We believe estate planning is an intensely personal and human exercise that incorporates your values, wisdom, and principles into what would otherwise be sterile documents.

We believe estate planning is much more than an administrative discipline; it is an intensely personal and human exercise that incorporates your values, wisdom, and core principles into what would otherwise be sterile and ultimately ineffective documents. We truly have a passion for preserving your family's values, heritage, and wealth for generations.

But in our experience, most people have no idea how their estate plans will actually work. The real tragedy is that most problems don't arise until after it's too late to fix them. We have a passion for educating people about the pitfalls of traditional estate planning and helping them navigate the many estate planning challenges presented by our current tax and legal landscape.

There are many areas where estate plans fail. Some of the more common failures include:

* Probates happen, MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, even where you created a living trust with the specific objective of avoiding probate.

* Unintended heirs receive property that should have gone to someone else.

* Inheritance taxes are imposed after the death of a surviving spouse, where a married couple's combined estate should have been completely sheltered.

* After the cognitive disability of a parent, adult children fail to manage assets properly because there are no guidelines. Sometimes siblings just get mad at each other. Sometimes they even sue each other.

* Retirement accounts pass to the estate of the deceased, or "wrong" beneficiaries where income taxes must then be paid all at once, rather than be deferred for many years.

* Poorly managed life insurance policies terminate before the death of the insured, causing huge financial losses.

* Your minor children get an outright inheritance, which may result in a court ordered guardianship.

* Disabled beneficiaries receive their inheritance the wrong way, causing loss of valuable government benefits.

This list represents just SOME of the possible problems, several of which could be happening at once. We can help you avoid these pitfalls. Give us a call at 253.858.5434 to find out how we can help. We represent clients throughout Washington and Idaho and are available to meet in person (with appropriate social distancing protocols in place), by phone, or via video conference.