ANNIE ARBENZ

Annie Arbenz

Annie’s busy trusts and estates practice reflects the compassion and skill she applies to every client she works with when designing thoughtful and comprehensive estate plans or navigating the administration of an estate upon incapacity or death. Annie’s practice includes helping people plan the disposition of their estate while reducing various end-of-life tax burdens and advising executors, trustees, and beneficiaries about their rights and responsibilities.  Annie’s practice also focuses on various elements of business law, specifically as they relate to succession planning and closely-held businesses in the trusts & estates context.

Annie’s clients and professional colleagues throughout Washington State and the country refer to Annie because of her practical/no-nonsense approach to legal issues and because of her ability to connect with clients and their family members on a personal level. Annie strongly believes there is no one-size-fits-all estate plan and that a client’s family dynamic and history should play a lead role in designing a plan that is unique to every client with whom she gets to work. 

EDUCATION

• B.A., Business Administration, University of Washington (2005)
• J.D., Gonzaga University School of Law (2008)

ASSOCIATIONS & RECOGNITIONS

• Tacoma Pierce County Bar Association
• Washington State Bar Association | Real Property, Probate & Trust Section
• Board Member, Gig Harbor Downtown Waterfront Alliance (2018-current)
• Presenter at various conferences and CLEs related to estate planning, probate, and legal technology, including ABA Techshow (Chicago, IL; 2020)
• President, Gonzaga University School of Law Alumni Association (2013-2019)
• Board of Advisors, Gonzaga University School of Law (2011-2019)
• Rotary Club of Gig Harbor (2011-present)
• Wish Granter, Make-A-Wish of Alaska and Washington (2013 – 2015)
• Editorial Board for the Real Property, Probate & Trust Section’s Newsletter (2010-2013)
• “Rising Star” Super Lawyers (2020)
• “Rising Star” Super Lawyers (2021)
• “40 Under Forty” Honoree, Business Examiner (2012)
• “Best Lawyer” South Sound Magazine (2015)

Annie is a dedicated family gal and spends her free time traveling, trying new foods, reading (for pleasure) and training for/competing in triathlons – she has competed in a full Ironman triathlon (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run) and has competed in several half Ironman triathlons as well as various local triathlons. She met her husband, Casey, on their first day of law school. He is also a lawyer in Tacoma and is a much faster triathlete than Annie. They live in Gig Harbor with their two young kiddos (who are 6 and 7) and German Shepherd, Maverick.  Annie loves Disneyland, wants to learn Italian but can’t justify actually learning it, and collects high heels.

Three years ago, Annie created a website called Orbit Wills for Washingtonians to get a complete estate plan done for a fraction of the cost and without any lawyer meetings. Annie created it because she was frustrated by the available online options and believes it is important for everyone to have an estate plan prepared by an attorney. In this way, Annie can help people across Washington State in making these important end-of-life decisions that provide so much relief to family members. Orbit Wills is only available to straightforward estates and you can determine whether you qualify for Orbit Wills by taking a quick survey on the Orbit Wills website. Orbit Wills has been gaining national attention for its innovative way of making the law – specifically, estate planning – more affordable for everyone.