Kent Estate Planning

Find the right Wills & Trusts attorney in Kent, WA

If you are making arrangements in Kent about what to do with everything you own after your death, and your other affairs that should be wrapped up at that time, you are in the process of "estate planning."

Estate planning typically requires professional legal and financial advice, because of the complexity and importance of the issues involved. A poorly-executed estate plan can frequently end with survivors suing each other, and prevent your intentions from being effectuated.

In addition to deciding what to do with your assets after your death, your estate plan should also include things that might become relevant during life. Power of attorney is a big one. Power of attorney is an arrangement in which you give another person the ability to make decisions for you, if you become incapacitated. Additionally, effective estate planning can help reduce the effect of taxes and court fees on your final disposition to your chosen beneficiaries.

A skilled estate planner in Kent can make the process of planning your estate go much more smoothly, and maximize the chances of your wishes directly being carried out with legal force.

Common Features of Kent Estates

Will: This is a legal document which transfers ownership of the testator's (the person making the will) property to named beneficiaries after the testator's death. The beneficiaries can be just about anyone the testator chooses, but smaller estates, usually only include family members, and maybe very close friends. If you want, you can place conditions on gifts (say, leaving a certain amount of money to your son, but only if he graduates college before he turns 25 - this is just an example). However, a will can't actually compel anyone to do anything, and some conditional gifts won't be enforced, normally because they involve an illegal act, or require a person to marry or refrain from marrying a particular person.

Living Will: A living will contains instructions about your medical care, usually for the purpose of informing your family and doctors of your preferences if you suddenly become incapacitated. A living will is quite crucial if you have any strong preferences in this area. It should be written with the advice of a doctor, so you know the specific medical consequences of your decisions, and a lawyer, so it is virtually guaranteed to be legally binding.

Power of Attorney: What if you become incapacitated, and can't make your own decisions? It would be nice if somebody knew what you would want in a given situation, and, on top of that, had the legal authority to make that decision for you. Power of attorney lets you do precisely that, granting a person of your choice the ability to make certain decisions for you, in case you, for whatever reason, can't (you can, of course, control the scope of power that you grant).

Funeral Arrangements: Some people, for religious and other reasons, have very specific wishes concerning the disposal of their remains after they die. Some want to be buried. Others, cremated. No matter what your preferences on this matter are, it's critical that you inform your family of them far in advance. These instructions should be included in a document that is likely to be read before your death (such as a living will), or very shortly thereafter. This excludes a will, because it's frequently weeks after a person dies until their will is read.

Do I Need a Kent Estates Lawyer?

A knowledgeable lawyer in Kent can make the process of estate planning as straightforward as it possibly can be. He or she can help ensure that your wishes are given effect, and minimize the chances of disputes between your survivors.

Talk to a Wills, Trusts & Estates Law Attorney now!

Life in Kent

Kent is located in King County, Washington. It is a surrounding suburb of Seattle. Per the 2010 census, Kent is home to 92,411 people.

Top employers include REI, Oberto Sausage, Boeing, Coho Distributing, Sysco, Alaska Airlines and Starbucks Coffee. Other employers include small law offices and boutique law firms that employ many competent attorneys and support staff. Such entities easily tend to the legal needs of residents.

The city is well-recognized as the popular host for such events as the Cantebury Faire, Kent Cornucopia Days, Kent Farmers Market, ShoWare Center, and Kent Saturday Market.

Famous residents include Earl Anthony, Ernie Conwell, Jeff Jaeger, Brenda Raganot, Cam Weaver, and Kelly Bachand.

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