What happens if you die without a will in Washington State?
Did you know that if you die without a will, a revocable trust, or some other means to pass your assets upon death, they will be distributed to your relatives under the Washington State laws of intestacy? Under those laws, if you are married your spouse gets all of...
Firearms Transfers
What happens if you’re the executor of an estate and the person who passed away owned a gun? On one hand, the firearm is just another estate asset to be distributed or disposed of under the terms of the will. On the other hand, there are very specific legal rules...
Communicating with Beneficiaries
Do you know what an executor has to tell the beneficiaries of the will? If you are the executor of an estate, you have a duty to provide information about the estate to the beneficiaries, but how much do you have to tell them? Not very much as it turns out. You have...
What happens when you lose your will?
Do you know what happens if you lose your will? You may have a safe, a filing cabinet, or a fireproof box where you keep all of your important papers. When you die, your executor needs to file your original will with the court to open the probate of your estate, but...
Using a Small Estate Affidavit to Avoid Probate
Did you know that when you die, your heirs and beneficiaries may be able to use a small estate affidavit instead of a probate to transfer your assets? While small estate affidavits are very useful, there are some limitations on when affidavits can be used and who can...About Talis Law PLLC
Stephen King practices law in Bellevue, WA. He writes short articles about estate planning to be informative and empowering.