, how they handle money, what their problems might be, what your concerns are, and whether they would use a position of trust to control or influence their siblings or other relatives.

In this consultation, we would discuss the ages of your children or grandchildren and their capacity to handle whatever gifts you might leave to them. We would talk about who should handle your estate after you die and who should hold money for longer periods of time in a trust vehicle if you have young people or a person with an addiction or other disability for whom you would like to provide.

While there are tools to address these problems, Ms. Horton believes that each situation has its own individual nuances and wants to meet with the clients individually to see those nuances as they develop in our conversation.

Thirty years of experience in drafting Wills and Powers of Attorney, and seeing how family dynamics work, has given Ms. Horton the ability to advise with wisdom as we go through the process of creating an estate plan. Many clients walk out of our office feeling relieved that they have been heard and respected and that their difficult family relationships have been understood and honored.

Process of Probate

Many Personal Representatives have rarely if ever probated a Will and know very little about the process. In South Carolina, probate is not intended to be difficult; however, when someone close to you has died, you are in mourning whether you realize it or not. Many people who have lost a close relative do not function at their best for approximately a year after the death. Our experience with the probate process and our services in filling out the forms and dealing with the details of probate can ease the way for someone who has been named as a Personal Representative, but is also surviving a deep personal loss.

Our office is willing to simply consult with Personal Representatives who want to understand the process better but wish to handle most of the details themselves. We are also willing to assist more heavily, filling out all of the forms and offering counsel and advice as the Personal Representative manages the estate.

We have extensive contacts with property appraisers, estate liquidators, real estate agents and auctioneers, accountants, and others who can help in the administration of an estate.

Contact an estate planning law firm you can trust, Theresa A. Horton, P.A.

For estate planning services in Greenville and throughout South Carolina, call us at 864-242-4221 to schedule a consultation.