Do I Need to File for Probate in Oregon?
Potential clients frequently inquire whether a probate in Oregon is necessary for a loved one’s estate. Probate is the court process to transfer assets to the intended recipients after someone passes away. There are numerous factors that lead potential clients to question the necessity of probate. For example, the decedent may have lived out of […]
The Long-Term Care Insurance Dilemma – Is It Worth It?
By Julia C. Rice, Attorney at Law According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 70 percent of Americans 65 or older will need some form of long-term care. Long-term care insurance (“LTCI”) policies reimburse individuals for services that assist with activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, or eating. These policies […]
Planning for Clients Moving to Oregon with Community Property
By Julia C. Rice, J.D., LL.M. (Tax) In today’s mobile society, effective estate planning requires an appreciation of the intersection of state laws. This is particularly true when it comes to clients who have moved to Oregon from community property states such as California and Washington. As this article explains, Oregon estate planners should investigate […]
Traditional Tax Planning versus Flexible Tax Planning
Traditional estate planning typically focused solely on avoiding state and federal estate tax. This made sense given the tax laws at the time. However, the traditional tax formulas used in estate planning documents have caused issues given the current tax climate. For instance, planners often used a tax formula that required the full $1,000,000 to […]
What is Probate?
Probate is the court process to transfer assets of a decedent to the named beneficiaries under a will or via intestate succession if the decedent did not execute a will. Intestate succession is the statutorily defined default order of beneficiaries. If the estate exceeds $200,000 in real property or $75,000 in cash accounts and personal […]