Introduction
Attorney Anthony Kirkland has spent more than three decades in legal practice, and he has directed that experience toward a focused purpose: helping older adults and their families plan for the legal challenges that accompany aging. Kirkland & Associates, located at 707 Whitlock Avenue SW in Marietta, Georgia, concentrates on elder law, estate planning, and probate administration, areas where the stakes are personal and the legal decisions made today shape what options remain available years from now. The firm is accessible outside of standard office hours, including weekends, for clients whose schedules or circumstances require it.
Phone: (770) 305-6573
Website: akirklandlaw.com/
Practice Areas
Elder Law
Elder law covers the range of legal issues that arise as people age and as their needs for long-term care, financial protection, and family planning become more pressing. Kirkland & Associates advises clients on four primary dimensions of elder law:
Long-term care planning addresses how clients will fund and manage potential nursing home stays, assisted living arrangements, or home-based care. The cost of long-term care can exhaust assets quickly without proper planning, and the legal tools available to preserve resources require advance preparation.
Incapacity planning establishes who will make decisions on a client’s behalf if they become unable to manage their own affairs. This involves both the legal instruments that authorize a designated person to act and the documentation that establishes the client’s own wishes regarding medical care.
Wealth transfer covers the strategies and legal documents through which assets pass from one generation to the next, in ways that reflect the client’s intentions and, where appropriate, minimize tax and administrative burdens on the family.
Aging in place focuses on supporting clients who want to remain in their own homes as they grow older, including the legal planning required to make that choice sustainable.
Estate Planning
A complete estate plan at Kirkland & Associates encompasses several core documents. Wills provide written instructions for distributing assets and, where children are minors, designating guardians. Trusts serve various purposes depending on how they are structured: they may hold assets during life, provide for special beneficiaries, or transfer property outside of probate at death. Advance directives record a person’s instructions regarding medical treatment if they lose the ability to communicate those wishes themselves. Powers of attorney authorize someone to manage financial and legal matters on behalf of the principal. Healthcare surrogate designations name the person who will make medical decisions if the client cannot do so.
Probate Administration
When a Georgia resident dies, their estate may need to pass through the probate process before assets are distributed to heirs or beneficiaries. Kirkland & Associates guides personal representatives, executors, and beneficiaries through the probate process in Cobb County and the surrounding area.
Medicaid Planning
Medicaid is a government benefit program that can cover long-term care costs, but qualifying requires meeting specific asset and income thresholds. Without planning, a person’s assets may need to be spent down substantially before Medicaid coverage begins, potentially leaving a spouse or heirs in a difficult financial position. Kirkland & Associates assists clients in structuring their assets within applicable legal rules to preserve eligibility while protecting resources for the family.
Attorney Profiles
Anthony Kirkland
Anthony Kirkland brings more than 30 years of legal experience to his practice at Kirkland & Associates. His career has centered on elder law and estate planning, areas that require both technical knowledge of estate administration, tax rules, and government benefit programs and the interpersonal skills to guide clients through decisions that touch on mortality, family dynamics, and long-term care.
Kirkland’s commitment to personal, one-on-one client relationships reflects a deliberate practice philosophy. He maintains accessibility outside normal business hours, including on weekends, recognizing that clients dealing with elder law and estate planning matters often have constraints on when they can schedule appointments.
Location and Service Area
Kirkland & Associates is located in Marietta, Georgia, in Cobb County, northwest of Atlanta. The firm’s address is 707 Whitlock Avenue SW, Building E, Suite 19, Marietta, GA 30064.
Marietta serves as the Cobb County seat and is part of the greater Atlanta metropolitan area. Clients from across the Atlanta metro region and the surrounding North Georgia communities can consult the firm about elder law, estate planning, and probate matters.
Phone: (770) 305-6573
Website: akirklandlaw.com/
Client Focus
The combination of elder law and estate planning within a single practice addresses a practical reality: these areas of law overlap significantly. A client who needs a will also often needs powers of attorney and advance directives. A client concerned about long-term care costs likely also needs Medicaid planning and a trust strategy. Kirkland & Associates handles all of these matters, so clients address their complete legal needs in one place rather than assembling pieces from multiple sources.
The firm’s weekend availability distinguishes it from practices that hold strictly to weekday business hours. For clients whose caregiving responsibilities, work schedules, or health conditions make weekday appointments difficult, that flexibility matters.
The emphasis on one-on-one client relationships also carries particular weight in this practice area. Decisions about long-term care, incapacity, and inheritance are not abstract; they directly involve the client’s family, values, and financial situation. Having direct, continuing access to the attorney handling these matters supports the kind of planning that actually reflects the client’s circumstances rather than a generic template.
FAQ
When should someone begin Medicaid planning?
Medicaid planning generally should begin well before care is needed, because many strategies require time to be legally effective. Georgia Medicaid has a five-year look-back period for certain asset transfers, meaning transfers made within the five years before an application may be counted against eligibility. Beginning the planning process early provides more options and more time to implement them correctly.
What is an advance directive and why does it matter?
An advance directive is a legal document in which a person records their instructions for medical treatment if they become unable to communicate those instructions themselves. It may specify whether the person wants life-sustaining treatment in various circumstances. Without an advance directive, medical decisions may default to state law procedures that do not reflect the individual’s actual wishes.
How does a trust differ from a will in Georgia?
A will directs asset distribution after death but must pass through probate before taking effect. A trust holds assets and can transfer them to beneficiaries without probate, often more quickly and privately. Trusts are also useful for planning around incapacity and for providing structured inheritance for beneficiaries who are minors or have special needs.
Does the firm serve clients outside normal business hours?
Yes. Kirkland & Associates is accessible outside standard office hours, including on weekends, for clients who need flexibility in scheduling.
What is the probate process in Georgia?
Probate is the court-supervised process of establishing the validity of a will, appointing a personal representative or executor, paying the deceased’s debts, and distributing the remaining assets to heirs or beneficiaries. Georgia has a probate court in each county. Kirkland & Associates guides clients through this process in Cobb County and the surrounding area.
Closing
Three decades of practice focused on elder law and estate planning gives Anthony Kirkland a depth of knowledge that benefits clients whose legal needs sit at the intersection of family planning, long-term care, and asset protection. Kirkland & Associates in Marietta serves clients throughout the Atlanta metropolitan area with accessible, personal counsel on wills, trusts, powers of attorney, Medicaid planning, probate administration, and the full scope of elder law. Reach the firm at (770) 305-6573 or visit akirklandlaw.com/.