Robert Thurmond Prior

ROBERT T. (Bob) PRIOR, J.D., LL.M, is an experienced and skilled attorney whose practice focuses on estate planning and administration, elder law, business planning and taxation.

Bob was born and raised in Madison and graduated from Morgan County High School. His father was a local lawyer and is a long time Superior Court Judge. His paternal grandfather was a cotton farmer in Morgan County and his maternal grandfather owned a small grocery store and furniture business in Madison. The Prior family cemetery (located in Apalachee) has ancestors dating back to the Revolution.

From high school, Bob received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. Upon graduation from Annapolis in 1986, Bob followed a long family tradition and proudly served his country as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. He spent 11 years on active duty as a Marine infantry officer and later as a Judge Advocate General.

Upon leaving the Marine Corps in 1997, Bob returned to Georgia and for the past twenty two years has been in private practice. He was the founding partner of the Athens firm Prior, Daniel & Wiltshire, LLC which he formed with his longtime friend and fellow JAG, Michael Daniel. Upon Mr. Daniel’s untimely death in 2018, Bob formed Prior Law Firm to continue his specialty.

Bob specializes in estate and trust planning and administration, elder law, and business and tax planning. Bob takes a unique approach to dealing with his clients and spends time getting to know them and their families on both a professional and personal level. He educates them on the estate planning process and carefully advises them regarding the decisions they need to make to have an effective plan. He uses his education, expertise, and years of experience to ensure that each client and their families have the best possible customized estate plan to meet their needs and objectives.

Bob has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Naval Academy. He graduated as valedictorian (magna cum laude) with a Juris Doctor from Mercer University Law School and as valedictorian (summa cum laude) with a Master of Laws in Taxation from the University of Alabama. Bob is a member of WealthCounsel and ElderCounsel, organizations that provide a national professional support network to Estate Planning and Elder Law attorneys. He is also an active member of the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA). NAELA attorneys are experienced and trained in working with the legal problems of aging Americans and individuals of all ages with disabilities.

Bob has been very involved in his community. He is a Director at the Bank of Madison and Chairman of the Bank’s Asset and Liability Committee. He served 12 years on the Morgan County Board of Education (4 as chairman), 8 years on the Downtown Development Authority for Madison, Chairman of the Madison Chamber of Commerce, as a Deacon at Madison Baptist Church, and as a Director of the St. Mary’s Highland Hills Retirement Village.

Bob’s interests include sports, reading, fishing, and traveling. He is married to his high school sweetheart Mary Ann (née Cunningham). They have four wonderful adult children and one grandson, who is their pride and joy.

Bob’s main office is located just off the Oconee Connector at Three-Sixteen Professional Park. To better serve his clients, he has satellite offices on South Main Street in Madison and at Harmony Crossing at Lake Oconee.

With offices in Athens, Madison and Lake Oconee, we offer consultations at the office nearest you. Just call or or email to start the process.