Meet Richard Barid
Richard Barid is a founder of Smith Barid, LLC and was a driving force behind the firm’s commitment to thoughtful, client-centered elder law, estate planning, and special needs planning in Savannah and throughout Georgia. Alongside his longtime partner, Michael Smith, Richard helped build a practice rooted in education, integrity, and genuine care for the families they served.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. Following his undergraduate study, Richard attended law school at the University of Georgia School of Law in Athens, Georgia where he competed as a member of, and later coached, a national award-winning moot court team. Mr. Barid earned his J.D. from the University of Georgia in 1996. Richard believes strongly in continuing education. He devotes substantial time and resources to staying up to date on the latest laws, trends, and techniques in planning. He speaks regularly on estate planning and related topics to public and private groups in addition to teaching continuing education courses to local professionals.
Richard Barid has lived and worked in the Savannah area for over seventeen years. He was selected as a Georgia Super Lawyers Rising Star for 2010 through a peer review process. In addition to being an accredited VA attorney, Richard has also been an instructor for the Academy of VA Pension Planners, helping to educate other attorneys who represent Veterans with claims before the VA. In addition, he is a member of various professional and civic organizations including: WealthCounsel, Elder Counsel, the Savannah Estate Planning Council, the Savannah Bar Association, the State Bar of Georgia, the Adcadamy of VA Pension Planners, the Greater Savannah Coalition on Aging, the Savannah Bankruptcy Bar Association, and the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce. Richard and Mike co-hosted a radio show for about a year on WTKS AM 1290. “Never Settle for Less” was broadcast to Southeast Georgia and parts of South Carolina and streamed live on the Internet.
Due to ongoing health challenges, Richard has retired from the active practice of law. While he is no longer seeing clients, his vision, values, and dedication to thoughtful planning remain deeply woven into the foundation of Smith Barid, LLC. The firm continues to honor the standard of care Richard helped establish.
Richard is happily married to Aimee. He and Aimee are the parents of one son who. In his spare time (ha, ha), Richard enjoys spending time with family and friends. His hobbies and diversions include enjoying stand-up comedy, reading, podcasting, digital photography, and grilling.