Waters Sullivan LLC

Waters Sullivan LLC Life & Estate Law, serving the state of Alabama.

No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be provided is greater than the quality of services provided by other lawyers.

Estate hijacking happens more often than most people realize.A family member gains control of an estate and starts movin...
05/12/2026

Estate hijacking happens more often than most people realize.

A family member gains control of an estate and starts moving assets. Maybe to themselves, maybe to accounts nobody else knows about, and all before other heirs understand what's happening.

By the time families catch on, the estate has often been depleted. But depleted doesn't mean gone.

Alabama probate courts can freeze assets, remove a bad-faith administrator, order a full accounting, and hold wrongdoers personally liable.

If something feels wrong about how an estate is being handled, the sooner you act, the more options you have.

waterssullivan.com

May is Older Americans Month, and it's a good time to talk about something we see in our practice regularly.Most adults ...
05/06/2026

May is Older Americans Month, and it's a good time to talk about something we see in our practice regularly.

Most adults over 65 have some version of an estate plan. The problem is that most of those plans haven't been touched in a decade or more.

Life changes. Tax laws change. Family structures change. The person you named as executor in 2012 may have moved, become ill, or passed away. The assets you owned then look nothing like what you own now.

An outdated estate plan can create the same problems as having no plan at all.
If you have aging parents or are navigating your own estate planning, we're here.

waterssullivan.com

Shoutout to our paralegal Cassie, who spent her time off hiking Angel's Landing at Zion National Park.For context: Angel...
05/05/2026

Shoutout to our paralegal Cassie, who spent her time off hiking Angel's Landing at Zion National Park.

For context: Angel's Landing involves chains bolted into a cliff, a 1,500 foot drop on both sides, and zero room for second-guessing yourself.

Congratulations to Cassie & crew, both for making it out alive, and for finding something even more stressful than work to do on vacation.

(...talk about needing your estate planning done prior to vacation 😅💦)

Spring in Birmingham means the azaleas are doing the most, the pollen is out of control, and somehow our to-do lists hav...
04/29/2026

Spring in Birmingham means the azaleas are doing the most, the pollen is out of control, and somehow our to-do lists have gotten longer.

If "update my estate plan" has been on yours for a while, this is your gentle nudge.
We're scheduling spring consultations now.

waterssullivan.com

Three questions we get every April, right around tax season:"Do I need to update my estate plan if my financial situatio...
04/23/2026

Three questions we get every April, right around tax season:

"Do I need to update my estate plan if my financial situation changed significantly this year?"
Generally, yes. Substantial changes in assets, new accounts, real estate, or business interests can affect how your estate is distributed.

"My accountant mentioned I might have an estate tax issue. Is that a legal or accounting problem?"
Both. Estate tax planning sits at the intersection of tax law and estate law. Your CPA and your estate attorney should be talking to each other.

"I just inherited money. Does that change my estate plan?"
It might. Inherited assets have their own titling and beneficiary considerations, and they may affect Medicaid planning if that's relevant for your family.

We're happy to be the legal half of that conversation.

waterssullivan.com

If you've ever looked at a family member's will and thought something isn't right, a no-contest clause shouldn't be the ...
04/22/2026

If you've ever looked at a family member's will and thought something isn't right, a no-contest clause shouldn't be the reason you never make the call.

A no-contest clause says: if you challenge the will and lose, you forfeit whatever you were left. That sounds scary. Here's the part most people miss. If you were left nothing, the clause has no power over you at all.

And even when you were left something, there are circumstances where a challenge is still worth exploring, especially when the grounds are strong.

Alabama law gives you options. We help you understand them before the window closes.

waterssullivan.com/blog

April is Financial Literacy Month, and while we spend most of our time in probate courts and estate plans, we think abou...
04/14/2026

April is Financial Literacy Month, and while we spend most of our time in probate courts and estate plans, we think about financial literacy a lot.

Specifically: the financial decisions people don't make until it's too late.

No beneficiary designations updated after a divorce. No power of attorney in place when someone becomes incapacitated. A business with no succession plan and three adult children who've never discussed what happens if something goes wrong.

Estate planning is financial planning. The two are the same conversation.

If April is the nudge you needed, we're here.

waterssullivan.com

When a parent dies due to someone else's negligence, the wrongful death recovery is meant to benefit their children. But...
04/10/2026

When a parent dies due to someone else's negligence, the wrongful death recovery is meant to benefit their children. But when those children are minors, Alabama law adds a layer of process before any funds can be distributed.

A guardian ad litem may need to be appointed. A conservatorship may be required. The court has to approve the settlement on behalf of the minor.

These are protections, not obstacles. But they take time, and they require attorneys who understand both sides: the litigation and the estate.

We work alongside wrongful death attorneys in Alabama to handle the estate and guardianship work, so the recovery reaches the children it was meant for.

waterssullivan.com

We're thrilled to announce that effective today, Alabama probate courts will resolve all contested estates in under 48 h...
04/01/2026

We're thrilled to announce that effective today, Alabama probate courts will resolve all contested estates in under 48 hours with zero family conflict.

April Fools.

The real timeline? Anywhere from months to years, depending on how complicated things get. Which is exactly why having a solid plan in place matters.
We're here when you're ready.

waterssullivan.com

We hear it all the time."I'll get to it eventually.""I'm not old enough to worry about that.""Nothing's going to happen ...
03/31/2026

We hear it all the time.
"I'll get to it eventually."
"I'm not old enough to worry about that."
"Nothing's going to happen to me."
And then something happens.

We built a page on our website specifically for this conversation. The one about why estate planning has nothing to do with age, wealth, or how settled your life feels.
The families who needed a plan and didn't have one? They're the ones sitting across from us afterward.

If you've been putting it off, this page is for you.

waterssullivan.com — "Why Estate Planning Now"

https://www.waterssullivan.com/why-estate-planning-now

Address

2 20th Street N #1350
Birmingham, AL
35203

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 5:30pm
Thursday 9am - 5:30pm
Friday 9am - 1pm

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