Author Archives: Jay Butchko
When Should You Start Estate Planning?
Everyone has an estate, whether they know it or not. Your estate is made up of everything you own, including your home, car, bank accounts, retirement accounts, investments, life insurance, personal possessions, and furniture. Regardless of how small or how large your estate is, it is important that you make a plan for it…. Read More »
Four Common Myths About Estate Planning
Approximately two-thirds of Americans do not have an estate plan in place. There are likely many reasons for this, but one of the most common is that people mistakenly believe some of the biggest myths surrounding this type of planning. Below, one of our Kennewick estate planning lawyers outlines what these are, and the… Read More »
Three Questions to Ask Yourself when Estate Planning for Your Children
All parents should have an estate plan that outlines who will raise their children and make important decisions for them in the event that they pass away. If you have not yet created an estate plan that includes plans for your children, it may be because you do not know where to start. This… Read More »
Will a Washington Revocable Trust Shield My Assets from Creditors?
In estate planning, we often use revocable living trusts as a tool to help clients bypass the probate process. A trust is a legal arrangement where you transfer title to certain property to a trustee. The trustee then manages that property on behalf of the beneficiaries named in the trust document. With a revocable… Read More »
Are Handwritten or Oral Wills Valid in Washington?
Every Washington resident should have a last will and testament. A proper will ensures that your property goes to your preferred beneficiaries and that someone you trust is placed in charge of your estate as your personal representative. While the requirements for making a valid will are not especially difficult, they must be carefully… Read More »
Can a Trustee Ignore the Trust’s Instructions?
One of the key benefits of a living trust is that it allows you to leave binding instructions for your trustee on how you want your property distributed after your death. Although you can always amend, alter, or revoke a living trust at any point during your lifetime, once you pass away, the trust… Read More »
What Is the Difference Between Estate, Inheritance, and Gift Taxes in Washington?
The estate tax is often misunderstood. Many Washington residents assume they need to engage in complex estate planning just to avoid the possibility their heirs will owe the government money. But the current reality is that the vast majority of Washingtonians will not leave a sizable enough estate to trigger any estate tax obligations… Read More »
Top 5 Retirement Planning Mistakes
Retirement is meant to be a time when you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the fruits of your labor. But retirement is not something that simply happens on its own. It requires careful planning and knowing what to do–and what not to do–decades before you actually reach retirement age. While there are dozens… Read More »
What Can a Power of Attorney Do?
A power of attorney is a legal document that names a person to act as your agent. There are a number of different types of powers of attorney (POAs) recognized by Washington law. In estate planning, the two most common are a financial power of attorney and a power of attorney for health care…. Read More »
Do You Need a Survivorship Clause in Your Washington Will or Trust?
Many Washington wills and trusts contain what are known as survivorship requirements. This basically means that a beneficiary must survive you by a specified amount of time in order to inherit from your estate or trust. Such requirements can help to avoid a situation where your property might end up passing under the estate… Read More »