The best way to leave things to your favorite charity or non-profit organization after you die is to make sure you have an estate plan in place. A gift of money, assets or property in an estate plan is called Planned Giving and many organizations depend upon these planned gifts...

Did you know that Washington State taxes you based on the total value of everything you own when you die? This includes your car, your home, your art collection, your retirement accounts, investments AND what is in the bank! If this amount totals over $2.19 million (which if you own...

Whether or not a trust is required to pay taxes completely depends on the type of trust it is. In Washington State, and generally around the United States a Living Revocable Trust is NOT specifically taxed as an entity - and this is the primary type of Trust that is...

No one wants to think about their death.  But raise your hand if you are immortal?  Correct, unless you are a character in an Anne Rice novel or some other fantasy story you are a regular human being with a set amount of days to walk in this physical realm....

The best way to split assets among your children and prevent them from fighting about it after you die is to have a comprehensive estate plan in place including a living revocable trust. Just like the saying “good fences make good neighbors,” and a clear contract makes a good business...

Most families with young kids put off death, emergency and guardianship planning because it just doesn’t seem that urgent.  You are young, it's unlikely you will die tomorrow right?  But as a result, if you die, or an accident puts you in the hospital long term, your lack of planning...

Before going into details, I’m just going to start out by answering this question. “Absolutely not!”  Transferring property into your child’s name while you are still alive is probably one of the most horrible ideas of your life.  I’m serious.  Real estate transfers are not a DIY, or quick and...

Very frequently, individuals call my office and say - Angel, I just need a Simple Will.  I don’t have much, and I’m leaving everything to my kids and/or my spouse.  I don’t need anything fancy.   Or I hear, more rarely, but still sometimes - I just need a Revocable...

Right out of the gate, the resounding answer to this question is EVERYONE above the age of 18 needs an estate plan.  And thus, Yes!! YOU NEED AN ESTATE PLAN. The only person who does not need an estate plan is immortal.  And I would make an argument that even...

The law treats our fur family as property - so you cannot leave anything to your pet because according to the state they are themselves personal property.  As a result, in order to make sure someone is legally obligated to take care of your furry family members after you die...

Planning for your special needs child can be very confusing.  There are multiple different types of trusts and accounts that can be set up for an adult or child with disabilities while you are alive and well, and they all have different names, and different legal terms and conditions for...

It may seem cheap, quick and easy to get your estate plan done using an online do-it-yourself legal document creation service. But the downside of these DIY services is that there is NO ONE to guide you and guarantee that you have accurate, complete or even semi-functional legal estate documents...

Most parents of young children think - “I need a will so that I can tell the state who should parent my children if I die.”  But a guardian nomination in a will can only do part of the job, as it does not actually appoint parental substitutes to act...

What is the difference between a Will and Trust?  And why do I need one or the other?  This is the most frequently asked question I get from clients and potential clients. The short answer is -  you need both, because they do two different things for a comprehensive estate...

When deciding your estate plan, there are many things you have to think about. Choosing the right plan, executing and organizing the documents, and meeting with your attorney are all part of the job of planning what will happen to your estate. But one thing that is integral to the process...

There are many different ways to prepare for your future with your estate planning attorney. There are many different types of documents, plans, and decisions that you have to make when deciding how you want to distribute your estate. When looking at the options and deciding what estate plan is...