Informational Blogs

Sometimes "life happens." You miss a few car payments and your car gets repossessed. The problem is that when you surrender the property, a few things happen. The lender takes the car back, charges you more fees and sells the car at a discounted price through an auction. If the car does not sell for enough money to pay the…Read More

A common question I am asked is "How does filing bankruptcy stop a wage garnishment?" One of the many purposes of the bankruptcy law is to protect people for aggressive creditor collection efforts. The Bankruptcy Court recognizes that people need money for housing, food, clothing and daily living expenses. If one creditor is taking 25% of a person's gross income,…Read More

The short answer is yes; however, there are some additional factors. We offer a free initial consultation to find out your options and develop a plan to handle all of your financial debt. A statute of limitation is a legal deadline that sets a period of time after which you cannot act on it. Debt that is un-collectable because a creditor…Read More

Sometimes people experience unexpected medical expenses that they cannot afford at the time they need medical treatment. If you don't pay your medical bills, then frequently the bills get turned over to a collection agency. If the collection agency does not think that you are making a "good enough" effort to pay "fast enough," then they hire a lawyer to file…Read More

What is a Power of Attorney and Can It Expire? On January 1, 2017, the State of Washington implemented new laws concerning many different types of Powers of Attorney and specific directions that can be added or limited. If you do not have a Power of Attorney, your timing is good because now would be a great time to get…Read More

Common Question: Do I have to file a probate if my spouse or parent dies in Washington? The short answer is “Yes” unless the following applies: The Assets of the deceased are in a trust; or The Assets of the deceased are held as joint tenants with the right of survivorship (property merely held as community property doesn’t count as will be explained…Read More

How to Stop a Wage Garnishment.  Federal Way, Tacoma, Fife, Puyallup, Lake Tapps, Auburn, Kent. Attorney Christopher A. Benson.Rated 9.5 by AVVO There are thousands of people who are unnecessarily getting their wages garnished every pay check.  Creditors can take 25% of your gross income from each pay check.  A garnishment makes it extremely difficult to manage your finances and…Read More

A common question we receive is: Does Washington State have an inheritance tax or probate tax? In the law, words matter.  Therefore, as your read the answers and responses below, the end result might feel the same (i.e. pay a tax); but how you arrive at the result is technically different (what or who pays the tax). I have found…Read More

How to Make an Estate Plan There are several elements to an estate plan that are key to you and your family being taken care of and your goal being met. An Estate Plan is a collection of legal documents that you create to handle events that occur in everyone's life.  There is not one document that handles everything; however,…Read More

Not only are Millennials not talking about end-of-life care with their parents, according to the American Bar Association "Statistical studies show that 55 percent of Americans die without a will or estate plan." In order to save your loved ones completely avoidable additional pain and legal hassles, take the time to begin your estate planning today. Here is the good news....we…Read More