Have you created an estate plan to protect your family and preserve your assets if you become incapacitated or pass away? If you haven’t thought about estate planning, if you think you don’t have enough money for estate planning to matter, or if your idea of estate planning starts and ends with writing a will, you’re missing out on a lot of valuable legal protections. Our Bellevue, WA estate planning lawyer can create a custom estate plan to help you preserve everything you’ve worked so hard for—whether that means protecting your children, your home, or your long-term financial goals. Call Eastside Estate Planning today for a consultation.
Estate Planning Lawyer Bellevue, WA
Estate planning involves setting legal protections for your heirs and managing your assets to reduce the amount your estate pays in taxes and probate fees. Most estate plans involve a will, power-of-attorney documents, and at least one trust. There are other estate planning documents you can include, such as a business succession plan if you are a small business owner, or a guardianship designation if you have minor children and wish to name a specific individual or couple as their guardian.
Our Bellevue estate planning lawyer works primarily with individuals and married couples, taking the time to get to know you and your family so we understand what matters most to you. We determine which properties and assets need protection and identify who you trust to manage each part of your estate. We also help you establish financial goals and take the right legal steps to support them. When done well, your estate plan—including thoughtfully drafted trusts and strategic planning—can help you protect what you’ve built and lay the foundation for generational wealth.
As estate planning attorneys with nearly a decade of focused experience in estate planning and probate, we understand the weighty fiduciary duties placed on executors, trustees, and agents acting under a power of attorney. We help you choose the right individuals for these roles or, if needed, offer our firm’s services as estate administrators and trustees. Life changes, and your estate plan should change with it. We assist with updates following a marriage, divorce, birth of a child, or other major life event—even if we didn’t originally create your plan.
Why Our Experience Matters For A Solid Estate Plan
For your estate plan to be effective, it must comply with Washington estate code statutes and reflect your unique goals and responsibilities. Our Bellevue estate planning lawyer creates personalized documents designed to hold up in probate court and minimize the risk of disputes from dissatisfied family members. Here's what sets our firm apart:
- Robert Franco, founder of Eastside Estate Planning, has a five-star rating on AVVO, a perfect rating by his peers.
- Robert earned an advanced degree from the University of Washington School of Law after earning his J.D.
- Our firm has dozens of five-star reviews on Google from happy clients.
With a dedicated estate planning practice and advanced legal training, we are prepared to handle even the most complex planning needs. Ready to get started with a custom estate plan? Call Eastside Estate Planning today for a consultation.
Types Of Estate Planning Issues We Handle
Estate planning is not just about drafting a will. It is about making thoughtful decisions today that protect your loved ones, your assets, and your future wishes. Every family has different priorities. Some want to ensure their children are cared for. Others want to minimize taxes, avoid probate, or protect a business they worked years to build.
Working with a Bellevue estate planning lawyer allows you to create a strategy that reflects your goals and protects the people who matter most to you. Estate planning documents often include wills, trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and other legal tools that work together to manage your estate if you become incapacitated or pass away. At Eastside Estate Planning, each plan is carefully designed to address both immediate concerns and long-term financial security.
Below are several types of matters an estate planning lawyer commonly handles for individuals, couples, and families.
Wills And Last Testament Planning
A will is the foundation of many estate plans and allows you to determine how your assets should be distributed after your death. Properly drafted wills also allow you to name guardians for minor children and appoint an executor to manage your estate.
Revocable Living Trusts
Revocable living trusts help individuals transfer assets while avoiding the probate process. They also provide greater privacy and allow trusted individuals to manage assets if you become incapacitated.
Irrevocable Trust Planning
Irrevocable trusts are often used for advanced asset protection or tax planning strategies. These trusts remove certain assets from your taxable estate while preserving benefits for your beneficiaries.
Power Of Attorney Documents
A financial power of attorney allows a trusted individual to manage your financial matters if you become unable to do so. This document ensures bills, investments, and legal matters can continue without court intervention.
Healthcare Directives And Medical Powers Of Attorney
Healthcare directives outline your medical preferences if you cannot communicate them yourself. These documents also allow you to appoint someone to make healthcare decisions on your behalf.
Guardianship Planning For Minor Children
Parents with young children often want to name a trusted guardian to care for their children if something unexpected happens. Estate planning allows you to legally document that decision so your wishes are clear.
Business Succession Planning
Small business owners frequently include succession strategies within their estate plans. This planning helps ensure business continuity and provides a roadmap for transferring ownership or leadership.
Probate And Estate Administration Guidance
Families navigating probate often need legal guidance to properly manage estate responsibilities. Estate planning attorneys help executors understand their duties and ensure legal procedures are followed.
Estate Plan Updates After Major Life Events
Marriage, divorce, births, and major financial changes can all affect an estate plan. Updating legal documents ensures your plan continues to reflect your current wishes and circumstances.
Tax-Efficient Wealth Transfer Planning
Thoughtful estate planning can help reduce estate taxes and probate costs while preserving more wealth for future generations. Strategic planning often combines multiple legal tools to accomplish these goals.
If you want to better understand how comprehensive estate planning strategies protect families and assets, speaking with a Bellevue estate planning lawyer can help clarify the options available to you.
A Personalized Approach To Protecting Your Legacy
At Eastside Estate Planning, clients are treated as individuals, not file numbers. The firm focuses on helping families protect what they have worked hard to build through thoughtful estate planning, guardianship planning for minor children, and tax-aware legal strategies. The team brings years of focused experience in estate planning and works closely with clients to understand their personal goals, concerns, and long-term wishes.
Before drafting any documents, the attorneys take time to listen and learn about your priorities so your plan truly reflects your values. Complex legal concepts are explained in plain language so you can make informed decisions about your future. If you are ready to take the next step in protecting your family and your legacy, consider scheduling a consultation with a Bellevue estate planning lawyer to begin building a plan that works for you and the people you care about most.
12 Common Mistakes In Estate Planning
Planning for the future is something many people put off, but even those who take action can run into problems if the details are not handled by their Bellevue, WA estate planning lawyer. At Eastside Estate Planning, we have over 7 years of experience with wills, trusts, and more. Over all that time, we’ve noticed the same issues come up. Take a look at the common mistakes to watch out for when putting a plan in place, and contact us today to get started.
- Not Having A Plan At All
Some people assume they have time or think their assets will pass automatically. Without a plan, state law decides how property is handled, which may not match your wishes.
- Failing To Update Your Plan
Life changes such as marriage, divorce, or new children can affect your plan. If you don’t update your documents with your Bellevue estate planning lawyer, your instructions may no longer reflect your current situation.
- Not Naming The Right Personal Representative
Choosing someone who is not prepared or willing to serve can create problems. This role involves managing tasks and making decisions during a difficult time.
- Forgetting To Fund A Trust
Creating a trust is only part of the process. As your estate lawyer can explain, assets must be properly transferred into the trust, or they may still go through probate.
- Overlooking Beneficiary Designations
Accounts like life insurance or retirement plans pass based on listed beneficiaries. If these are outdated, the wrong person may receive the asset.
- Not Planning For Incapacity
A plan should address what happens if you cannot make decisions. Without documents like powers of attorney, your family may need court approval to act.
- Using Generic Online Forms
Templates may not fit your specific needs or follow state requirements. It’s better to work with your will and trust lawyer so you get documents that are custom-tailored to your needs.
- Failing To Consider Taxes
Some plans do not take into account how taxes may affect the transfer of assets. This can reduce what is passed on to your beneficiaries.
- Not Communicating Your Wishes
If your family does not know your plan, confusion can arise. Clear communication can help avoid disputes and delays.
- Leaving Out Digital Assets
Online accounts, files, and passwords are often overlooked. Without instructions, it can be difficult for others to access or manage these assets.
- Choosing The Wrong Trustee
A trustee manages assets and follows the terms of the trust. Your trust planner can help you select someone with the time and ability to handle these duties.
- Not Reviewing The Plan Regularly
Even without major life changes, it is a good idea to review your plan from time to time. Laws and personal circumstances can shift over the years.
Contact Us Today
At Eastside Estate Planning, we work with individuals and families to create customized plans that reflect their goals and avoid common problems. If you have questions about your current documents or want to put a plan in place, reach out to our team to get started with a Bellevue estate planning lawyer you can trust.