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There are several sitcom bits based off of someone writing their own Last Will and Testament. One of my personal favorites is in the show Parks and Recreation where Ron Swanson reveals the Will that he’s been carrying in his pocket since childhood, which reads “All my belongings shall transfer to the man or animal… Read More

April 27th, 2023 Beresford Booth Attorney Linda E. Naish presents Understanding Trusts 101: What is a Trust? (Part 1 of 4) Read More

The 1970 Disney animated classic, the Aristocats, begins with the wealthy Madame Adelaide Bonfamille deciding to leave her substantial fortune to her pet cats. Her loyal butler, Edgar, is to inherit whatever is left after the four cats die. Edgar finds out about the terms of Madame Bonfamille’s Will and, after some poorly done mathematics,… Read More

March 30th, 2023 Beresford Booth presents Adult Guardianships and Less Restrictive Alternatives. Read More

In her hit song “Anti-Hero,” Taylor Swift includes the lyric I have this dream my daughter-in-law kills me for the moneyShe thinks I left them in the willThe family gathers 'round and reads it and then someone screams out"She's laughing up at us from hell" Ms. Swift raises some interesting legal issues here. This post… Read More

March 2nd, 2023 Beresford Booth Lawyer Per E. Oscarsson discusses fiduciaries and how to choose one for your estate plan. Read More

February 2nd, 2023 Beresford Booth's Estate Planning Lawyer Linda E. Naish presents Who? What? When? Estate Planning Editions. Read More

The general rule is that the disposition of nonprobate assets is not governed by a will. The disposition is usually governed by the form of ownership, such as joint tenancy with right of survivorship, or a beneficiary designation in the document creating the asset, such as a transfer on death security account with a beneficiary… Read More

In Part 1 of this series of articles on nonprobate assets (See here), I discussed the general definition of nonprobate assets under Washington’s probate and trust law. In Part 2 of this series (See here), I discussed the definition of nonprobate assets in the context of the dissolution or invalidation of a marriage or state… Read More