Serving Fayette County, Georgia and St. Lucie County, Florida
Fayetteville, Georgia · Fayette County · Our Georgia Office
Estate Planning and Legal Services in Fayetteville, Georgia
Court-appointed County Guardian. Court-appointed County Administrator. VA-appointed fiduciary. Your Fayette County law firm.
Our Fayetteville, Georgia Office
Simmons, Finney & Winfield's Georgia office is located at 741 West Lanier Avenue, Suite 220, in the heart of Fayetteville. This is not a satellite office or a service-area designation — it is where Elizabeth Williams Winfield practices, where clients meet with their attorney in person, and where the firm's Georgia guardianship, estate planning, and probate work is handled.
Elizabeth Williams Winfield leads the Georgia office. She is court-appointed County Guardian for Fayette County, court-appointed County Administrator for Clayton County, and a VA-appointed fiduciary for veterans across the Southeast. She is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the National Guardianship Association, and holds bar admissions in Georgia and Illinois.
Michael J. Hudson handles estate planning and probate alongside Elizabeth, serving Fayette County families with a broad civil litigation background and Georgia bar licensure since 2012.
Advance directives
Written instructions for your medical care if you are unable to communicate them yourself
Healthcare surrogates
Florida-specific designation naming the person authorized to make medical decisions on your behalf
Estate Planning — wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and advance directives for Port St. Lucie families and individuals across St. Lucie County. Lead attorney: Evett L. Simmons.
Practice Areas at Our Fayetteville Office
Breach of contract, commercial disputes, and business litigation. Lead attorney: Linnes Finney Jr.
Business Law
Estate Planning
Wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and advance directives for Fayette County individuals and families. Lead attorneys: Elizabeth Williams Winfield · Michael J. Hudson.
Probate
Administration and litigation for estates in Fayette County and surrounding Georgia counties. Lead attorneys: Elizabeth Williams Winfield · Michael J. Hudson.
Guardianship
Court-supervised guardianship for incapacitated adults and minors in Fayette County and surrounding counties. Lead attorney: Elizabeth Williams Winfield.
Conservatorship
Court-supervised financial management for incapacitated adults in Georgia. Lead attorney: Elizabeth Williams Winfield.
Peachtree Fiduciary & Guardianship Services
Professional guardian, VA fiduciary, SSA representative payee, and professional trustee and conservator services. Lead attorney: Elizabeth Williams Winfield.
Elizabeth Williams Winfield — Fayette County's Court-Appointed Guardian
Elizabeth Williams Winfield is not just an attorney who handles guardianship cases in Fayette County. She is the person the Fayette County Probate Court appoints when an incapacitated resident has no family member or other suitable person to advocate for them. She has held that appointment for over a decade, filing annual accountings and managing guardianship cases for real wards under court supervision.
That credential is the most concrete proof of local legal authority available in this market. Bob Ruppenthal at Ruppenthal Law has served as Fayette County Administrator and Conservator since 2000 and markets it prominently. Elizabeth holds the same appointment — County Administrator for Clayton County and County Guardian for Fayette County — and brings more of them across more counties. That differentiator is now on this page, where it belongs.
Her estate planning practice serves the same families — Fayette County residents who need wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and advance directives drafted by an attorney who has seen firsthand what happens when those documents are missing.
Counties Served from Our Fayetteville Office
Our Fayetteville office serves clients throughout Fayette County and the surrounding area, including:
- Clayton County — Elizabeth serves as court-appointed County Administrator for Clayton County and handles estate planning and guardianship for Clayton County clients. See our Jonesboro location page.
- Coweta County — estate planning, probate, and guardianship for Newnan and Coweta County clients. See our Newnan location page.
- Henry County — estate planning and probate for McDonough and Henry County clients. See our McDonough location page.
- Fulton County — estate planning, probate, and guardianship for clients along the Fayette-Fulton border.
- Douglas County — estate planning and probate for clients in the Douglas County area.
Common Questions From Fayetteville and Fayette County Clients
Is there an estate planning attorney in Fayetteville, Georgia?
Yes. Simmons, Finney & Winfield's Georgia office is located at 741 West Lanier Avenue, Suite 220, Fayetteville, GA 30214. Elizabeth Williams Winfield and Michael J. Hudson handle estate planning — wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and advance directives — for Fayette County individuals and families. Call (678) 788-6030 to schedule.
Who is the county guardian for Fayette County, Georgia?
Elizabeth Williams Winfield is the court-appointed County Guardian for Fayette County, Georgia, appointed by the Fayette County Probate Court. She manages guardianship cases for incapacitated Fayette County residents who have no family member or other suitable person to serve as guardian.
Does Simmons, Finney & Winfield handle probate in Fayette County?
Yes. Elizabeth Williams Winfield and Michael J. Hudson handle probate administration and litigation in Fayette County Probate Court. Elizabeth is also court-appointed County Administrator for Clayton County — she files regularly in Georgia probate courts and knows Fayette County Probate Court procedure from direct professional experience.
Can estate disputes be resolved without going to court in Georgia?
Yes. Elizabeth Williams Winfield is a certified mediator and certified arbitrator. Many probate and estate disputes can be resolved through mediation — faster, less expensive, and less damaging to family relationships than litigation. If mediation does not resolve the dispute, the firm's probate litigation practice handles contested matters through the courts.
Does the firm handle guardianship for Fayette County families?
Yes. Elizabeth Williams Winfield handles guardianship proceedings for Fayette County families, including both standard and emergency guardianship petitions. She is court-appointed County Guardian for Fayette County — she has handled more guardianship proceedings in this court than most attorneys in the region will see in a career.
Does Simmons, Finney & Winfield serve clients outside of Fayetteville in Georgia?
Yes. Our Fayetteville office serves clients throughout Fayette County and surrounding counties including Clayton, Coweta, Henry, Fulton, and Douglas. Elizabeth Williams Winfield holds court appointments in both Fayette County and Clayton County.
Contact Us Today
Simmons, Finney & Winfield, LLC maintains a full-service Georgia office at 741 West Lanier Avenue, Suite 220, Fayetteville, GA 30214. The office is led by Elizabeth Williams Winfield — court-appointed County Guardian for Fayette County, court-appointed County Administrator for Clayton County, VA-appointed fiduciary, certified mediator and arbitrator, and member of NAELA and the National Guardianship Association. Michael J. Hudson handles estate planning and probate alongside Elizabeth. The office serves Fayette County and surrounding Georgia counties including Clayton, Coweta, Henry, Fulton, and Douglas. Learn more about the firm on our
Our Firm page.