Money and Assets

Bill and Melinda Gates Announce Split and Ultra High-Net-Worth Divorce With More Than Money at Stake: How They Can Keep Their Divorce Amicable

May 4, 2021

A high-net-worth divorce doesn't necessarily have to become a circus or take years to finalize. With awareness, a couple with extensive assets can emerge from a divorce financially and emotionally sound, ready for a solid future. But it will require a commitment from both parties to ensure that happens. As a Seattle family law attorney, here are a few of my tips to keep tensions at bay. 

5 Last Minute Questions Asked and Answered About Divorce, Taxes, and Your 2020 Return

April 27, 2021

The federal income tax is complicated as is. Factor in a divorce, tax season can become that much more of a headache. If you’re contemplating divorce or are currently in the divorce process, here are five last minute issues you and your ex-spouse should consider before filing your 2020 return.

Should I Include My Retirement And Investment Accounts in My Estate Plan?

April 6, 2021

Probate is the court-supervised process of gathering your assets, paying off your debts and taxes, and distributing what's left of your estate to your heirs and beneficiaries. However, that doesn't have to include all assets. Your retirement and investment assets have the potential to bypass probate if located in the type of accounts that can transfer upon death to a designated beneficiary. When considering whether to include your retirement and investment accounts in your estate plan, here's what you need to know.

Why I Believe in Cleaning Up Finances Before Closets

March 23, 2021

I’ve always been interested in finding ways to take control of my future, especially as I was going through my divorce. So when a friend passed along to me a copy of Marie Kondō’s best-selling book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing,” I couldn’t wait to begin reading it.

Estate Planning for a Single Parent

March 19, 2021

The percentage of children who live in a single-parent household has increased significantly. While estate planning for single parents is similar to estate planning for families with two parents, you should take special consideration and outline specific provisions in your estate plan if you're a single parent due to death, divorce, or life choice. If you're a single parent, estate planning should become a high priority.

Tips for Talking To Your Parents About Estate Planning in the Age of COVID-19

March 12, 2021

The only guarantee we have in life is that we’re all going to die someday. If we’re lucky enough, we’ll do this when we’re old, slipping peacefully away in our sleep. But, inevitably, it will happen to each of us regardless of age or health. Unfortunately, too many people pass away without addressing their estate planning and die without leaving a will. Dying without a will, referred to as intestate, is just one of the issues that can come from not addressing your estate planning while you’re alive.

I’m Getting a Divorce. What If My Ex Won’t Move Out of the Marital Home?

December 8, 2020

It's the question Phil Collins posed in court last month after his ex-wife, Orianne Cevey, and her new husband, Thomas Bates, refused to vacate the singer's Miami Beach Mansion, estimated at 40 million dollars. Vanity Fair reported that although Collins holds the property in a company owned by him, Cevey claims she has an ownership interest. Taking legal matters into her hands, Cevey and her new hubby have denied her ex-husband access by changing the locks and alarm codes and otherwise blocking Collins and his representatives from entering.

Should You Keep the Marital Home in Your Divorce?

November 17, 2020

When it comes to the family home, you have numerous choices to weigh before deciding, each of which could affect you and your family for years to come. It will behoove you to remember the difference between a house and a home during this emotional transition. Your house is a place where you live. A home is any place with you living in it.

Don’t Name Your Child As The Beneficiary

October 15, 2020

When you have children, you'll go to the ends of the earth to protect them and make sure they are safe and happy. It's a major reason why parents buy life insurance — or the main one at least. Having life insurance means that if something happened to you, your children would be OK financially. B...

Supreme Court Favors Ex-Wife Over Widow In Battle For Life Insurance Proceeds

October 8, 2020

In the event of a divorce, it is important to remember about changing the beneficiaries nominated on any life insurance policies and pensions (both employer and personal). Failing to do so could mean that, in the event of death, your assets would not be distributed in accordance with your wishes....