Melissa W. Gilbert

Professional Organizations and Memberships

• First Presbyterian Church (ordained Elder on rotation, former Deacon, Chairman of the search committee for the Adult Discipleship Director, former Youth Advisor and Confirmation Class teacher, Chairman of Development Committee)
• Estate Planning Council of North Georgia (Boad Member)
• Cobb Bar Association: Probate and Elder Law and Christian Lawyers Fellowship (Member)
• Wellstar Community Hospice Board (Former Member )
• Walker School Association Board (Former Member)
• Cobb Landmarks and Historical Society (Past co-Chair)

Ms. Gilbert has more than 26 years of fiduciary litigation, estate planning, estate administration, and guardianship/conservatorship experience. Prior to law school, she worked as a Lobbyist and Legislative Assistant in Tallahassee, Florida representing large agribusiness and corporate interests Before joining Gregory Doyle in 2012, she led estate planning practices for other firms and gained experience in fiduciary litigation and appellate practice.  She is a Marietta native who attended Marietta city schools. She and her husband Parker have two adult daughters.

Some of Ms. Gilbert’s notable client highlights include:

• Successfully arguing numerous cases on appeal, including Warner v. Reynolds, 273 Ga. 802, 545 S.E.2nd 520 (2001) (affirming probate of will under the doctrine of dependent relative revocation and establishing the evidentiary standard of proof.); Howard v. Estate of Howard, 249 Ga. App. 287, 548 S.E.2nd 48 (2001) (upholding actions by her client, a Guardian who had altered the testamentary scheme of the ward, and reaffirming the doctrine of ademption); Estate of Reece, 243 Ga. App. 173 532 S.E.2d 726 (2000) (affirming dismissal of a Petition for Year’s Support against her client’s father’s estate); Higginbotham v. Rice, 271 Ga. 262, 517 S.E.2d 764 (1999) (granting certiorari wherein the Georgia Supreme Court reversed 265 Ga. App. 378, 508 S.E.2d 199 (1998), and required the dismissal of a caveat against the estate she represented.
•  Leading estate planning departments for two prior firms.
• Administering numerous complex probate and guardianship estates.
• Developing and implementing sophisticated estate planning strategies, including tax planning wills, advanced health care directives, powers of attorney, and trusts.
• Advising fiduciaries in providing accountings and navigating beneficiary communications to avoid court challenges.