Estate Planning – NWSidebar

Building Collectivistic Cultural Relevance, Competency for Estate Planning

Providing estate planning and end-of-life services to an ailing parent generation, within a culture that does not have tools in place to easily do so, is going to require new strategies and forward thinking about cultural relevance and cultural competency.
The issue is vast and complex, so I believe a good place to begin is with the hesitancy of many people to move forward with formal estate planning. This is especially true among those who are first-generation immigrants from a collectivistic culture, thereby leading to higher risk that their wishes will not be properly expressed during the end-of-life process.

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Philanthropic Giving in Estate Plans

Thirty years ago, I left my position as VP of a bank to become VP of advancement at a liberal arts college. Fast forward to 2021 and, having flunked retirement three times to date, I continue to work some hours in the field of development and specifically planned giving. Through my experience in these roles, I’ve become convinced that individually you, professionals in the legal community, don’t always realize the important role you’ve played in strengthening our communities. Consider that at Northwest Harvest, a nonprofit organization supporting food banks in Washington state, the largest single endowment gift came largely as a result of the recommendation of an allied professional like you.

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Passing Art to Future Generations

When I think of putting together my will, I think of who will get my stuff. You know, the stuff that is all over the walls, jewelry, or knick knacks and paddy whacks. Curiously, wills do not necessarily contain detailed paragraphs about who will inherit each of these things of ours. Items of this nature, […]

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3 Community Resources Every Elder Law Lawyer and Their Clients Should Know About

When working with clients who have social and economic issues, it’s important to know that you don’t have to navigate solutions alone.

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Answering the Call to Serve: Above and Beyond

The WSBA’s Call to Duty Pledge inspires Washington attorneys to work outside their normal practice areas to serve veterans. Morgan Gabse is one attorney who branched out to meet veterans’ needs.

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The Changing Contours of “Low Bono”

Up until very recently, whenever I asked other lawyers what they thought “low bono” meant, most ventured an uncertain guess along these lines: “Is it like pro bono, except instead of paying no fee, the client pays a low fee?”

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Do You Keep Original Wills? Best Practices Say No

If you have ever wondered what to do with original wills, consider the following best practices to help you decide.

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3 Tips for Protecting Your Client’s Probate and Non-probate Assets

Learn how the ruling in Hillman v. Maretta affects Washington law. Recently, the Supreme Court in Hillman v. Maretta, 569 U. S. ____ (2013), re-affirmed an important tenet of trust and estate law: keep your information current. Otherwise, your (or your clients’) wishes might not be effectuated as envisioned. Trust and estate attorneys should carefully inventory […]

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How do you solve a problem like ♪…a Globe Trotting Client?

Learn what questions your expat clients haven’t thought to ask and about the upcoming CLE that will provide some answers. Maria (The Sound of Music) was not the problem. The problem was that Maria did not fit within the narrow confines of the box she was put in. This is true of international clients. Typically, […]

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Pet Trusts: Helping Clients Provide for Fido

Pet trusts growing in popularity — learn what you need to know. More and more commonly, clients task estate planning attorneys with taking care of a pet if the unfortunate happens to the client/owner. Between 12 and 27% of people who draft wills include provisions for their pet, often in the form of pet trusts. Pet trusts […]

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Finding a win-win in the law…yes, really

Attorneys and law students: volunteer with the Washington First Responder Will Clinic to be part of a winning team! It’s not often in the legal world that we get to participate in win-win situations. Normally if one party wins, it means another loses. For every plaintiff who wins a million dollar verdict, there is a […]