If I had a nickel for every time I heard, “I don’t really need an estate plan yet, I’m not old enough nor am I wealthy enough,” I’d have three nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it is weird that it has happened three times.  It’s an understandable sentiment—estate planning, as a concept, conjures images of dusty manors, maybe a monocle, and Downton Abbey family squabbles over silverware—but the need for estate planning is far more practical, and frankly, a lot more relevant than most people realize.

Myth #1: “I’m too young to discuss estate planning.”  This thinking makes sense. Talking about death or incapacitation in your late 20s, 30s or your 40s feels like an invitation for bad luck. But consider another point of view: estate planning for younger adults isn’t about dying, rather, it’s about control over decisions made on your behalf and making sure your wishes are honored.

If you’re in a car accident on I-5, a skiing accident at Crystal, or suddenly too sick to speak for yourself, who will make your medical decisions? If you don’t have a Healthcare Power of Attorney and a Will, the answer is not necessarily your partner of ten years.

Washington’s default statutory hierarchy gives the authorization to provide informed consent for health care to a spouse or state-registered domestic partner first, then your children (if they are over the age of 18), then your parents, and then your siblings. The last person who would be authorized is an adult who has exhibited special care and concern for the patient, is familiar with the patient’s values and is reasonably available to make health care decisions (see RCW 7.70.065).

This is the default rule, no matter how clearly your loved ones know your wishes and, as a result, the person who knows you best may not have the opportunity to make these important decisions on your behalf. If you have minor children, this conversation matters even more.

Under Washington law, a Will is the standard legal tool for nominating a guardian for your children (see RCW 11.130.215). Without a Will, you leave arguably the most important decision about your child’s future up to the court. The court will try its best, but it won’t know that your sister is a better fit to care for your child than your in-laws, or that your best friend promised to raise your children with your values.

In addition, dying without a Will leaves the distribution of your estate up to the courts and subject to Washington law. Under Washington’s intestate succession statute, a surviving spouse or state-registered domestic partner automatically receives all of the decedent’s share of the community property, plus an amount of the decedent’s separate property that varies depending on who else survives you (see RCW 11.04.015). An unmarried partner, no matter how long the relationship, could receive nothing. Washington’s intestacy law only recognizes spouses, registered domestic partners, and relatives by blood or adoption. If you want to ensure that your estate is distributed according to your wishes as opposed to being distributed according to a statutory framework, you need a Will and/or revocable living trust.

Myth #2: “I’m not wealthy enough to need an estate plan.” Many hear “estate planning” and think “estate tax.” And it’s true that Washington has its own estate tax with a much lower exemption than the federal estate tax. But there’s a gap that catches a lot of people off guard. As of 2026, the federal exemption sits at $15 million per person, which can be high enough that the federal estate tax simply isn’t a concern for the vast majority of people. Washington’s estate tax exemption, by contrast, is $3 million per person, and it doesn’t transfer between spouses the way the federal exemption does through the portability election.

Without good estate planning in place, a married couple who leaves everything outright to each other can accidentally let the first spouse’s entire $3 million exemption go to waste. Between home equity, a 401(k), and a life insurance policy, a number of Washington families are closer to that $3 million exemption amount than they may realize and will not owe the federal government a dime in estate tax while still owing the Washington estate tax.

Overall, being “rich” or being “too young” has nothing to do with protecting what you’ve built. Many of us are transplants here, without extended family down the street to step in during a crisis—which, if you remember Myth #1, is exactly the situation where Washington’s default rules could end up making decisions that a spouse, partner, or trusted friend should be making instead. You have enough to protect and enough to pass on smoothly to the people you love.

That’s what estate planning is actually about. Whether you’re 27 or 67, renting or sitting on a pile of home equity, estate planning puts you, and not a judge or state statute, in control of your legacy.

If you have questions about this, or any other aspect of estate planning in Washington, the attorneys at Lasher are here to help.