Insight, Analysis, and Perspective for Businesses and Individuals

While many people consider updating their estate planning documents following a divorce, it is best to update these documents when planning for a divorce or separation process, or risk potentially disastrous results. Washington law automatically overrides some, but not all, existing estate planning documents upon the filing of a marriage dissolution or legal separation action. Powers of […]

Under the recent Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”), as of January 1, 2018, employees are no longer able to deduct unreimbursed employee business expenses on their individual tax returns for tax years 2018- 2025. Previously, any qualified expenses that employees incurred while on the job could be deducted on their individual tax return subject […]

Upon finishing the estate planning process, clients often ask the understandable question, “how often should I update my estate planning documents?” Best practice is to review and/or update your estate planning documents either (1) every three-five years, or (2) after major life changes occur. Major life changes can include the birth of new children or […]

Bringing your financial expert to mediation increases the likelihood that the parties, attorneys, and the mediator have a clear understanding of the financial aspects of your case – which is likely to lead to a better resolution. Here are the pros of bringing your financial expert to mediation. 1.  Calculating, Presenting, and Explaining the Numbers […]

Many of us may already be aware that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) has significantly cut corporate tax rates, slightly cut individual tax rates, provided a jump in the standard deduction and implemented a host of other tax law changes for both individuals and businesses. However, there has been little attention given to […]

UPDATE: On May 12, 2021, Washington enacted significant revisions to the Homestead statutes. These revisions may potentially and significantly increase the dollar amount of your homestead exemption. As of May 12, 2021, the homestead exemption has changed to be the greater of 1) $125,000.00, or 2) the “county median sale price of a single-family home […]

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities, unless doing so would pose an undue hardship for the employer. Such accommodations could include making existing facilities more accessible, restructuring a position, offering a modified work schedule, or even reassigning the employee to a vacant position. […]

Our civil rules encourage settlement. Settlement prevents the “winner take all” scenario and encourages the efficient use of court resources–trials are time-consuming and expensive. Although avoiding the courtroom altogether may sound appealing (pardon the pun), remember that you do not need a jury verdict to appeal your case. Here are some things to consider in […]

Overview On June 21, 2018, the Supreme Court decided South Dakota v. Wayfair. This pivotal sales tax case allows states to impose sales tax obligations on out-of-state businesses that have no physical presence in the state.  Previously, a business had to have some sort of physical presence in the state, such as an employee working […]

Notifying potential creditors, presenting claims, and rejecting or allowing creditors’ claims in an estate subject to probate may seem like second nature to some attorneys, but a surprising number of claims are litigated as a result of either a personal representative’s failure to properly notify creditors or a creditor’s failure to properly present a claim […]

Although Washington employers are generally not required to provide severance pay to a terminated employee (except if promised in an employee handbook or employment contract), many employers still offer severance as a gesture of good will. There are any several factors, however, that should be considered when deciding whether to sign a severance agreement. An […]

The Washington Law Against Discrimination makes it unlawful for an employer to “discharge, expel, or otherwise discriminate” against a job applicant or employee on the basis of that person’s protected characteristic such as race, age, or sex. Likewise, the WLAD also makes it unlawful for an employer to do the same because he or she […]