Angel Latterell Law

Estate Planning Attorney For Washington State

206-678-0117

What Happens to Your Social Media Accounts When You Die?

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In today’s hyper-connected and screen focused world, most of us in the United States live a portion of our lives online. We are sharing photos, communicating with friends, building professional networks and storing digitally uploaded memories - all on social media platforms. But what happens to your social media and digital accounts when you … [Read more...]

What Is The Legal Limit For My Estate Before I’m Subject To Estate Tax in Washington State?

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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 your home in Western Washington you could be almost half way … [Read more...]

Can I Fund My Trust Using My Life Insurance?

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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. In other words, you are going to die. It is the only thing we can depend on in this life - … [Read more...]

Should I Transfer My House To My Child While I Am Still Alive?

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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 done kind of matter, as there are many ways that the … [Read more...]

The 4 Methods of Property Transfer and How They Work Together After You Die

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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 Trust for all my property - I don’t a Will or any of those other documents. I … [Read more...]

Who Should Have an Estate Plan? Do I Need One?

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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 an immortal should have an estate plan as how else will they transfer their amassed wealth … [Read more...]

Benefits of Working With An Estate Planning Attorney Vs. Doing It Yourself (DIY) Online

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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 in place.  (Which means what you print may not even … [Read more...]

How to Appoint Long and Short Term Guardians For Your Children

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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 in case of emergency.  Here I will explain what you need to do to ensure you have appointed long … [Read more...]