With Women’s History Month approaching in March, we want to take a moment to salute the strong and independent women of Bequest Law.
When our founder Kristen Rajagopal established Bequest in 2017, she had a vision for creating an entrepreneurial and nimble boutique firm that would be responsive to the unique needs and situation of each client — and help them understand and navigate the complex world of estate planning and probate.
Today, we have a purpose-built team of attorneys, paralegals and support staff who each bring unique backgrounds and skillsets to the table for the benefit of our clients.
Estate planning usually intimidates or frightens people, which often leads to procrastination and neglecting to put an estate plan in place — and that makes it much harder for your family and loved ones to execute or administer your estate after you die.
We work together as a team to demystify the estate planning and probate process so clients feel more confident, secure, and knowledgeable. We ask each client lots of questions about their family situation and aspirations for what they would want to have happen with their assets after they die, and then take a thoughtful and intentional approach in creating a bespoke estate plan that meets their unique needs and wishes.
Each person on our team — which happens to be all women — has specialized education, training, career experiences, and skills to make estate planning more empowering and comforting.
This is our team of extraordinary women:
Kristen Rajagopal
Kristen is the founder and managing partner of Bequest. Originally from a Kentucky suburb of Cincinnati, she graduated magna cum laude and with honors from Brown University. She earned her law degree from the University of Southern California Law School, which is consistently ranked among the top law schools in the country.
Kristen makes the estate planning process as straightforward as possible, always allowing clients to be involved as little or as much as they’d like.
She has been an attorney for over a decade and has practiced law at a number of prominent law firms in Atlanta and in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has been recognized as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers for several years and serves on the Estate Planning and Probate Section of the Atlanta Bar Association.
Since founding Bequest, Kristen has intentionally recruited and developed a rockstar team of attorneys and support staff — who all happen to be women — that works together to demystify the estate planning and probate legal processes and help clients achieve their goals. Kristen and her husband live in the Virginia-Highlands neighborhood of Atlanta with their two young sons and crazy dog.
Ansley Armagost
Ansley is an associate in Bequest’s estate planning and estate administration practice areas. She joined the firm in 2022 and works with clients to establish individualized estate plans and form small businesses and understand the tax and financial implications of starting a business.
Ansley also works with clients throughout the probate process, helping them stay organized and resolve matters efficiently as they work to wind down an estate and ultimately get it discharged by the court.
Ansley grew up in Peachtree City, Georgia, and earned a Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, with honors from the University of Alabama. She continued on with the Crimson Tide to complete a juris doctorate degree at the University of Alabama School of Law, a top 25 law school, where she was involved in the school’s legal clinic and focused on estate planning. Ansley is currently pursuing an LL.M. in taxation. While Ansley is an avid Alabama fan, her roots remain in Atlanta.
Laura Kish
Laura is our Director of Business Operations, and she works closely with our clients on estate planning to help them understand how it works and gather information to make the process smoother and easier.
Earlier in her career, she worked in architecture, interiors, and property management — which means she has an eagle eye for detail, and superb organizational and project management skills.
She also helps manage day-to-day operations and the details of our growing practice.
Laura is originally from Clearwater, Florida, and graduated magna cum laude from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Political Science. She also holds a Master of Architecture degree from Georgia Tech (go Jackets!!). She is the parent of three young adult children and an avid crafter, runner, and tennis player.
Sherry Frederick Hodges
Sherry began her paralegal career after spending 20 years working in inflight operations at Delta Air Lines and also working as an office manager for a real estate appraisal company. She is very talented at multitasking, handling tense situations, and pivoting when unexpected things happen.
Sherry works closely with clients throughout the estate planning process to help them gain clarity around their wishes and make intentional decisions about how they would want their assets to be distributed.
She graduated from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism, and she is a fantastic writer — we are all quick to tap into her skills when we need to polish a writeup or wordsmith a document. She enjoys spending time with her husband and two adult children as well as horseback riding, playing tennis, reading, and traveling to new places.
Marie Martinides
Marie is Bequest’s executive assistant, and she has a passion for serving and supporting others. She helps us wrangle calendars and manage our day-to-day activities, and she is so organized that she could teach Marie Kondo a thing or two.
Marie grew up in Alpharetta, Georgia but currently resides in the Westside neighborhood of Atlanta. She graduated from The University of Georgia (go Dawgs!) and received her undergraduate degree in Human Development and Family Science.
When she’s not working, Marie can be found going on walks, exploring new restaurants around the city, and mastering her pickleball skills!
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only, and does not constitute legal advice nor create an attorney-client relationship with Bequest Law.