Your Legal Corner

What Bloomsday's 50th Anniversary Teaches Us About Plans That Endure Each year, on the first Sunday of May, something remarkable happens in Spokane that makes it one of Washington's most recognizable communities. Tens of thousands of runners, walkers, families pushing strollers, and veterans of the course who have done this more times than they can count, pour into the streets along the Spokane River and move together through the city. Lilacs are blooming and the air carries

When a small business owner dies without a functioning succession plan, the results tend to be swift and severe. These results may not only impact the friends, family, and the loved ones of the leadership of the company, but the entire body of employees and broader supply chain network. A business that took decades to build can be frozen within days while a court determines who has the authority to operate it. Co-owners may disagree on valuation, family members may claim comp

Let’s be honest for a second. When we think about summer, our brains usually go straight to the classics: overpriced iced lattes, a frantic hunt for a vacation rental that actually looks like the photos, and perhaps a slightly too ambitious hike. We focus on the "now" of our lives. We celebrate the long days, the rooftop hangs, and the feeling of finally being out of the house. But as an estate planning firm who spends our days looking at the "forever" part of life, we want t

The question families frequently bring to my office is deceptively straightforward: How do we honor the milestone of a sixteenth birthday, perhaps with a meaningful celebration or a meaningful gift, while simultaneously preserving the resources that will carry our child through college and beyond? The answer, in virtually every well-designed estate plan, involves a carefully structured trust.

For decades, Washington residents relied on the absence of a state income tax as a cornerstone of wealth planning. That assumption may now be ending. With the Senate’s recent 27-22 passage of Senate Bill 6346 (known as the 'Washington Millionaires Tax') , Washington has signaled a historic shift toward a 9.9% personal income tax on households earning over $1 million a year. For families who have built their success in the Pacific Northwest, the message is clear: the era of ta

When a loved one passes, you expect a time for reflection and shared grief. Instead, you might find yourself in a whirlwind of confusion and legal paperwork. Your hands are likely already full with work, caring for aging family members, or raising children. Emotions run high, and suddenly, people aren't behaving the way you expected. Promises made around the Thanksgiving table decades ago seem to have vanished. Old wills are pulled out of dusty drawers to favor certain family

Advocacy comes with inherent risks. If you are injured, unconscious, or detained during a demonstration, your ability to make critical decisions for yourself disappears the moment you lose consciousness or communication with the outside world. To ensure your values are respected even when you can’t speak, you need to treat Estate Planning not as a "retirement task," but as an essential part of your "activist toolkit.

Most families in Washington believe that a Last Will and Testament is enough to protect their loved ones. Unfortunately, this is a misconception. A will does not avoid probate, does nothing if you are alive but incapacitated, and offers as much privacy as the front page of Reddit once filed.

Serving as a Personal Representative (sometimes called an Executor) is not just an honor: it’s a legal job with deadlines and real consequences if something goes wrong. These consequences can cost money, property, cherished memories, and may even affect your relationship with your family and other loved ones. That is where we step in.

In the world of personal finance, most people focus on building equity. But few focus on protecting it. Whether you are navigating a rough financial patch or just planning for the future, here is how you can shield most or all of your home’s value from creditors. 

The Digital Asset Act: Foundation for Digital Asset Protection The Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (RUFADAA) is a model law designed to create a clear legal framework for managing digital assets after death or incapacitation. In other words, RUFADAA was enacted to give directions on how to deal with your online accounts and assets when you are unavailable in a more permanent manner. Before RUFADAA, fiduciaries (people with the responsibility of taking

A social media account is an online platform that allows users to create a public or semi-public profile, connect with others, and share content such as photos, videos, messages, and thoughts. Common examples include platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, and YouTube. These accounts are significant digital assets that act as personal archives.

In today's hyper-connected world, your wealth extends far beyond physical property and bank accounts. From valuable cryptocurrency holdings and monetized social media profiles, to sentimental online photo libraries and essential email accounts, digital assets are an involved yet often overlooked part of many estate plans.

You've probably heard the term "trust" thrown around in movies or financial articles, but what does it really mean for you? If you're building a career, buying a home, or starting a family (pets included), it's time to get a grip on this powerful financial tool.

For too long, estate planning has felt like a hidden language written in expensive and intimidating characters, reserved only for those with sprawling fortunes. Mortality is a conversation most of us dread, especially while we are young, just starting out, or in the prime of a busy career. While we understand the eventual need for an established plan to decide who gets what after we pass, it can be hard to find the time and motivation during busy lives to carve out the needed

While capable of practicing law in both Washington and Montana, our firm would like to spend a moment in pointing out some key differences in the laws governing estate planning and probate that may exist for those who may have assets in both states. Understanding these laws fully will assist you in determining which state is best to complete/open your case in. In Washington, the laws are governed by the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) and the Washington Administrative Code (