Estate planning · wills · trusts · probate
The kindest paperwork you’ll ever sign.
An estate plan isn’t about you — it’s about the people who’d otherwise untangle courts, guardianship, and guesswork while grieving. Two meetings, a fixed price you approve first, and it’s done.
Flat-fee packages
Know the price before you begin
No hourly meter, no surprises. Every package is quoted in writing at your first meeting, and the fee covers drafting, revisions, and a proper signing ceremony with witnesses and notary.
| What’s included | Essential Will from $1,200 · couples from $1,900 |
Family Trust from $3,400 · couples from $4,200 |
|---|---|---|
| Core documents | Last will & testament | Revocable living trust + pour-over will |
| Incapacity protection | Durable financial power of attorney · health-care directive | Durable financial power of attorney · health-care directive |
| For parents | Guardianship nominations for minor children | Guardianship nominations + children’s trust provisions |
| Probate impact | Probate still required for most estates | Funded trust assets pass outside probate |
| Best fit | Simpler estates; renters and single-property households | Homeowners, blended families, out-of-state property, privacy |
Representative starting fees for straightforward estates; your written quote may differ with complexity (business interests, taxable estates, special-needs provisions). Probate administration and trust funding beyond the included transfer letters are quoted separately.
When a family needs it most
Probate, handled with patience
If you’ve been named personal representative — or someone died without a will — we guide you through Washington probate step by step.
- Opening the estate and getting you formally appointed
- Notices to heirs and creditors, done correctly and on time
- Inventory, debts, taxes, and the final distribution — documented so no one questions it later
- Steady mediation when siblings see things differently
Washington’s nonintervention probate is among the most efficient in the country when it’s handled right — most estates we administer close without a single contested hearing.
Why people put it off
“Nobody wants to spend an evening thinking about their own mortality. But every client says the same thing on signing day: that was easier than I feared, and I can stop thinking about it now.”
— Jonah Vale, partner
We’ve designed the process to be as painless as the subject allows: a plain-English questionnaire before your first meeting, evening appointments for couples, and documents delivered in a binder your family can actually find.
Book a planning sessionThree steps, three weeks
From “we should really do this” to done
№ 01
Planning session
A relaxed hour — in person or by video — walking through your family, assets, and wishes. You get our recommendation and a fixed written quote before deciding anything.
№ 02
Drafts, in plain English
Within two weeks you receive drafts with a summary in ordinary language — who gets what, who’s in charge, what happens if. Revisions are included until it says exactly what you mean.
№ 03
Signing & delivery
A proper execution ceremony with witnesses and notary at our office, then your documents in an organized estate binder — plus guidance on beneficiary designations and, for trusts, funding.
Estate FAQ
The questions everyone asks
Bring the rest to your planning session — the first conversation is free.
Call (253) 555-0188Do I need a trust, or is a will enough?
A will is enough for many households. A revocable living trust earns its higher fee when you own a home and want your family to skip probate, have a blended family, own property in more than one state, or value privacy (probate files are public; trusts aren’t). We’ll give you a specific recommendation — and we’re happy to tell you a will is all you need.
What happens if I die without a will in Washington?
State intestacy law decides who inherits — a formula based on kinship, not your wishes. A court chooses your estate’s administrator and, if you have minor children, their guardian, without your input. It’s the one outcome every plan avoids.
Does Washington have an estate tax?
Yes — Washington levies its own estate tax above a state exemption threshold, separate from (and lower than) the federal exemption. Homeowners with retirement savings and life insurance are sometimes closer to the line than they expect. We’ll flag it in your planning session if it’s relevant to you.
We did our wills years ago. When should they be reviewed?
After any big life event — marriage, divorce, births, deaths, a move to or from Washington, buying a home, a significant change in assets — or every three to five years otherwise. Reviews of plans we drafted are quick, and often free.
Can you just do a power of attorney or health-care directive?
Yes. Standalone incapacity documents are common — for aging parents, new college students, or ahead of a surgery — and are flat-fee quoted the same way as everything else.