Bellevue Trust Attorney

Our firm has extensive experience helping individuals establish Trusts of all varieties, including the following:

Revocable Living Trusts

Many Bellevue families choose revocable Living Trusts as the foundation of their estate plans. A Living Trust holds your assets while allowing you to maintain complete control during your lifetime. You can add assets, remove them, or change the Trust terms at any time. This flexibility, combined with the ability to avoid probate and maintain privacy, makes Living Trusts particularly attractive for those who want to ensure a smooth transition of assets to their loved ones.

Marital Trusts

Also known as Credit Shelter Trusts, Marital Trusts help married couples maximize their estate tax exemptions. With the current federal estate tax exemption at $13.99 million per person, and the current Washington state estate tax exemption changing to 3 million per person, these Trusts can be valuable tools for Bellevue couples with substantial estates. A Marital Trust can help remove assets from the surviving spouse’s taxable estate while still providing them access to the Trust assets during their lifetime.

Special Needs Trusts

For families with loved ones living with disabilities, Special Needs Trusts provide crucial protection. These Trusts allow you to set aside assets for a family member with special needs without endangering their eligibility for government benefits like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Medicaid. The Trust can pay for additional needs beyond what government benefits cover, such as:

• Medical care not covered by other programs

• Personal services

• Education expenses

• Entertainment and travel

• Quality of life improvements

Supplemental Needs Trusts

Washington law allows for individuals to include another type of Special Needs Trust called a Supplemental Needs Trusts in their Wills that can maintain, or with careful planning, make your beneficiary eligible for Medicaid benefits for Long-Term Care. As a Testamentary Trust, these Supplemental Needs Trusts shields assets from unnecessary depletion because assets in the Supplemental Needs Trust are not considered “countable” by Medicaid or other government needs-based benefit programs. Furthermore, assets in the Supplemental Needs Trust are protected from future creditors and risk of financial exploitation.

Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts

With the high cost of Long-Term Care in the Bellevue area, Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts serve as valuable planning tools. These Irrevocable Trusts can help protect assets while potentially qualifying you for Medicaid benefits to cover Long-Term Care costs. However, these Trusts are most effective when established well in advance due to Medicaid’s five-year lookback period.

Spendthrift Trusts

For those concerned about beneficiaries who might not manage their inheritance responsibly, Spendthrift Trusts offer peace of mind. Rather than distributing assets all at once, these Trusts provide structured distributions according to the terms you establish. This approach helps protect the inheritance from creditors and ensures the assets last longer for your beneficiaries’ benefit.

Pet Trusts

Many Bellevue residents consider their pets family members and want to ensure their continued care. Pet Trusts allow you to set aside funds specifically for your pet’s care, including veterinary expenses, food, grooming, and other needs. You can designate a trustee to manage the funds and a caregiver to provide daily care for your beloved companion