Estate Planning Attorney in Seattle

Personalized Estate Plans for Individuals, Families, & Life Transitions in Seattle

A sound estate plan does more than distribute assets. It designates who manages your finances if you can’t, documents your medical wishes, protects minor children, and keeps your legacy out of unnecessary legal proceedings. At Wakefield Legal, PLLC, our attorneys assist with estate planning for individuals and families throughout Western Washington, building plans around each client’s specific goals, family structure, and circumstances.

What sets our firm apart is the overlap between estate planning and family law. Clients navigating divorce, remarriage, custody arrangements, or prenuptial agreements often face estate planning decisions at the same time. Because we handle both practice areas, clients don’t need to coordinate between separate firms when those needs intersect.

If you’re ready to put a plan in place or update one that no longer reflects your life, call Wakefield Legal, PLLC at (206) 966-6933 or send us a message through our online contact form to schedule a consultation.

What a Complete Estate Plan Covers

Estate planning is the process of arranging in advance for how your assets will be managed during your lifetime and transferred after your death. A comprehensive plan addresses several distinct scenarios, not just what happens when you die.

• Will or revocable living trust: Directs how assets pass to beneficiaries. A revocable living trust can allow assets to transfer without going through Washington State’s probate process, keeping the transition private and often faster.
• Durable power of attorney: Authorizes a trusted person to manage your financial affairs if you become incapacitated.
• Health care directive: Documents your medical wishes and names a health care agent to make decisions on your behalf. Sometimes called an advance directive.
• Guardian designation: For parents, naming a guardian for minor children is one of the most consequential decisions in any estate plan.
• Beneficiary designations: Retirement accounts and life insurance pass assets outside of probate through beneficiary designations. These should align with the rest of your plan to avoid conflicts.

Life changes the equation. Marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, or a significant shift in assets are all reasons to review and update an existing plan.

Washington State Estate Tax: What Seattle Families Should Know

Washington imposes its own estate tax, separate from the federal system, and the rules carry real planning implications for Seattle-area residents.

Washington’s estate tax exemption is $3 million per individual. Unlike federal law, Washington doesn’t allow portability of this exemption between spouses, which means a married couple with a combined estate above $3 million may lose one spouse’s exemption without trust-based planning. The federal exemption, by contrast, is $15 million per person and is portable. Washington’s estate tax rates on amounts above the exemption are graduated. According to the Washington Department of Revenue, the top rate for deaths occurring between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026, reaches 35% on taxable amounts above $9 million. For deaths occurring on or after July 1, 2026, that top rate rolls back to 20%.

Given Seattle home values and retirement account growth, many families may be closer to the state threshold than they expect. Trust structures such as credit shelter trusts can help married couples preserve both Washington exemptions. If your estate plan was drafted before these recent exemption and rate changes, a review may be worthwhile.

Estate Planning Alongside Family Law in Seattle

Divorce, separation, or remarriage often leads to estate plan updates, including changing beneficiary designations, modifying or revoking powers of attorney, and potentially establishing new trusts. Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements interact directly with estate plans, and parents working through custody matters often need to revisit guardian designations at the same time.

Wakefield Legal, PLLC handles family law matters, including divorce, child custody, prenuptial agreements, and postnuptial agreements, alongside estate planning. Clients who come to us during a family transition don’t need to explain their situation twice or reconcile competing advice from separate attorneys. Our attorneys are known for keeping clients informed at every stage, engaging them directly in strategy, and providing responsive counsel. That reputation is reflected in recommendations from past clients and peers alike.

Getting Started With Wakefield Legal, PLLC

The first step is a consultation. Our attorneys can listen to your goals, ask about your family structure and current assets, and walk through the legal options suited to your situation. If you have existing documents, beneficiary designations, or a prior plan, bringing those along helps us identify what’s working and what needs updating.

There’s no single template for a good estate plan. We work with each client to build one that fits their actual circumstances, whether that’s a straightforward will and power of attorney or a more layered structure involving trusts and coordinated family law documents.

Contact an Estate Planning Lawyer in Seattle

Whether you’re starting from scratch or a recent life change has made your current plan worth revisiting, our team is here to assist. We serve clients throughout Western Washington and welcome inquiries from individuals and families at any stage of the planning process.

Call us at (206) 966-6933 or use our online contact form to schedule your consultation with an estate planning attorney at Wakefield Legal, PLLC.