Please bring any previous Wills, Trusts or other estate planning documents with you to the initial consultation. If you have begun work on your estate planning documents through the use of an online service, please bring drafts of these documents – this will streamline the work and make the best use of your time and money. 

A Will is a legal document prepared and executed during your lifetime to provide instructions for the distribution of your property, the care of your minor children, the handling of your estate and other important matters after you pass away.

For major changes, executing an entirely new Last Will and Testament is the most efficient way to make those changes. Once a new Will has been signed into effect, you would simply destroy the original copy of your previous Last Will and Testament.

For minor changes, executing a Codicil to your Last Will and Testament is the most efficient way to make those changes, A Codicil can change a part of your existing Will or add a whole new provision.

For more information on Wills, click here to access the Washington State Bar website.

A Revocable Living Trust allows you to transfer your property into a Trust which is owned and managed by you during your lifetime. Upon your passing, your Successor Trustee can administer the Trust without having to go through probate.

For information on Revocable Living Trusts, click here to access the Washington State Bar website.

A Durable Power of Attorney authorizes another person to legally act on your behalf. You can grant someone a very narrow power of attorney, such as the power to sell a particular item, or very broad power, such as complete control of all your property. A Durable Power of Attorney assures that, in the event you are incapacitated or unable to make decisions about your financial affairs or medical options, a designated person can attend to your financial or medical obligations.

A Power of Attorney is a very flexible document, and can be drafted to fit your particular circumstances. For example, if you are a single parent of a minor child or children, without family living nearby, a Limited Springing Durable Power of Attorney can be created to name a temporary guardian for your minor children in the event you become suddenly incapacitated, providing bridge care in such an emergency.

Sometimes called a living will, a Health Care Directive is a legal document that tells caregivers your specific wishes regarding medical decisions when you are unable to express them.

A Community Property Agreement is a legal document executed between a married couple to ensure that, upon the death of the first spouse, any jointly owned property will transfer to the surviving spouse. A Community Property Agreement will avoid probate proceedings after the first spouse has passed away.

Probate is a court-supervised legal process that determines the validity of the Last Will and Testament, gathers any assets, pays any debts or taxes and then distributes any remaining assets to the beneficiaries.

If there is no Last Will and Testament, the court will distribute your assets according to the Washington laws of inheritance. Probate proceedings protect all those who have an interest in your property, such as immediate family, joint tenants, creditors and taxing authorities.

In the state of Washington, any estate worth more than $100,000 or owning any real property must go through probate proceedings before any assets can be distributed.