Custom, Affordable Wills
WITHOUT A WILL, STATE LAW DETERMINES WHO WILL INHERIT YOUR ASSETS
Even if you told all your family members who should inherit each of your assets, your wishes will not matter. And, if your will is not valid because of a technicality, you will also be deemed to die intestate (without a valid will). (This is one of the issues usually not addressed by online will websites.)
Sadly, many people die without a will, usually not realizing the problems that will often arise as a result of not having a will. This often leads to unfortunate situations, including:
- Children fighting over who will get sentimental heirlooms
- Uncertainty as to what should happen to the family house
- Those in long-term (but legally unrecognized) partnerships may inherit nothing from their partner.
- Assets often being used to pay attorneys to work out distribution issues (instead of going to beneficiaries).
What Happens When a Person Dies Intestate?
Washington intestate law provides that all beneficiaries of the same class (like the surviving children of a parent who dies without a spouse or partner) are entitled to an equal fair market value of assets. “Fair market value” does not take into account sentimental value. A family bible, jewelery, or other items may have great sentimental value but little market value.
A personal representative (who also may be entitled to inherit) must make difficult decisions about asset division. This situation is not fair to either the personal representative or other beneficiaries.
DON’T LET THIS BE YOUR LEGACY.
As experienced will attorneys and estate planning lawyers, we can help. We’ll sit down with you, learn your goals and objectives, and create a comprehensive estate plan for your needs – protecting your assets during life, and providing for a smooth asset distribution plan.
- Wills
- Codicils
- Living Trusts
- Trusts
- Irrevocable Trusts
- Special Needs Trusts
- Supplemental Needs Trusts
- Power of Attorney
- Financial Power of Attorney
- Healthcare Power of Attorney
- Durable Power of Attorney
- Directive to Physicians (Living Will)