Estate Planning
Estate planning offers an opportunity for you to direct how your property and valuables are distributed upon your passing. We offer individual documents as well as complete packages to accommodate large or small estates. Additionally, we offer health care and end of life documents as you may desire.
Last Will and Testament*
A Will is a set of instructions that explains how you want your property distributed after your death.
A Will allows you to decide who will manage your money and other property after you die, and how it will be distributed. It lets your wishes be heard regarding the care of minor and disabled children.
​​
Does a Will avoid probate?
​
No, but having a will can reduce the cost of probate and the burden to your friends and family. Whether your property needs to go through probate is determined by the value of the property and how that property is titled, not whether you have a will.
Revocable Living Trust*
People create trusts for different reasons. A person who creates a revocable living trust may do so because it allows her to avoid probate, which is the court process of settling the estate of someone who has died. Parents of young children may include a “just in case” trust in their wills, so that if the parents die when their children are still young, the children’s inheritance will be placed in trust until the children are old enough to manage the assets themselves. Spouses with children and large estates may create trusts for each other in order to minimize the estate tax paid to the government before their children receive their inheritance. These are just some of the many reasons for creating a trust.
​
Durable General
Power of Attorney*
When a person (the "principal") authorizes someone else (the "agent" or "attorney in fact") to take care of business for the principal. A power of attorney authorizes the agent to do whatever is necessary to manage the principal's assets.
Health Care
Power of Attorney
Designates a person or persons to take of your medical needs and make medical decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated
Advance Directive
Many people recognize that death is as much a part of the life cycle as birth, growth, maturity and old age. Managing their final illness is something they can do through a living will, a legal document of health care instructions. In Oregon, this document is known as an advance directive. You can use this document to appoint someone called a health care representative to make health care decisions for you when you are unable to make your own health care decisions.
​​
Basic Estate Package
​
Our basic estate package includes the following documents:
​
-
Last Will and Testament
-
Durable General Power of Attorney
-
Oregon Advanced Directive
-
Health Care Power of Attorney
Deluxe Estate Package
​
Our deluxe and most popular estate package includes the following documents:
​
-
Grantors’ Certification and Memorandum of Trust
-
Revocable Trust Agreement
-
Pour Over Will
-
Durable General Power of Attorney
-
Oregon Advanced Directive
-
Health Care Power of Attorney
Most
Popular
* The definition excerpts provided above come directly from the Oregon State Bar web site. It is important to realize that changes may occur in this area of law.
​
This information is not intended to be legal advice regarding your particular needs or problem, and is not intended to replace the work of an attorney. We are not attorneys and we do not offer nor do we provide legal advice. Should you require legal advice, you should contact an attorney or the Oregon State Bar Association's Lawyer referral Service at (503) 684-3763.