999 Third Avenue
Suite 3000
Seattle, WA 98104
206.682.3333 phone
206.340.8856 fax


 

With the average life expectancy increasing and our population aging, the attorneys at SCB take a different approach to estate planning, and we call this "life planning." Our services extend beyond the preparation of legal documents. Rather, our philosophy is to help clients assess their personal and financial goals. We then help our clients evaluate their options and set in place the legal, financial and other arrangements that will enable them to live independently for the longest time possible and will assure that they have capable assistance when they need it.

Historically, estate planning has been thought of as long-term legal and financial planning. Planning around the minimization or elimination of gift and estate taxes has traditionally been at the center of much estate planning. Today estate planning comprises the creation of specific strategies designed to protect your family's financial future and much more: trust design and implementation, the appointment of lifetime fiduciaries, the designation of health care decision makers, identification of wishes regarding the right to die, and planning to pay for the cost of long-term care.

At SCB we still provide traditional expertise in basic and sophisticated estate planning to protect family members, investments and business holdings. We also offer:

Family Law

We are committed to providing quality, personalized legal representation and counsel to our family law clients. Whenever possible we encourage clients to pursue mediation of their disputes and consult with clients as they go through the mediation process. If mediation is unsuccessful we are experienced in temporary parenting and support motions, trial preparation and strategy, and client advocacy at trial.

We understand the emotional strain involved in divorce proceedings and work to reduce the stress that affects our clients and their children by resolving their family law issues quickly and efficiently.

We specialize in medium to high-end disputes involving business valuations, professional practices, stock options, and the division of closely held businesses and retirement assets. We also assist clients in preparing parenting plans and negotiating support.

Our clients also benefit from the expertise of SCB attorneys who focus on estate planning, elder law, business and taxation, and real estate.

The family law areas in which we have particular expertise include:
  • Prenuptial, post nuptial and separate property agreements
  • Dissolution of marriage and legal separation
  • Community and separate property
  • Spousal support and maintenance
  • Tax consequences of divorce and property division
  • Valuation and division of closely held businesses, professional practices, stock options and retirement assets
  • Parenting plans, relocation issues and modifications
  • Calculation of child support and modification of child support orders
  • Participation and/or counsel in mediation

    • Basic Estate Planning

    Our attorneys will assist you with community property and separate property agreements, cohabitation, and pre-nuptial agreements, revocable living trusts, wills for United States citizens and resident aliens, irrevocable life insurance trusts, health care directives (living wills), and arrangements for organ donation.

    Planning for Closely-Held Businesses

    Our attorneys are skilled at succession planning involving business partners and family members, buy-sell agreements, and corporate split-dollar insurance agreements.

    Sophisticated Estate Planning

    Our attorneys have extensive expertise with lifetime gifting plans, family limited liability companies, qualified personal residence trusts, private annuities, grantor retained annuity trusts, self-canceling installment notes, generation-skipping trusts, and disclaimers. After your estate plan is in place, we will help administer and manage your plan, so that as your needs change the plan can be update to protect your family's future by minimizing or eliminating gift and estate taxes.

    Planning for Family Members with Special Needs

    Protecting minors, the elderly, and vulnerable adults is an important responsibility for today’s families.  SCB attorneys have considerable experience establishing minors' trusts, educational trusts, trusts for aged parents, and guardianships.

    Probate and Estate Administration

    Our attorneys provide assistance with all phases of probate and administration, including the preparation of inventories and the sale and distribution of assets.

    Elder Law

    We provide a range of services to seniors who face diminishing capacity (and to their families), including: guardianships, non-judicial dispute resolutions; petitions for the protection of vulnerable adults, power of attorney litigation; and the resolution of disputes (in and out of the courtroom) regarding trusts and estates.

    Estate, Family and Life
    Planning Law Attorneys

    Barbara West, co-chair

    Lisa Wolfard, co-chair

    Tatyana Gidirimski

    Robert P. Morrison

    James Oliver

    Robert Stewart