Estate Planning

Professional, Knowledgeable Washington Attorneys

Effective estate planning, executed with care and precision, gives the testator control over the way the assets are distributed. It is critical to plan one’s estate with an experienced, skilled lawyer to avoid mistakes in the drafting that could have negative consequences.

Clients in the Tri-Cities area of Washington who want their estate plan handled by experienced professionals hire Ellerd, Hultgrenn and Dahlhauser. Serving clients in Pasco, Richland and Kennewick, our estate planning lawyers focus on perfecting every detail in our clients’ estate plans. We make sure we draft estate planning documents for our clients that will avoid civil litigation in probate, will consider estate tax issues, and will pass on their wealth exactly as they wish.

The Essentials of an Effective Estate Planning

There are a few documents that are essential to almost any comprehensive estate plan:

• Wills and Trusts: These are the most basic estate planning documents, determining how a testator’s wealth and property will be distributed considering tax implications.
• Power of Attorney: These are documents that give someone else authority and direction for handling the financial affairs of the testator/testatrix if he/she cannot handle these matters alone and providing authority to give consent to medical treatment.
• Health Care Directive: This gives direction to doctors and family if the individual cannot communicate his or her wishes when facing a permanent terminal condition.
• Community Property Agreements: This document can help avoid a probate upon your spouse passing away and to uncomplicate matters if this were to occur to get everything transferred to the surviving spouse.
• Family Law Documents: A prenuptial agreement establishes how the assets will be distributed in the event of a divorce or death.

Our lawyers have the experience and knowledge to learn about each client’s specific goals and needs and use the appropriate estate planning documents and techniques to give each client the most effective and accurate estate plan possible. Contact our office to discuss your legal concerns with a lawyer. We are available during our regular business hours of 8AM to 5PM, Monday through Friday.