Sandy Springs Estate Planning for High-Net-Worth Individuals

Schedule a Consultation

If you have built significant wealth in Sandy Springs, you already know that protecting it takes more than good investments. It takes a deliberate plan. High-net-worth individuals face a set of planning challenges that go well beyond a basic will, and without the right structure in place, your estate could face unnecessary taxes, prolonged probate, family disputes, or assets going to the wrong people. At Slowik Estate Planning, located in Atlanta, Georgia, we work with affluent families and individuals in Sandy Springs to build plans that protect what they have built, transfer it on their terms, and keep more of it in the family.

Table of Contents

Why High-Net-Worth Families in Sandy Springs Need a Different Approach

Sandy Springs sits along the Chattahoochee River corridor, one of the most affluent communities in the Southeast. Families here often hold a mix of assets, including investment portfolios, real estate near Perimeter Center or along Roswell Road, closely held businesses, retirement accounts, and equity compensation. That kind of wealth requires a plan built for its specific structure, not a one-size-fits-all document.

When your estate holds multiple asset classes, each one carries its own transfer rules, tax treatment, and legal requirements. A revocable living trust may work well for a family home near Abernathy Road, but it does not protect assets from creditors. A retirement account with the wrong beneficiary designation can push your heirs into a higher income tax bracket. Business interests may require a separate succession agreement entirely. The point is that wealth at this level demands coordination, not just documentation.

Under O.C.G.A. Title 53, Georgia’s laws governing wills, trusts, and estate administration give you significant flexibility to structure your estate. But flexibility only helps when you use it correctly. Many high-net-worth families in Sandy Springs have existing plans that were drafted years ago under different tax laws and different family circumstances. If your documents have not been reviewed recently, they may no longer reflect your actual wishes or take advantage of the tools available to you today.

Working with an Atlanta estate planning lawyer who understands the full scope of Georgia law, federal tax rules, and the specific assets held by high-net-worth families is the first step toward a plan that actually performs when it matters most. Slowik Estate Planning serves clients throughout the Sandy Springs and greater Atlanta area from its Atlanta, Georgia office.

Federal Estate Tax Planning After the OBBBA

The federal estate tax picture changed significantly when President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) into law on July 4, 2025. The OBBBA made permanent changes to federal estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer (GST) taxes, permanently increasing the unified estate and gift tax exemption to $15 million per individual ($30 million for married couples) beginning January 1, 2026, with annual inflation adjustments going forward. This was a major shift. The increase under the prior Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was temporary and was set to expire at the end of 2025, which would have caused the exemption to fall to approximately $7 million per person in 2026 without new legislation.

For high-net-worth families in Sandy Springs, this is good news, but it is not a reason to stop planning. The top marginal estate, gift, and GST tax rates remain at 40%. If your estate exceeds the $15 million threshold, every dollar above it is taxed at that rate before your heirs receive anything. For a family with $20 million in assets, that is a potential $2 million federal tax bill on the excess alone.

For 2026, the annual gift tax exclusion remains at $19,000 per recipient, meaning you can give up to $19,000 to any single individual during the calendar year without using any of your lifetime exemption. Married couples can combine this to $38,000 per recipient per year. That adds up quickly when used consistently as part of a broader generational wealth transfer strategy.

The step-up in basis at death remains intact, meaning heirs continue to receive assets with a basis equal to their fair market value on the date of death. This is a significant income tax benefit for families holding appreciated real estate or investment portfolios. Coordinating this with your overall plan can save your heirs substantial capital gains taxes down the road.

Working with a knowledgeable estate tax planning lawyer who understands how the OBBBA interacts with your existing documents, trust formulas, and gifting history is essential. Slowik Estate Planning helps Sandy Springs clients review their current plans in light of these changes and build strategies that hold up under future law as well.

Georgia’s Tax Advantages and What They Mean for Your Plan

Under O.C.G.A. § 48-12-1, on and after July 1, 2014, there are no estate taxes levied by the state of Georgia and no estate tax returns required by the state. Georgia also has no inheritance tax. This puts Georgia in a favorable position compared to states like New York, Maryland, and Illinois, which impose their own estate taxes with much lower exemption thresholds. For Sandy Springs families with estates well under the $15 million federal threshold, this means your heirs receive assets without any state-level death tax at all.

That said, Georgia’s favorable tax position does not mean planning is optional. Income tax often surprises heirs more than estate tax. Inherited assets may produce taxable income after the transfer, and retirement accounts and investment income can trigger income tax when beneficiaries withdraw funds. For high-net-worth families with large IRA or 401(k) balances, structuring beneficiary designations correctly is critical. Naming a trust as a beneficiary, for example, requires careful drafting to preserve the income tax benefits available to individual beneficiaries.

Inherited property usually receives a step-up in tax basis, resetting the asset’s value to its fair market value at the time of death. When heirs sell the property, capital gains tax applies only to gains after that date, which often reduces or eliminates capital gains taxes on long-held assets. For a Sandy Springs family holding commercial real estate near the Perimeter Mall corridor or a home that has appreciated significantly over decades, this step-up can represent hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax savings.

Georgia also has no state gift tax. The only state with a state-level gift tax is Connecticut. This gives Georgia residents more room to use lifetime gifting strategies without triggering state-level taxes, making annual and larger structured gifts an attractive tool for reducing taxable estate value over time.

Trusts and Asset Protection Strategies for Sandy Springs Clients

For high-net-worth individuals, trusts are not just estate planning tools. They are the foundation of a well-built plan. A revocable living trust lets you control your assets during your lifetime, avoid probate under O.C.G.A. Title 53, Chapter 5, and direct distributions to your heirs with precision. But for families with larger estates or specific protection goals, irrevocable trust structures offer benefits that a revocable trust simply cannot.

One of the most powerful tools available to married couples under current law is the Spousal Lifetime Access Trust (SLAT). With the federal exemption now at $15 million per person, many clients worry that gifting large amounts to remove assets from their taxable estate means losing access to those funds forever. A SLAT solves this problem. One spouse transfers assets into an irrevocable trust for the benefit of the other spouse, and because the beneficiary spouse can receive distributions from the trust, the couple retains indirect access to the wealth while the assets and their future appreciation are removed from the donor’s taxable estate.

The generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax exemption has also been aligned with the new $15 million threshold. This tax is typically applied to transfers made to beneficiaries two or more generations younger than the transferor, such as grandchildren. By raising this exemption in parallel, the OBBBA further empowers individuals to create multi-generational wealth plans, such as dynasty trusts, with greater confidence that these transfers will not be subject to additional federal transfer taxes.

Working with a skilled trust attorney to select and properly fund the right trust structure is one of the most impactful decisions a high-net-worth Sandy Springs family can make. Georgia’s trust laws under O.C.G.A. Title 53 provide significant flexibility in how trusts are structured, administered, and invested. Under O.C.G.A. Title 53, Chapter 8, trustees are also governed by rules on investments, sales, and conveyances, meaning the assets inside your trust must be managed with care and in accordance with the trust’s terms and Georgia law. Slowik Estate Planning helps clients choose the right structure and ensures their trusts are properly funded and administered from day one.

Business Interests, Digital Assets, and Complex Wealth Structures

Many Sandy Springs residents who have built high-net-worth estates did so through business ownership, professional practices, or equity compensation. If you own a business near the GA-400 corridor or hold stock options and restricted stock units through a corporate employer, those assets need specific planning attention. Business interests often cannot simply be dropped into a revocable trust without triggering restrictions in operating agreements or buy-sell arrangements. Succession planning for these assets requires coordination between your estate plan, your business documents, and your tax strategy.

Digital assets are another growing concern for high-net-worth families. The OBBBA does not impose any new taxes on trusts or alter their tax treatment, and common estate planning structures such as grantor trusts, SLATs, and GRATs remain unaffected. However, digital assets including cryptocurrency, online investment accounts, and intellectual property require their own layer of planning. Under O.C.G.A. Title 53, Chapter 13, Georgia has adopted the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act, which governs how fiduciaries, including trustees and executors, can access and manage digital assets after death or incapacity. Without proper authorization in your estate documents, your fiduciary may be blocked from accessing these accounts entirely.

For families with out-of-state or international assets, the planning becomes even more detailed. Property held in other states may be subject to ancillary probate proceedings under O.C.G.A. Title 53, Chapter 5, Article 5, which governs foreign and out-of-state wills and nondomiciliary estates. Placing out-of-state real property into a trust before death is one of the most effective ways to avoid that process and keep your estate administration private and efficient.

High-net-worth estates also benefit from coordinated charitable giving strategies. Charitable remainder trusts, donor-advised funds, and private foundations can reduce your taxable estate while supporting causes that matter to your family. These structures require careful drafting and ongoing administration, but when done right, they allow you to give generously while preserving significant wealth for your heirs. Slowik Estate Planning works with Sandy Springs clients to build these structures into a comprehensive, coordinated plan that addresses every layer of their wealth.

FAQs About Sandy Springs Estate Planning for High-Net-Worth Individuals

Does Georgia have a state estate tax that high-net-worth families need to plan around?

No. Under O.C.G.A. § 48-12-1, Georgia eliminated its state estate tax effective July 1, 2014, and the state imposes no inheritance tax either. Georgia residents are only subject to the federal estate tax, which applies to estates exceeding $15 million per individual in 2026 under the OBBBA. While this is favorable compared to many other states, high-net-worth families still need to plan carefully around federal estate tax exposure, income tax on inherited retirement accounts, and capital gains tax on appreciated assets.

How does the $15 million federal estate tax exemption under the OBBBA affect my existing estate plan?

If your estate plan was drafted before the OBBBA was signed into law on July 4, 2025, it may include trust formulas or funding provisions tied to older, lower exemption amounts. Those provisions could now allocate assets in ways you did not intend. A plan review is essential. For married couples with estates under $30 million, the OBBBA may reduce or eliminate federal estate tax exposure entirely, but income tax planning, trust administration, and asset protection goals remain just as important as before.

What types of trusts are most useful for high-net-worth families in Sandy Springs?

The right trust depends on your goals. Revocable living trusts are useful for avoiding probate and directing distributions. Irrevocable trusts, including SLATs, GRATs, and dynasty trusts, are used to remove assets from your taxable estate and protect them from creditors. Charitable remainder trusts work well for families with highly appreciated assets who also want to support charitable causes. Each structure has specific tax and legal implications under Georgia and federal law, and proper drafting and funding are critical to making them work as intended.

Do I need to update my estate plan if I have digital assets like cryptocurrency?

Yes. Under O.C.G.A. Title 53, Chapter 13, Georgia follows the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act. This law governs how your trustee or executor can access digital accounts and assets after your death or incapacity. Without explicit authorization in your estate planning documents, your fiduciary may be legally blocked from accessing cryptocurrency wallets, online brokerage accounts, or other digital holdings. Your plan should specifically address digital assets, including who has access, how they are managed, and how they are distributed.

How does Slowik Estate Planning help high-net-worth clients in Sandy Springs?

Slowik Estate Planning, based in Atlanta, Georgia, works with high-net-worth individuals and families throughout Sandy Springs to build comprehensive estate plans that address federal tax exposure, trust structures, business succession, asset protection, and multi-generational wealth transfer. Every plan is tailored to the client’s specific assets, family situation, and goals. If you are ready to build or update your plan, contact Slowik Estate Planning to schedule a consultation. Prior results in any matter do not guarantee similar outcomes in future cases.

More Resources About Family and Life Transition Planning

Services

All Services

Testimonials

Jake is a person who really cares about his work. Can't recommend him enough and definitely telling my friends and family about his services.

- Catherine B.