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  Estate Planning and Probate for 99% of People Who Own Real Estate in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Arizona

  March 01, 2019

  Author: Attorney Christopher A. Benson Publication: 2019 Admitted to practice law in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Arizona The purpose of this book is to provide educational information for people who own real estate in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Arizona. This book is not intended to be used as legal advice for your particular situation and/or how you should plan your estate. In fact, if there are three things to remember from this book, they are as follows: (1) Regardless of your age or current health condition You can never get your estate plan documents done too early. You can only wait until it’s too late. (2) Everyone is different, and you should consult with an experienced Estate Planning attorney before you make any decisions concerning the preparation and signing of any legal documents. (3) You should not take the “do it yourself” approach when it comes to your most important assets: You, your family and your real estate. Who are the 99%? The 99% consist of anyone who owns real estate in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Arizona. Married or Single. Married forever or married for one day. Maybe this is your second or third marriage and you are a blended family. Maybe you are in a same sex marriage. It doesn’t matter. The same rules apply to you. The key is having title of real estate in your name. By owning real estate, I mean title of any parcel of real property that is in your name. It does not matter if you own it free and clear or if you have a loan secured against your property by a mortgage or a deed of trust or real estate contract. If there is a loan against your real estate, you still own title to the real estate and this book applies to you as well. You do not need to own your real estate free and clear to do estate planning. In fact, it makes estate planning even more important so that your family can save time and money in the event you pass away. If you are in this group, you need to read the rest of this book and/or consult with an experienced estate planning attorney.Who are the other 1% who may not need estate planning? Theoretically, it would be people who do not own real estate, never plan to own any real estate, do not have any debts and who die suddenly with no medical treatment or expenses. Another group of people would be those who have real estate but owe more on their house than it is worth and do not intend to leave anything to their family, friends or charity. If you are in this category, this book may still be of benefit to you because it is a great idea to have a financial power of attorney, medical power of attorney, HIPAA Health care release, Designation of Guardianship and Living Will in place in the event you get sick and need someone to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to do so.