Recent Blog Posts
Necessary Conversations for Older Children and Elder Parents
As your parents get older, it becomes time to have some difficult conversations. You need to make sure that your parents and the rest of your family are prepared for your parents’ elder care, as well as what happens after they pass. Estate planning and elder planning are key to ensuring your parents’ wishes… Read More »
The Advantages of Charitable Giving in Your Estate Plan
Planning for your estate is about more than setting up your kids in your will. There are several legal tools available to shield your assets from tax and creditor liability, avoid probate, look after your elder care needs, and provide for family members with special needs. One oft-overlooked aspect of estate planning is charitable… Read More »
What Happens If I Don’t Have A Will?
When a person dies without having made a will, all of their property subject to probate will pass according to the applicable state laws of intestate succession. Any property not included in a trust or titled in a way that it would pass to another outside of probate would be dealt with in this… Read More »
What Are Alternatives to Prison Sentencing in Washington and Oregon?
Not every criminal conviction merits a prison sentence. First-time offenders, juvenile offenders, and other defendants with mitigating circumstances are capable of getting their lives back on track and leading productive lives. A prison sentence often does more harm than good, effectively preventing someone from obtaining true rehabilitation and often limiting their employment options in… Read More »
How to Prove Self-Defense in a Criminal Defense Case
Self-defense is a commonly invoked but often misunderstood defense to crimes of violence. If you were in a bar fight started by someone else or you hit someone while they were trying to rob you, and you were subsequently arrested for criminal assault, you might have a self-defense argument. Below, we explain the self-defense… Read More »
Pretext Traffic Stops
Police are meant to pull people over only when they have cause to believe an infraction or crime has been committed, or when they otherwise have specific authority to do so (such as at a designated checkpoint). Many police officers, however, use traffic stops as a pretext to search for something else–a different crime… Read More »
Mistakes to Avoid if You’re an Executor of an Estate
Being the executor of an estate is an important role. While some people appoint the family attorney, or an appointment is left up to the court, many people rely on a trusted family member or friend to act as the executor. While it’s gratifying to know that your loved one trusted you with this… Read More »
Allowable Expenses for a Special Needs Trust
Special needs trusts (SNTs), also called supplemental needs trusts, can be an exceptionally useful tool for providing supplemental income to a loved one with a disability. An SNT allows you to disburse regular funds to a person without affecting the beneficiary’s eligibility for needs-based governmental programs such as Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI)…. Read More »
Top Reasons to Consider a Trust
Most people are aware of the function of a last will and testament. Your will dictates what happens to your estate after you pass away. Many people believe that that’s the extent of any estate planning they’ll ever need. However, there are many other estate planning tools that many more people can benefit from,… Read More »
Facts About Medicaid and Medicaid Planning for Long-Term Care
Medicaid, also known as Oregon Health Plan (OHP) in Oregon, is a government-operated health insurance program. Medicaid is separate from Medicare. Most senior citizens may understand Medicare and how to get Medicare benefits, but there is generally more confusion and uncertainty surrounding Medicaid, both in terms of establishing eligibility and how to maximize benefits…. Read More »
