Are you looking for an estate planning lawyer in Kirkland?
At Eastside Estate Planning, we provide trusted estate planning counsel for individuals and families throughout Kirkland.
If you live in Kirkland, WA, and do not have a will, trust, or power of attorney in place, your family may face avoidable legal proceedings and financial exposure if something happens to you. Washington's intestacy and probate laws fill in the gaps when someone dies without a plan, but the results are rarely what that person would have chosen.
Robert Franco founded Eastside Estate Planning to give families across the Eastside a better option. He has been practicing estate planning and probate law in Washington for over 10 years, and every plan our firm produces is built around the client's actual assets, family, and goals. We use flat-fee pricing and offer free consultations. A Kirkland, WA estate planning lawyer at our firm can walk you through the process from start to finish.
Estate Planning Lawyer Kirkland, WA
Estate planning is how you decide, while you are alive and well, what happens to your property, your accounts, and your dependents when you can no longer manage them yourself. It typically involves a combination of legal documents: wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and health care directives. The right mix depends on what you own, who you want to protect, and how much complexity your situation involves.
Kirkland households earn a median income of $150,414, according to U.S. Census data. That level of income typically supports significant property ownership, retirement savings, and investment portfolios. All of that needs a plan. And in Washington, where the state imposes its own estate tax, the stakes of not planning are higher than in most states.
Types of Estate Planning Cases We Handle in Kirkland
No two families walk through our door with the same set of circumstances. Someone buying their first home in Kirkland needs a different plan than a retired couple with multiple properties and a blended family. We handle the full range of estate planning work for individuals and married couples.
- Wills. A will controls the distribution of your assets after death, names a personal representative to manage your estate, and designates guardians for minor children. Every adult should have one, and it should be reviewed any time your life circumstances change.
- Revocable living trusts. A revocable trust avoids probate by transferring ownership of your assets into the trust during your lifetime. You retain full control and can amend or revoke the trust at any time. For many Kirkland families, a living trust is the central piece of the estate plan.
- Irrevocable trusts. Once created, an irrevocable trust generally cannot be changed or revoked. These trusts are used for specific purposes, including removing assets from the taxable estate, protecting wealth from creditors, and facilitating charitable giving.
- Tax planning. Washington's estate tax applies to estates at a threshold significantly below the federal exemption. We build tax-aware strategies into every estate plan for clients whose assets may be affected.
- Powers of attorney. A durable power of attorney gives someone you trust the legal authority to handle your financial and legal affairs if you become unable to do so. This is not optional. Without it, your family may need a court-supervised guardianship.
- Health care directives. These documents spell out your medical treatment preferences and name a health care agent to make decisions on your behalf. Washington law recognizes advance directives, and having one prevents confusion and conflict during a crisis.
- Probate. When a person dies, their estate may go through probate. We help families through that process. We also help living clients structure their estate plans specifically to avoid it.
- Trust administration. After the person who created a trust dies, the trustee must settle the trust according to its terms. We advise trustees on their obligations, help with distributions, and handle any required filings.
Why Choose Eastside Estate Planning as My Estate Planning Lawyer in Kirkland?
A Focused Estate Planning Practice
Some law firms offer estate planning as one service among many. At Eastside Estate Planning, it is all we do. That singular focus means every document we produce, every strategy we recommend, and every conversation we have with a client draws on years of concentrated experience in Washington estate law.
Robert Franco has practiced in this area for over a decade. He holds a Juris Doctor from Lewis & Clark Law School and a Master of Laws in Tax Law from the UW School of Law, a program that covers federal, state, and estate taxation. He is a member of the WSBA Tax Section and the Cardozo Society of Washington State.
We've served Kirkland families across every situation an estate planning firm encounters. We have worked with new parents who need guardian designations for young children, business owners who need a succession plan in place, blended families managing competing interests, and homeowners whose property alone puts them near Washington's estate tax threshold. Each of these clients needed a plan built around their specific facts.
We charge flat fees for all estate planning work. Every engagement begins with a free consultation.
What Is Important to Understand About Estate Planning Cases?
Key Estate Planning Documents and What They Do
An estate plan is not a single document. It is a set of coordinated instructions that work together. Leaving one out can create a gap that undermines the rest.
- Last will and testament. Directs how your assets are distributed and who manages the process. If you have minor children, this is where you name their guardian.
- Revocable living trust. Holds your assets during your lifetime and distributes them after death without probate. You serve as trustee while you are able.
- Durable power of attorney. Authorizes a trusted person to manage your finances if you become incapacitated. This can include paying bills, managing investments, and handling real estate transactions.
- Health care directive. Communicates your wishes about medical treatment and names someone to speak for you when you cannot.
- Beneficiary designations. Life insurance, retirement accounts, and pay-on-death accounts pass outside your will or trust. These designations must be reviewed as part of the planning process, not treated as an afterthought.
What Are Important Aspects of an Estate Planning Case?
A few issues come up in almost every Kirkland estate planning engagement. Addressing them early avoids problems later.
- Funding the trust. A trust only controls assets that have been transferred into it. We help clients retitle property, bank accounts, and investment holdings so the trust actually functions.
- Coordinating documents. Your will, trust, powers of attorney, and beneficiary designations must work together. A conflict between any two of them can produce results you never intended.
- Washington's estate tax. The state-level estate tax catches families who planned only around the federal exemption. We review every client's asset picture against both thresholds.
- Updating after life changes. Marriage, divorce, a new child, a death in the family, a major purchase, or a move to another state can all change what your plan needs to say. An outdated trust can do as much damage as no plan at all.
What Is the Estate Planning Timeline?
Most estate plans are completed within a few weeks, depending on complexity. Straightforward plans for individuals or couples with standard asset profiles move faster. Larger estates, blended family situations, and plans involving business succession take more time.
- Consultation. We meet with you (in person or virtually), learn about your family and assets, and outline a recommended approach.
- Document preparation. We draft everything based on the information you provide and the plan we agreed on.
- Client review. We walk through every document together, answer your questions, and make revisions where needed.
- Execution. We handle the signing and notarization of all documents according to Washington's formal requirements.
- Implementation. We assist with retitling property, updating beneficiary designations, and confirming the plan is fully in place.
We outline the full process for clients who want to know what to expect before their first meeting.
What Should You Bring to Your Estate Planning Consultation?
Arriving prepared helps us use the consultation time well. Bring whatever is available from this list.
- Deeds, mortgage documents, or property tax statements for any real estate you own
- Statements for bank accounts, brokerage accounts, and retirement accounts
- Life insurance policies and current beneficiary designations
- Any existing estate planning documents, including prior wills or trusts
- A list of the people you are considering as beneficiaries, trustees, guardians, or agents
You do not need everything on this list to schedule a meeting. We can work with what you have and help fill in the rest.
King County Probate Court and Local Resources
Kirkland sits in King County, and probate matters are handled by the King County Superior Court. The court's Ex Parte and Probate Department manages estate filings, guardianship petitions, and trust-related disputes. The Clerk's Office also maintains a will repository where Kirkland residents can file original wills for safekeeping.
The IRS publishes resources on federal estate and gift tax obligations, and Washington's Department of Revenue administers the state estate tax and provides filing instructions, tax tables, and exemption information. These are useful starting points, but they are not a substitute for working with an estate planning attorney who understands how both systems affect your specific situation.
Reach Out to Eastside Estate Planning to Schedule a Consultation
When it comes to estate planning, the process is simpler than you think, and it starts with a single conversation. Eastside Estate Planning offers free consultations and flat-fee pricing for every engagement. Contact us to schedule your consultation with a Kirkland estate planning attorney.