We Understand What You’re Going Through!

At the Law Offices of Christopher A. Benson, PLLC., we get it. For over 30 years we have been helping people with their estate planning, probate and bankruptcy cases. In Washington, we handle all three. In Oregon, Idaho and Arizona, our firm only handles estate planning matters.

With our live streaming option, now you can live anywhere and hire the best lawyers.

Bankruptcy Assistance

Bankruptcy—What most people fail to realize is that bankruptcy can be your best friend when you’ve fallen into debt that you cannot see a way out otherwise. If you’re being constantly harassed by credit debt collection companies calling you and sending you demand letters, if you’re behind on your mortgage, if you have missed payments and worry that you’ll lose your health insurance, or just generally feel buried under a mountain of bills that you cannot pay, bankruptcy could be a great option. Bankruptcy can offer immediate relief, and put an end to the anxiety and stress, and a seasoned bankruptcy attorney can help you navigate the entire process.

Probate Attorney

Probate is a legal process by which a deceased person’s estate is distributed to their heirs and designated beneficiaries, and debts owed to creditors are paid. Probate property is distributed in accordance with the decedent’s last will and testament, and if there is no will and testament in place, then the affairs must be handled in accordance with state law.

You may have already been aware of the formal definition of probate, but if you were not, now you know. And now that you know, you can clearly see that it is critically important to:

1. Have a current will and testament in place, and
2. Make sure that you have a qualified, experienced probate attorney to help you

When someone dies without a will in place then they are leaving a lot of decisions up to the court. This is not a good situation, because the judge, no matter how much she or he wants to abide by your wishes, she or he has no idea what your true wishes are. Having a will in place avoids the guesswork, and upon your passing will provide a legal means to ensure that your affairs are carried out as you would desire them to be.

But regardless of whether or not a will is in place, there will likely be many other issues that need to be handled through probate, or issues that a will may not typically manage, such as transferring certain classes of property, providing for a child with special needs, avoiding estate taxes, etc. Your probate attorney will help you navigate the sometimes confusing terrain of the probate process.

Estate Planning Attorney

For all your affairs that you are concerned about, which is probably all of them, your estate planning attorney can help you devise a strategy to cover every possible scenario. An effective and thorough estate plan can answer all the ‘what if’ questions when you are not able to. What if you sustain a severe injury and are incapacitated? What if you fall ill suddenly and are hospitalized? What if your injuries or illness have rendered you incapable of making any decisions? What if you die suddenly? What will happen to your children? What will happen to your money, your property? A skilled estate planning attorney can implement an effective estate plan that will have an answer for every ‘what if’ scenario, and it is a legal means to put your wishes into action, should you be unable to make decisions any longer, or if you have passed away. You really have two choices, you can put an estate plan in place and keep it current, and have everything work out as you desire… or, you can go without one and hope it all works out in the courts later. Most people would rather choose option one, and through an estate plan ensure that their family, their financials, and future will be handled according to their wishes—precisely and pragmatically.