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PROBATE ATTORNEY BLOG
Everything you need to know about probate, including how to get letters, if you need probate, and more.
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What Does a Probate Attorney DO Exactly?
“Why do we even NEED a probate attorney?” Debbie asked about 30 seconds into our phone call. I knew I was going to like Debbie right away. She wasn’t afraid to ask the questions that really mattered. Now that the question was asked, however, I was...
Everyone Has An Estate Plan | Estate Planning TV 004
Everyone has an estate plan even if you haven’t created one yet. If you haven’t created your own, the government is going to create or has created one for you. This means a couple of things: a) it’s more expensive if the government does it; b) you don’t get to get any...
Three Hidden Benefits of Estate Planning | Estate Planning TV 002
Most people think estate planning is just taking care of things when you die. Most people would be wrong. On this episode of Estate Planning TV I’m going to talk about the three primary jobs of estate planning. 1. It gives you protection while you are alive....
Fairness and Estate Planning Attorneys | #RichLifeLawyer Show 84
I love being an estate planning attorney. I get to help people plan for the future and I also get to help them in a great time of need. And sometimes those two worlds collide. And then all sorts of interesting things start happening. Estate planning is a lot like...
Joint Tenancy with Right of Survivorship vs. Tenancy in Common | #RichLifeLawyer Show 82
I had someone come into my office a while ago with a question. His brother had just passed away and they owned a property together. He thought the property was going to go to him – that’s what the brother wanted – but he wasn’t sure. I told him...
2017 Estate Tax Rates | Are You Vulnerable To Paying Tax?
I had a client recently hire the firm because his father had passed away. He had a will and that was it. He thought it would be a simple probate to pay any outstanding debts and then distribute the assets. And I thought the same thing too, until he told me how big his...
You Are Not Special | #RichLifeLawyer Show 78
Yes, we’re all snowflakes, special little creatures with our own special talents and eccentricities. But there is one thing we all have in common – we’re all going to die someday. I don’t mean this in a morbid sense, but in a biological one. No...
Five Reasons Probate Takes So Long!
Probate is the process of settling the estate of a deceased person or “decedent”. It’s not a complicated process, and in many ways Washington State has one of the more streamlined probate systems in the United States, but it still can be long and frustrating. After...
3 Reasons to Contest a Will | #RichLifeLawyer Show 73
I get two kinds of calls all the time in the office related to contesting a will. The first kind of call comes from someone who believes they have been wronged by someone in their will. Imagine someone doesn’t get something they thought they had something coming...
How Do I Put My House in My Revocable Living Trust?
Bonnie and Clyde created a trust to ensure that when they passed away they no one would have to worry about probate and the people they cared about the most used the money and assets they were going to inherit in a way that actually benefited their lives. Or so they...
Letters of Administration Explained | #RichLifeLawyer Show 71
When someone dies and they have to go through probate to transfer their property to their heirs the court will at some point issue something called Letters of Administration. Today we are going to talk about what those are. The non-technical definition of Letters of...
3 Reasons to Avoid The Do It Yourself Will | #RichLifeLawyer Show 68
A lot of people out there think the do it yourself will is the way to go. They think they will be saving money. They think “how hard could it be?” What most people don’t think about is, “what if you get wrong?” What if your kids...
#RichLifeLawyer Show 65: How to Hand Down Your Seahawks Tickets
In case you are wondering, no, you did not miss episode 64. I just forgot to call out a show as number 64! So, enjoy 65! This was an interesting question today on the listserve. Someone had a client who passed down their Seahawks tickets and the estate planning...
#RichLifeLawyer Show 60: Gifting a Gift to a Sibling
On today’s show we discuss what happens when a parent gives everything to one child and that child feels obligated to give to their siblings… I had an interesting conversation the other day with a client. She had been given everything from her mother,...
#RichLifeLawyer Show 59: How To Give Your Assets Away With A Will
On this episode of the show we talk about how to give specific assets away with your will… An important thing to remember here is that when you give your possessions away you need to think about what you want to happen if that person dies before you do. Does...
#RichLifeLawyer Show 58: How Long Can Creditors Call in Probate?
Today we talk about how long creditors can submit bills on an estate in probate… Imagine a scenario where you are personal representative of an estate. You do your best to accumulate all the bills, you talk to everyone who is entitled to get everything. You pay...
#RichLifeLawyer Show 56: How Long Does Probate Take?
In this episode of the show we talk about how long probate takes… If you’ve had a loved one pass away and are facing the prospects of having to go through probate, it can seem pretty daunting. You probably googled around and saw answers ranging from 9...
#RichLifeLawyer Rant: Don’t Be Selfish
In this special rant episode of the show, I implore you… please don’t be selfish. Here’s the bottom line – don’t be selfish. As an estate planning lawyer I can’t tell you what to do. I can’t tell you what to think. I...
#RichLifeLawyer Show 53: How To Get A Will Out Of A Safety Deposit Box
On this episode of the will I give you two ways to get a will out of a safety deposit box… Getting a will out of a safety deposit box may seem like an impossible task. You are hitting roadblock after roadblock. The bank is telling you no, you access the...
#RichLifeLawyer Show 52: The One Place You DO NOT Want To Store Your Will
On this episode of the show I talk about the one place you do NOT want to store your will… I’ve done will signing after will signing after will signing. At the end of each session, I always ask my clients, “Now that we’re done, what are you...
#RichLifeLawyer Show 048: What Happens if You Die Without a Will
What Happens if You Die Without a Will Most people just assume that if you die without a will your people get your stuff. They assume it’s a simple process. They assume the money saved by not making a will and using an estate planning attorney goes to their...
10 Steps of the Washington State Probate Process
Note the “Washington State” in the title. Although this process is likely very similar in other states, each state has its own rules. Make sure you know the rules in your state before you get started. Either via some tragedy or the normal course of life,...
What is Probate?
If you’ve ever heard or any famous people dying in the news or have had a loved one close to you pass away you probably heard the term “probate” dished around a lot. Probate is the court-supervised legal procedure that: Determines the validity of...
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