Recent News

On July 1, 2025, three big changes to Washington’s estate tax law will go into effect. In its 2025 session, the Washington legislature passed a bill that provided for increases to the individual exclusion amount, addressed an issue that caused the exclusion amount to be frozen at $2.193 million for several years, and substantially increased… Read More

May 22nd, 2025 Beresford Booth attorney Joshua G. R. Curtis discusses Testamentary Trusts vs Revocable Living Trusts. Read More

Washington estate tax doesn’t get much attention. In part, this is because there have not been any changes to our state’s estate tax since 2018, when the last adjustment for inflation to the applicable estate tax exclusion amount occurred. The applicable exclusion amount is the value of an estate that is exempt from estate tax.… Read More

March 27th, 2025 Beresford Booth Attorney Emily Y. Tyson-Shu discusses Is Probate Necessary? Circumstances When Probate Is Not Required. Read More

Did you know that you can get estate planning for free?  That’s right, the Washington State Legislature has done your estate planning for you.  Here is all you have to do to take advantage of this benefit of living in Washington State – Nothing.  Now, the default rules created by the Legislature in RCW Title… Read More

Whether you have been married for one year or thirty years, it is extremely important to update your estate plan following a divorce.  RCW 11.12.051(1) states that “if, after making a will, the testator's marriage or domestic partnership is dissolved, invalidated, or terminated, all provisions in the will in favor of or granting any interest… Read More

January 30th, 2025 Beresford Booth Attorney Sherry Bosse Lueders talk about Washington estate tax planning basics. Read More

Qualified Disclaimers: A tool for when you would prefer not to accept an inheritance A qualified disclaimer is a formal refusal to accept property or assets being distributed from an estate or trust. When a beneficiary disclaims (ie, refuses) an inheritance, it passes to another beneficiary as if the disclaiming person never had ownership of… Read More

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), enacted in December 2017, introduced significant reforms that affected various aspects of federal taxation, including changes to estate and gift tax provisions. One of the most notable provisions was the temporary increase in the exemption amounts for federal estate and gift taxes. However, these increases are set to… Read More