Estate Planning, Elder Law, and Probate

Monroe, Washington Estate Planning and Elder Law Attorney

Serving the People of Snohomish County Since 1988

Estate planning may sound intimidating, but with the help of a friendly, knowledgeable, and affordable estate planning lawyer, you can develop a plan that meets your needs and gives you peace of mind that your affairs are in order.

Contact the Monroe, Washington, law office of attorney Terry H. Simon. With more than 15 years of legal experience serving the residents of Snohomish County, we can help you create an estate plan to accomplish your goals.

Estate Planning, Wills, and Trusts

Most people are familiar with a last will and testament to distribute property, guardianships for minor children, and trusts to avoid probate and minimize estate taxes. A comprehensive estate plan will often include other tools as well, including:

• Living wills to communicate your medical wishes to your family and doctors
• Medical powers of attorney to give someone decision making authority
• Financial powers of attorney to enable someone to handle your finances if you are not able to do so
• Revocable or irrevocable living trusts that allow you to transfer funds during your lifetime and retain some control over the use of those funds
• Community property agreements to automatically transfer an asset to a surviving spouse without the need for probate

Elder Law

Estate planning issues become even more important when people age and physical or mental impairments develop. Elder law can include planning for a family member who needs nursing home care—as well as protecting the continued financial well-being of a healthy senior spouse still living at home.

If you have an elder parent who may need nursing home care in a year or two, it's time to consider nursing home planning. A Medicaid qualifying trust may allow your elder parent qualify for Medicaid and meet Medicaid spend-down requirements, while still allowing income for special needs and living expenses.

Probate and Estate Administration

Probate is the process of wrapping up an estate after a death and distributing the assets to heirs and creditors. While it is not required that you work with a lawyer, most people benefit from legal guidance in order to avoid problems with the transfer of property and assets.

At the Law Office of Terry H. Simon, we will supervise the initial court proceedings and the inventory of property and assets. We assist with the transfer of assets and work with creditors. We can handle the sale of property for out-of-state clients. We also accept will and trust litigation cases when heirs or beneficiaries believe that they have been treated wrongly.

Contact our Monroe estate planning law office to schedule an appointment at a time convenient to you. Our regular office hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday by appointment.

We offer a reduced-fee initial consultation, and we can arrange to meet you at your home or hospital room. We are located in downtown Monroe.

Law Office of Terry H. Simon

113 North Lewis Street
Monroe, WA 98272-1501
Telephone (360) 794-7101
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Snohomish County, Washington attorney Terry H. Simon represents clients throughout Snohomish County in communities such as Monroe, Snohomish, Everett, Lake Stevens, Arlington, Stanwood, Marysville, Mukilteo, Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, Bothell, and Woodway.