Estate Planning / Probate
Whether your estate is small or large, we can help you prepare your will, trust, power of attorney or many other estate planning tools designed to meet your particular objectives, whether they be driven by estate tax concerns, family issues, or love for charity. It is our privilege to come alongside grieving families to make sure the probate of a loved one's estate is handled efficiently and consistent with the desires of the decedent.
ELM lawyers who practice estate planning / probate law:
Representative matters:
- A happily-married, wealthy couple asked us to help them with their estate planning. We helped them talk through and come to an understanding of their respective goals for their family through their estates. Both husband and wife had a strong desire to support several charities. Their estate was large enough to be exposed to very significant estate tax. We were able to help them eliminate all exposure to estate tax, meet their financial objectives for their various family members and provide significant resources for their favorite charities. They now have the peace of mind that the nest-egg they worked so hard to build will be used to meet the needs of their family and the causes they love.
- A local man named an out-of-state charity as a beneficiary on two money market accounts at his bank not long before he died. Before the bank could deliver the funds to the charity, a family member filed a lawsuit and obtained a court order preventing the bank from delivering the funds to the charity. By moving quickly to interview key witnesses and preserve their testimony with signed declarations, we were able to present the law and the testimony of the witnesses to the lawyer representing the family member. We persuaded the family member to respect the wishes of the donor and allow payment to the charity. The charity was thrilled to avoid protracted litigation and grateful for the generosity of the donor.
- We successfully challenged the continued appointment of a certified professional guardian, exposing and proving in court violations of its fiduciary responsibilities to the ward. In the process, we faced issues of first impression related to the ramifications of removal for cause in conjunction with continued certification by the Certified Professional Guardianship Board. The case drew the attention of the three largest guardianship companies in the greater Puget Sound area and will have a profound impact on the future conduct of professional guardians.
