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AVOIDING THE AGONY OF PROBATE FOR YOUR HEIRS


Costs include court filing fees, attorney’s standard fees (and often, in addition, what the court calls attorney’s “extraordinary fees”), and personal representative fees. It is not uncommon for fees on an average size estate to be as much as $25,000 or more. (About 6% to 10% of your gross Estate in the State of Washington.

What happens if I die with a Trust?
When you protect your assets and family with a Trust, your affairs are kept private and all your wishes are carried out as you instruct.  Family disagreements are stopped in their tracts. There is no probate, no probate fees, no court or judge involved, and no surprises!

What is Probate?
Probate is a court proceeding that results when a person with real assets such as a house, car or $40,000 to $100,000 dies without a Living Trust. The process is often slow, public and expensive. Your heirs will not have access to your assets until the judge says they can be released. A Will, Living Will, Loving Will alone does not avoid Probate. They Guarantee Probate.

Is Probate Expensive?
(About 6% to 10% of your gross Estate in the State of Washington.

Yes, it is generally many times more expensive than the cost of trusts, or other estate planning instruments. And expensive as it is, the cost in dollars is probably less important than the cost of the emotional turmoil experienced by the family who is left to straighten out affairs that a trust would have avoided altogether.

How Does A Trust Benefit Me?

Protect your family from enduring the expense and red tape of Probate.

Avoid having a Judge determine how your estate will be distributed.

Reduce or eliminate the need for the court to appoint a conservator if you become incapacitated.

Allow your chosen Successor to arrange for your long-term care.

Reduce or eliminate estate tax (for couples) by preserving and utilizing your federal estate tax exemption after your death based on your year of death.

A Living Trust allows you to maintain control over your assets while you are living and to control the distribution of your estate after your death. Stops virtually all family disputes and disagreements.

A Trust gives you Peace of Mind, knowing that you have a plan in place that benefits you now, and your family and heirs after your death.