Your estate plan always needs a will. Sometimes you need a trust too. Here are some key differences. When it comes to making or updating your Oregon estate plan, the difference between a will and a trust becomes important. After all, odds are you’ve at least heard of both wills and trusts (such as revocable living trusts). However, each…
Verbal gifts outside of a will: It’s often thought that when someone says they want you to have something when they die, then that will happen. Some might point out that an oral contract is supposed to be legally binding. Or that what someone said should outweigh what’s in that person’s will or estate plan. Unfortunately, verbal gifts can…
Succession planning ensures your business avoid the risks and pitfalls of failing to plan for the future Once upon a time, someone who owned a business died, had no succession planning in place, and the entire enterprise became a complete mess. Sometimes the situation gets so bad, the business fails. Pretty much every business owner or partner has heard…
When you are creating or updating your Oregon will, you might wonder if you can forgive debts in your Oregon will. Your estate plan can include provisions about forgiving, or canceling, debts owed to you. Forgiving debts in your will is a powerful tool. But like any powerful tool, it must be used with care. When it comes to…
Your Oregon will is a crucial document. However, it’s not the place for every wish, preference, or instruction you communicate as part of your Oregon estate plan. It’s important to be careful with what you promise, instruct, or designate in your will. Here are 7 common will mistakes you want to avoid. 1. Conditions that can’t be enforced in…
Business estate planning is critical for Oregon businesses. When we talk about estate planning, we usually talk about wills and trusts for people, couples, and families. However, Oregon businesses also need to have a solid estate plan in place. A business estate plan can protect not only the owner’s business interests, but family and business partners too. Business ownership…
Whether gradual or sudden, the death of a loved one comes with personal and community grief and loss. Along with working through grief, the death of a loved one in Oregon also has a legal side. To put it simply, what to do when a loved one dies in Oregon can be complicated. There are times where it might…
Oregon probate, real estate, and your will: When you own real property in Oregon, accounting for it in your estate planning is crucial. Oregon law makes allowances for ways your will can pass real estate according to state law. In some cases, real estate can even skip probate. Provide for real estate in your will and outside your will…
As we head into 2021, we’ll be making lists, goals, and resolutions for things to do to help us have a better new year. A good thing to have on your list? Taking care of what matters to you, by either setting up or updating your estate plan, with a trusted Oregon estate planning lawyer by your side. In…
With hundreds of thousands of coronavirus cases in Oregon, COVID estate planning is, unfortunately, a consideration for all. Coronavirus/COVID-19 is a reality in Oregon. We hope that health measures will help curb the spread of the disease. In the meantime, now is the time to review and update your Oregon estate plan. Or, if you don’t have an estate…
