Estate Planning
The “real” purpose of estate planning is to show love and respect for the people you care about. We listen to our clients’ needs and circumstances, and draft legally solid documents:
- Wills
- Testamentary Trusts in Wills for children and dependents
- Naming Guardians in Wills in the event of both parents’ death (See Seattle Times article quoting Stacey Romberg)
- Trusts designed to minimize or eliminate state and federal estate tax
- General Durable Powers of Attorney for financial matters
- Durable Powers of Attorney for Health Care Decisions
- Health Care Directives (“Living Wills”)
- Community Property Agreements.
- Mental Health Advance Directive
- Memorial Instructions
Article by Stacey on the American Tax Payer Relief Act of 2012
Another article by Stacey on 2012 Revisions to Washington Law Governing Trusts
Stacey has written a number of informative documents on estate planning listed in the sidebar of this page. For more information, please also check out Stacey’s radio interviews and estate planning videos. What type of record keeping should businesses and individuals use in order to help survivors cope with an unexpected death? See this article published in the King County Bar Bulletin, quoting Stacey on this topic.
Seattle is unique in terms of demographics! Like many residents of Seattle, I am single. I love working with other single people in developing their Wills and estate plans. Also, our Seattle practice enjoys working with gay and lesbian couples and unmarried heterosexual couples, and recognizes the unique challenges these relationships can pose in estate planning. We also focus on making sure that people take care of their pets as part of this process. Pets are part of your family too!
To get started, here is our Estate Planning Information form to fill out and return to our office. Married Couples – Please complete two forms.
And, if you have pets, please complete our Pet Information Form to give to people who will care for your pets in the event of your death or illness.
New Resource: Interview with Seattle Attorney Stacey Romberg on Real Estate in Estate Planning and Probate
Northwest Real Estate Forum with Patricia Wangsness
Video Interviewing Stacey Romberg
Having a Will
I strongly believe that every adult should have a Will. That’s why I do pro bono work drafting Wills through the King County Bar Association. Although the clients served through this program have few assets, giving them a Will helps assure that, when death comes, they can choose who will administer their estate and how their assets will be distributed.
The decisions involved in finalizing a Will are a very healthy process for people to undergo. Everyone’s situation is unique. For example, when I was a junior tennis player, I received financial assistance through a tennis foundation in order to afford to travel throughout the Intermountain region and play tennis tournaments at a competitive level. That assistance eventually enabled me to earn an athletic scholarship to help attend college. Now, I think it’s important to give a portion of my estate back to a similar charitable program - to give other kids a chance to play and compete!
What’s your unique life story? How does that influence your estate planning goals now? By creating a Will, you can turn those goals into a reality.
Testimonials
“I appreciate your energy and passion for the law! I have felt very confident and secure in your and your staffs’ expertise.” Joanne Wright
”Stacey’s guidance and knowledge of estate planning was crucial in developing my comprehensive estate plan that incorporated my ideas and objectives, while identifying issues specific to my circumstances and suggesting options to accomplish my specific goals.” Tammy D. Halstead, Former CFO of a high tech company.
“I’m unmarried and have no children, so I have been dragging my feet about setting up my estate plan, even while knowing I needed to. When I finally decided to go forward, there were a lot of options and decisions to make: Stacey listened to my concerns, counseled me on what my choices would mean and crafted an estate plan that articulated my life and choices. What seemed like a small mountain soon had a clear trail to follow. No matter what happens in my future, I know that my decisions will govern – and that’s a real relief.” Barbara Mugford
“As a gay couple who today cannot enjoy the protections of marriage,
estate planning could be a confusing and anxiety-filled experience.
Happily with Stacey as our legal guide, it was anything but! Stacey is
not only clearly an expert in all the issues, but — importantly –
there was never a question that she was 100% committed to ensuring our
wishes and adequate protections were put in place.” Rob Osler and Brian Custer
