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, middle school youth advisor, former acolyte coordinator, member of Family Council.)
• Estate Planning Council of North Georgia (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 20 years of fiduciary litigation, estate planning and estate administration experience. Prior to 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 have two daughters.

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

• Successfully argued 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.
•  Lead estate planning departments for two prior firms.
• Administered numerous probate and guardianship estates.
• Developed and implemented numerous estate planning strategies, including tax planning wills, advanced health care directives, powers of attorney, and trusts.