Providing Comprehensive, Responsive Legal Representation
You’ve worked hard for decades for what you have. You bought a home to raise your family in. You built up savings for retirement. An estate plan is how you protect those assets and more, by making sure they go to the proper heirs when the time comes. It also gives you a voice over medical decisions if you ever lose your ability to communicate.
At Marine View Law, we help people across the Seattle-Tacoma area put a solid plan in place. Whether you’re starting from scratch or need to update documents you created years ago, our attorneys are here to walk you through the process in plain language, at your own pace.
Our offices in Normandy Park and Tacoma are convenient for families throughout the region, from the South End neighborhoods of Seattle to communities along I-5 and beyond.
Renee Roman has been practicing estate planning law for over 30 years. That depth of experience matters when you’re making decisions that will affect your family for generations.
But experience alone isn’t what sets this law office apart. Clients consistently describe working with us as a personal, reassuring experience. We take the time to explain what each document means, answer your questions without rushing you, and make sure you leave feeling confident in your plan rather than confused by it.
We also respond quickly. When you reach out to us, you can expect a prompt reply. We understand that people often come to us during stressful moments, whether they’re planning ahead after a health scare, updating a plan after a major life change, or dealing with the estate of a loved one. Waiting days for a callback only adds to that stress. We work to make the process as smooth as possible from the very first contact.
Our offices in Normandy Park and Tacoma are welcoming, comfortable spaces where you can sit down with an attorney and talk through your situation without feeling rushed or intimidated.
And if you’re not sure where to start, we offer a complimentary 15-minute consultation so you can get a sense of what you need before committing to anything.
Estate planning is the process of deciding, in advance, what happens to your property, your finances, and your medical care if you become incapacitated or pass away. It puts you in control instead of leaving those decisions to a court.
A complete estate plan typically includes some combination of the following:
Each of these documents serves a different purpose. Together, they form a plan that can protect your family from confusion, delay, and conflict.
If you die without a will in Washington, the state’s intestate succession laws decide who inherits your property. That might not match what you would have wanted. Your home, your savings, even personal items with sentimental value could end up distributed in a way that causes disagreement among surviving family members.
Without a plan, your family may also face probate, which is the court-supervised process of settling an estate. Probate matters in King County are handled through the King County Superior Court in Seattle. The process takes time, involves legal fees, and puts your estate’s details into the public record. A well-structured estate plan can reduce or potentially eliminate the need for probate, depending on how your assets are titled and what documents you have in place.
And if you have minor children, a will is where you name a guardian, the person you trust to raise them if something happens to you. Without that designation, a court makes that decision.
Think about what the alternative looks like. A family without a clear plan may spend months navigating court proceedings, hiring attorneys to sort out disputes, and waiting for accounts to be unfrozen. Siblings who might otherwise get along can find themselves in conflict over who gets what, who was promised what, or who should be in charge.
A thoughtful estate plan removes most of those questions before they can become arguments.
It can also reduce costs. When your wishes are clearly documented and your assets are properly titled, your family may be able to transfer property more efficiently, with less court involvement and lower legal fees. For homeowners with modest savings, that difference can be meaningful.
Actually, one thing people often overlook is how much stress a plan can lift from the people they love. Knowing what you wanted, and having it in writing, gives your family permission to grieve without also having to fight.
For many Seattle-area families, the home is the most valuable asset they own. It also tends to be the most complicated one to transfer.
Real property requires specific legal steps to pass from one person to another. If your home is titled only in your name and you pass away without the right plan in place, your family may need to go through probate before they can do anything with it. That process can take time and money.
There are several tools that may help, including transfer-on-death deeds, revocable living trusts, and joint tenancy arrangements. Each one has different implications for taxes, creditor protection, and how smoothly the transfer goes. What works best depends on your specific situation.
This is an area where Marine View Law brings a genuine advantage. Our lead attorney, Renee Roman, is not only a seasoned estate planning lawyer but also a licensed real estate agent and broker. That combination is uncommon. It means she understands the legal side of estate planning and the practical realities of real property, how it’s titled, how it transfers, and what your options are when your home is your most significant asset. She can advise you on how to handle your property within your estate plan in a way that many attorneys simply are not equipped to do.
Many people put this off because it feels uncomfortable to think about. That’s understandable. But there are certain moments in life when having a plan in place becomes especially important:
Washington law does not automatically update your estate plan when your life changes. A will that names an ex-spouse as a beneficiary, for example, may still be legally valid depending on how it was written and when the divorce occurred. Reviewing your documents regularly with an attorney can help you avoid unintended outcomes.
Marine View Law serves clients throughout the greater Seattle-Tacoma metro area, including communities along the I-5 corridor, the communities of the South Sound, and neighborhoods throughout King and Pierce Counties. Whether you’re in a Tacoma neighborhood near the Tacoma Dome, closer to the waterfront communities of Normandy Park, or commuting between Seattle and the suburbs, our two office locations are positioned to serve you.
Getting started is simpler than most people expect. A conversation with one of our lawyers can help clarify what you need, what your options are, and what the process looks like from here.
Marine View Law offers a complimentary 15-minute consultation for new clients. There’s no obligation and no pressure. It’s simply an opportunity to ask questions and get a clearer picture of where you stand.
Your family deserves the security that comes from a thoughtful plan. We’re here to help you build one.
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