Estate Services
At Stahancyk, Kent & Hook, we are happy to provide our clients with a variety of estate services. Our attorneys can help you to manage your assets through estate planning, estate administration, trust administration, and probate.
Estate Planning After Marriage or Divorce |
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When you marry or remarry, any pre-existing will may become void because the law assumes that you want your new spouse to be included in your estate plan and an ex-spouse excluded. The same happens with many, but not all, beneficiary designations. You may still want an ex-spouse to serve as trustee for a trust that is for the benefit of your shared children, but you should confirm these intentions to ensure that everyone understands your desires. |
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Estate Planning Definitions |
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Terms and definitions commonly used in Estate Planning. |
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Estate Planning Resources |
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For those who would like to learn more about estate planning, we have compiled a list of books and online resources that provide answers to many of the commonly-asked questions. |
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Books on Estate Planning | Oregon State Bar Publications |
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Incapacity Planning |
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Having discussions about the aging process and preparing the best documents can ensure that you have resources available and are protected if you ever require long-term care in your advanced years or encounter a serious illness. |
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Probate |
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Probate is the court procedure that allows for the administration of an estate. In a probate proceeding, the court oversees the processes of identifying the deceased person's property, paying any debts, paying taxes, identifying the proper heirs, and distributing the property to those heirs. |
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Benefits of Probate | Drawbacks of Probate |
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Tax Planning |
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Calculating the tax burden on your estate is frequently confusing due to ever-changing tax standards. |
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Trusts |
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A trust is a legal entity created to endow property to a beneficiary, while being managed by a trustee. There are many different types of trusts, which can provide a variety of benefits to your estate. Here are descriptions of some of the most useful trusts that you can employ. |
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Revocable Living Trust | Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust |
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Wills |
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A will is a formal expression of your wishes for the disposition of your assets, plans for your children, and the disposition of your remains following your demise. When drafted and executed properly, a will not only allows you to designate who receives the property you own upon your death, but also how that property is to be received. |
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Each office has a CLIENT ADVOCATE who will set an appointment for you with the attorney in our office best suited to solve your legal issue.
To contact our Client Advocates:
Portland Office
Dominique Vazquez (503) 222-9115 or dominique@stahancyk.com.
Astoria Office
Dominique Vazquez (503) 325-9117 or dominique@stahancyk.com.
Central Oregon Office
Shana Sellers (541) 318-9115 or shana@stahancyk.com.
South West Washington
Vince Roman (360) 750-9115 or vince@stahancyk.com.
For general questions and information info@stahancyk.com.
Once you have retained the firm to represent you, our team will be available to help you throughout your case. Each retained client is given the private cell phone number of their attorney because we understand that case emergencies do not only happen during business hours and the ability to speak to your attorney is invaluable to a quick resolution.
Do not send confidential information specific to your situation. Unsolicited information sent to our office does not create an attorney - client relationship and is not confidential.
At Stahancyk, Kent & Hook, P.C., we will counsel you in how to protect your assets to ensure that your beneficiaries receive distributions as you intended and give you peace of mind that your wishes will be carried out during your lifetime and beyond.
Estate planning begins with an evaluation your assets and a review of previous estate planning. How are your assets titled? Who has been named as a beneficiary on your life insurance and retirement benefits? What college investment plans have you established for younger generations? Have you named who you want to make decisions if you were to become incapacitated? We also consider your income needs, lifetime goals, desires for the care of a children in your absence, the level of creditor and asset protection you require and what you would like to leave to specific beneficiaries.
After discussing your overall objectives and concerns, we devise a plan to achieve your goals and avoid any pitfalls, while considering how to make sure your assets pass to your intended heirs and minimize state and federal taxes. We will help you make decisions regarding guardians for minor children and trusts for preservation of assets. Once we develop a proposed plan, we make sure you understand the plan and that it meets your goals.
Once you approve the plan, we go to work creating the documents and structures that the plan requires. The plan may be nothing more than a simple will, or may be a complex estate plan including tax-favored trusts, a special needs trust, family limited partnerships, business transitioning, or a combination of these and other asset-restructuring methods.
The estate planning process may not end with signing documents and making the necessary asset transfers. We also provide ongoing assistance by assisting executors, administrators, and trustees in dealing with difficult and complex estate issues, as well as post-mortem tax planning and probate. We can also make any annual gifts specified in your estate plan.
