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Stated differently, “a job worth doing is a job worth doing right”. The Washington Statute, RCW 11.12.020, requires that a will to be validly executed, must, among other requirements, be attested by two or more competent witnesses  while in the presence of the testator (person signing their will). In light of these statutory requirements, our… Read More

The state of Washington imposes a real estate excise tax on transfers of real estate, but exemptions from the tax are available for certain types of transfers.  One exemption has been for distributions from the estate of a deceased person to a will beneficiary when the estate involves probate of a last will and testament… Read More

The “applicable exclusion amount” is the amount of a deceased person’s estate that passes free of estate tax. This differs from the unlimited marital deduction that applies when one spouse dies and transfers all of his or her interest in property to the surviving spouse. There is an applicable exclusion amount for federal estate tax… Read More

No, but you should strongly consider doing so. To many people, a Last Will & Testament seems like an unnecessary and expensive complication, especially if a lawyer is needed, and some believe they can simply write out their wishes or express their wishes orally instead of executing a will. Washington residents are not required to… Read More

The “applicable exclusion amount” is the amount of a deceased person’s estate that passes free of estate tax. This differs from the unlimited marital deduction that applies when one spouse dies and transfers all of his or her interest in property to the surviving spouse. There is an applicable exclusion amount for federal estate tax… Read More

The “applicable exclusion amount” is the amount of a deceased person’s estate that passes free of estate tax.  This differs from the unlimited marital deduction that applies when one spouse dies and transfers all of his or her interest in property to the surviving spouse.  There is an applicable exclusion amount for federal estate tax… Read More

The Washington State Court of Appeals, Division I, issued its decision in the Matter of the Estate of Karl O. Molck, agreeing with the arguments made by Beresford Booth.  The Court decided the issues in favor of the estate and awarded the estate and its personal representative their costs and attorneys’ fees from the appellant.… Read More

In Washington State, when someone passes away, their estate will need to be administered.  In general the process of estate administration accomplishes three basic purposes: 1) gathers together all of the Decedent’s assets; 2) pays all of the Decedent’s debts; and 3) distributes the net remaining estate to the Decedent’s heirs and beneficiaries.  Though these… Read More

What happens to my estate in Washington State if I die without having executed a Last Will and Testament? When someone dies without having executed a valid Last Will and Testament, they are said to have died intestate (without a Will).  I am frequently asked whether dying without a Will means your Estate will be… Read More