Are you one of the 9 out of 10 people between the ages of 18 and 35 without a will? Are you part of the over 50% of people in America without any sort of formal estate planning in place? Do you have a family? A home? A business? Do you care about what would happen to you if you were unable to make medical decisions for yourself? Do you know what would happen to your children if you were hurt or passed away?
Many people avoid these questions because they are difficult to think about. Many people dismiss estate planning as complicated or expensive. But if you spend just a few minutes speaking with a knowledgeable estate planning attorney, and spend a relatively small amount of money now, you will never have to worry about these questions again, and could end up saving your family many times the cost down the road.
The Green Law Office, PLLC will work with you to create a personalized estate planning package particular to the needs of your family. Usually a will, maybe containing a testamentary trust for any minor children, along with a durable power of attorney and a health care power of attorney are enough to take care of most people’s needs. These documents will ensure that your assets are passed along as you wish; that your estate can be handled without unnecessary court intervention; that your children are taken care of; and that all business, financial, and medical decisions are taken care of according to your predetermined wishes.
Many people have somehow come to believe that complicated “living trusts” are necessary to avoid taxes and pass property in the easiest way. That is often times untrue. “Living trusts” do not actually avoid estate taxes in most situations. And the current federal estate tax thresholds are far above that of normal families’ asset totals anyway. Further, in Washington the probate laws are such that a simple will can provide for an estate to be probated simply and quickly without much, if any court intervention at all.
Call the Green Law Office, PLLC today to discuss putting together your personalized estate planning package today. Reasonable flat rates apply in most situations.