At Linda L. Walden, Attorney at Law, PLLC, I assist clients with will preparation and drafting, financial and health care powers of attorney, health care directives, special needs planning and estate administration. Planning in these areas is personal and can have significant legal impact. By creating plans for your individual needs and desires, I can help you preserve your assets and achieve peace of mind.

A will is a legal document that controls the distribution of your property, according to your wishes, when you are gone. It enables you to appoint a personal representative or executor to handle property and affairs from the time of death until the estate is settled. Property and assets distributed under the terms of a will become the probate estate. Without a valid will, the probate estate will be distributed according to a formula as defined by Washington state laws.

A will may also be used to name a guardian for any minor children and designate a trustee to handle the estate on their behalf.

Powers of Attorney are legal documents in which you name someone who will make financial and/or health care decisions for you if you become unable to do so. As individuals grow older or face the possibility of an incapacitating illness, they may put to rest their fears of being unable to pay bills, make bank deposits, supervise investments, make health care decisions or collect insurance and government benefits. These documents need to be in place prior to any incapacitating event.