Wills & Estate Planning

When it comes to truly taking care of the ones you love, nothing is more important than a complete estate plan that clearly outlines how you want your estate distributed while making sure to avoid needless fees and taxes. After all, you are the one who earned the assets that make up your estate and you should control where they go upon your death.

A clear and organized estate plan is one of the best gifts you can give your family. It will ensure your assets are protected but it will also allow your loved ones to properly grieve and avoid the stresses associated with an unexpected passing. Moreover, a complete estate plan includes directions and directives to health-care providers and your family regarding how to treat you should you become incapacitated. If those difficult decisions are made in advance – by you – there will be no doubts about (1) who you want to be in charge of your estate, (2) what you want to happen upon your incapacitation or death, and (3) who you want your assets to be distributed to.

We frequently see a sense of peace come over the faces of our clients when they meet with one of our estate planning attorneys to sign their documents and formally have their affairs organized and in order. Meeting with one of our estate planning attorneys will ensure your last wishes are properly carried out.

Documents & Advice

We provide services that cover all aspects of estate, gift, and tax planning, including preparation and updating of the following documents in Tacoma, Puyallup, Gig Harbor and the greater Puget Sound area:

• Wills
• Trusts (living trusts, special needs trusts, irrevocable trusts, etc.)
• Powers of Attorney
• Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements
• Cohabitation Agreements

We also provide advice related to all aspects of the estate planning process, including:

• How to deal with blended or other “non-traditional” families
• Income Taxes
• Estate Taxes
• Gift Taxes
• Asset Protection
• Business Structure and Succession Planning

Cost

Most of the estate planning work we do in this area is on a flat-fee basis, meaning we meet with you, establish what you need, and then tell you the exact amount that it will cost to get those things done. Typically, we ask you to pay half of the flat fee to get us started on your plan after we have met and the second half is paid when you sign your documents. Any changes you decide to make within 6 months from the date you signed your initial documents will be prepared free of charge. After that, additional charges may be incurred, but we will also tell you those additional charges in advance of doing any work.

How It Works

When you make an appointment, we ask that you show up to that appointment with copies of any previously signed estate planning documents and a list of your assets and liabilities. At our first appointment, we will have a conversation about you and your family and we will collect the information needed to prepare the necessary documents for you.  At that time, after we know what will be required, we will discuss the cost. We will meet again, usually within a month, to sit down, review everything carefully, make any changes, and sign the various documents. Then, you leave with originals for safekeeping and copies to review periodically.

All of our estate planning clients leave with smiles on their faces, even though these conversations bring up difficult topics. Our goal is to make the estate planning process enjoyable, easy, and accessible.  Yes, it’s possible!

Scheduling an Appointment; Orbit Wills

We have a very busy practice, though, and oftentimes it may take 2-4 weeks to get an appointment.

We certainly believe it is worth it to wait if you want a comprehensive plan and meetings with our estate planning attorney, but if you have a straightforward estate and need to get these documents done ASAP, please visit the website created by our estate planning attorney, Annie Arbenz, called Orbit Wills. Annie created Orbit Wills as an option for people with straightforward/simple estates so all of these documents can be done quickly and for a fraction of the cost. It provides very similar documents to what is created during the traditional estate planning process but there are no meetings – it is all online! You can take a short survey by clicking here to see if you qualify to use Orbit Wills. 

Schdeule Estate Planning Consultation