Wills Archives » Northwest Elder Law Group

19 July, 2018

Why You Need To Review And Update Beneficiary Designations

2020-05-22T19:32:45-07:00July 19th, 2018|Categories: Estate Planning, Planning For Yourself, Wills|

A typical benefit at many jobs is a life insurance policy. On one of the first days on the job you might have completed a related beneficiary designation. Open a bank account, an investment account or buy a private life insurance policy and you have also completed these fields whether you remember who you listed or not. Beneficiary designations often go neglected. What many people do not realize is that these payable-on-death accounts pass outside of a will and probate. Because of this you need to review them for accuracy during the estate planning process. Washington State law related to ...

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20 November, 2017

Taking Care Of Business In The New Year

2020-05-22T19:34:41-07:00November 20th, 2017|Categories: Elder Care, Elder Mediation, Estate Planning, Planning For Your Loved Ones, Planning For Yourself, Wills|

With the New Year comes New Year’s resolutions. Though these goals are made with the best intentions, come March, they have often slipped your mind. But making plans for the future, taking control of a situation or navigating challenging conversations should never just be a temporary goal that gets pushed aside. This year, think about whether your plans are in place – both for yourself and your loved ones. Make sure you have everything taken care of and that it’s legally binding. Whether it’s having the conversation you’ve been avoiding or finally sitting down and putting your wishes into writing, ...

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4 May, 2016

Prince Died Without A Will. Make Sure You Don’t.

2020-05-22T19:22:31-07:00May 4th, 2016|Categories: Estate Planning, Wills|

If you're a music fan, you've probably heard by now that the late singer Prince appears to have died without a will in place. As a result, it is unclear who will end up controlling his Paisley Park estate, his music catalog and his ongoing legacy. If a will is not found, Prince's assets will likely end up being divided between his six siblings. For a man who was famously controlling of his image and his music, it is surprising that he would leave his legacy up to chance. Of course, it is possible that Prince had used other estate ...

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8 May, 2013

What Happens In Probate?

2020-05-22T19:53:40-07:00May 8th, 2013|Categories: Estate Planning, Probate, Wills|

Whenever someone dies in Washington, their personal representative must settle their estate. In many cases, this means going through the probate process. The idea of having to go through a legal proceeding can feel daunting, particularly during a time of grief. Thankfully, the probate process is not nearly as difficult as most people imagine. The role of the personal representative The person named as executor in the deceased person's will is responsible for starting probate. If there is no will, or if the named executor(s) is unable or unwilling to serve, the court will appoint an administrator. If the deceased ...

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