Estate Planning
Protecting your assets and providing for your loved ones through comprehensive estate planning tailored to your unique circumstances.
Comprehensive Estate Planning
Navigating the complexities of estate planning is a thoughtful process of protecting your assets and providing for your loved ones. Our firm can help you create a comprehensive plan tailored to your unique circumstances. We work closely with you to understand your goals, whether that involves drafting a will to clearly outline your wishes, or establishing a trust to manage and distribute your assets efficiently.
- Last Wills and Testaments
- Revocable and Irrevocable Trusts
- Durable Power of Attorney
- Healthcare Directives and Living Wills
- Beneficiary Designation Review
Essential Documents Beyond a Will
A well-crafted estate plan goes beyond just a will. We can assist you in preparing essential documents such as a durable power of attorney for financial matters and healthcare directives, including a living will. These instruments allow you to appoint trusted individuals to make critical decisions on your behalf if you are unable to do so. Our goal is to provide you with peace of mind, knowing that your financial and healthcare wishes will be honored.
Probate Avoidance Strategies
For many of our clients, avoiding the time and expense of probate is a primary concern. We can explore various strategies to help you achieve this, such as the creation of living trusts and other probate-avoidance techniques available under Washington law. By planning ahead, you can help your beneficiaries receive their inheritance more smoothly and with greater privacy.
- Living Trusts for probate avoidance
- Joint ownership strategies
- Beneficiary designations and payable-on-death accounts
- Community property agreements under Washington law
When This Matters
Young Families
Parents who want to name guardians for minor children and set up trusts to manage assets for their benefit.
Blended Families
Couples in second marriages who want to provide for a surviving spouse while also protecting inheritance for children from prior relationships.
Business Owners
Entrepreneurs who need to coordinate their estate plan with their business succession plan.
Retirees
Individuals planning for the distribution of retirement accounts and real estate to the next generation.
Other Practice Areas
Business Succession
Succession planning, buy-sell agreements, and family business transitions to protect what you have built.
Real Estate & Business Transactions
Commercial and residential transactions, 1031 exchanges, and purchase and sale agreements.
Entity Formations
LLCs, corporations, partnerships — choosing and forming the right business structure.
Discuss Your Estate Planning Needs
Schedule a complimentary consultation with Jeff Helsdon. No obligation, no fee.