Georgia’s New Power of Attorney Law: What Does It Mean For You?

Millie Baumbusch, Blake Melton, Sarah Watchko, Craig Frankel

Sarah Watchko/Hill & Watchko

Sarah R. Watchko is a partner with the law firm Hill & Watchko, LLC, located in Alpharetta, Georgia. Her practice areas include elder law, estate, and special needs planning, long-term care planning with Medicaid benefits and Department of Veterans Affairs pension benefits, and trust and estate administration. Sarah is one of very few Georgia Certified Elder Law Attorneys (“CELA”) by the National Elder Law Foundation, the only national certifying program for elder law and special needs attorneys.

Sarah graduated magna cum laude from East Carolina University in 2005, and obtained a full merit scholarship to Wake Forest University School of Law, graduating from Wake Forest in 2008. She developed a passion for working with elderly and special needs clients during her time at Wake Forest School of Law’s Elder Law Clinic during the summer of 2007. Upon graduation, this led her to Atlanta Legal Aid’s Georgia Senior Legal Hotline, where she volunteered and eventually worked as a staff attorney. She entered private practice in 2009, and joined her current firm in 2013.

Sarah is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, the Atlanta Bar Association, and the North Fulton Bar Association. She is accredited by the VA and is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the Georgia Association of Women Lawyers, the Fiduciary Section of the Georgia Bar, the Atlanta Bar’s Estate Planning and Probate Section, and the Atlanta Bar’s Elder Law Section, serving as chair of the Elder Law Section during its 2012-2013 term.

Blake Melton/Synovus Family Asset Management

Blake is a Senior Wealth Strategist at Synovus Family Asset Management, a multi-family office housed within Synovus Financial Corp., N.A. Prior to joining FAM in 2007, Blake was in private practice with Page, Scrantom, Sprouse, Tucker, and Ford. Blake earned his BA in Economics from the University of Colorado at Boulder, his law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law (cum laude), and his LL.M. in tax from the University of Alabama School of Law (summa cum laude). He is also a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). Blake is a member of the Georgia and Alabama Bars. He is highly involved in the Fiduciary Section of the Georgia Bar, is currently in the leadership of the Section, and is a frequent speaker at professional education programs. He is also a member of the Columbus and Atlanta Estate Planning Councils.

About Gaslowitz Frankel:

Gaslowitz Frankel is an experienced trial practice firm specializing in all aspects of complex fiduciary litigation throughout Georgia and the Southeast. With a focus on representing individuals, companies, banks, and fiduciaries in dispute involving wills, estates, trusts, guardianships, businesses, and securities law, their experienced and highly qualified litigation attorneys have tremendous credentials and a proven history of success.