Clear guides to Washington law, legal aid, and your rights
Estate Planning
10 articles in this category
A power of attorney gives someone you choose the legal authority to act on your behalf for finances or healthcare if you cannot act yourself. Here is how the different types work and when you need each one.
A transfer-on-death deed lets you pass your home directly to a beneficiary when you die, with no probate and no court process. Here is how they work, which states allow them, and when a living trust makes more sense.
A pour-over will is a safety net for your living trust. It catches assets you forgot to transfer into the trust and directs them there at death. Here is how it works and why you still need one even with a fully funded trust.
Most assets can be structured to pass outside of probate entirely. Here are the five methods that actually work, and how to decide which ones fit your situation.
A will and a living trust both transfer your assets when you die, but they take different routes. Whether the extra work of a trust is worth it depends on what you own and where you live.
A living trust holds your assets during your lifetime and transfers them to your beneficiaries when you die, without going through probate. Here is how they work, what they cover, and when one makes sense.
For estates approaching the federal exemption threshold, basic planning is just the foundation. GRATs, ILITs, dynasty trusts, SLATs, IDGTs, and QPRTs each accomplish something a will and living trust cannot. Here is how they work.
When a trustee dies, resigns, or becomes incapacitated, the trust continues but authority over it goes dark until succession is resolved. Here is how the transition works, what goes wrong without named successors, and what the outgoing trustee still owes.
Trusts often need updating as life changes — but whether and how you can modify a trust depends on whether it is revocable or irrevocable, your state's law, and the methods available. Here is what each option involves.
When a beneficiary dies before receiving their inheritance, the outcome depends on what the document says, what the state anti-lapse statute covers, and how the estate plan handles contingencies. Here is how it works.
