Law Office of Donna Person Smith
Call for a Consultation

253-212-3924
Tacoma Office

253-840-0288
Puyallup Office

  • Family Law Attorney
    • Divorce
    • Child Support
    • Custody
    • Parental Modifications
    • Family Law FAQ
  • Criminal Defense Attorney
    • DUI
    • Criminal Defense FAQ
  • Wills and Estate
    • Estate Planning Coronavirus (COVID-19)
  • About
  • News
  • Contact
Donna Person Smith, Attorney
Click To Call

Do You Update Your Estate Plan as Often as Your Resume?

May 6, 2022DeveloperEstate Planning

A resume is a snapshot of your experience, skill set, and education that provides prospective employers insight into who you are and how you will perform. Imagine not updating your resume for five, ten, or even fifteen years. Would it accurately reflect your professional abilities? Would it do what you want it to do? Probably…

Read More

Untangling Tangled Titles: Homeownership, Property Deeds, and Estate Planning

April 14, 2022DeveloperEstate Planning

Do you really own the home you live in? If you are currently living in a property that you inherited but the deed has not been transferred into your name, you may be surprised to learn that, under the law, you are technically not the owner. This legal situation is known as “tangled title.” A…

Read More

What Is HEMS and Why Is It Included in So Many Trusts?

March 24, 2022DeveloperWills Estate And Probate

In the world of estate planning, you may come across the acronym HEMS from time to time. HEMS stands for “health, education, maintenance, or support” and is frequently included in trust agreements to guide a trustee on the types of distributions they may make to a trust beneficiary. When a trustee is limited to this…

Read More

Myths We Tell Ourselves about Estate Planning

March 11, 2022Law ContentEstate Planning, Wills Estate And Probate

Estate planning can be a very difficult process. While it is not brain surgery, making the decision to move forward with an estate plan requires us to face the fact that we will not live forever. This thought stops many people in their tracks. Others talk themselves out of seeing a qualified attorney to create…

Read More

Pour-Over Will: Not Your Average Will

March 4, 2022Law ContentEstate Planning, Wills Estate And Probate

Wills and trusts are the two basic legal instruments that people use to pass accounts and property on to their loved ones at death. Although a revocable living trust is often used in place of a will, the two are not mutually exclusive. You can have both a will and a trust, and in fact,…

Read More

Legal Document Every Adult Needs

April 13, 2020Law ContentEstate Planning

Preparing for Coronavirus: The #1 Legal Document Every Adult Needs to Have As the coronavirus continues to disrupt daily life and leave Americans uncertain of the future, you don’t have to feel helpless during this pandemic. In fact, now is a great time to be proactive and plan ahead should you or a loved one…

Read More

Common Mistakes with DIY Estate Plans

April 6, 2020Law ContentEstate Planning

The internet offers all the information and tools we need at our fingertips to create our own estate plan, right? For most people, this is simply not true. Several years ago, Consumer Reports®, an independent nonprofit consumer watchdog group, created wills using the forms provided by DIY websites and asked three law professors to review…

Read More

You Can’t Easily Disinherit Your Spouse in the U.S.

April 6, 2020Law ContentEstate Planning

Surprise! Believe it or not, in the U.S. it isn’t easy to disinherit your spouse. But the same is not true for other family members – generally, you can use your estate plan to disinherit your brothers and sisters, your nieces and nephews, or even your very own children and grandchildren. However, in the majority…

Read More

Your Divorce Decree: The First Step in Estate Planning

April 6, 2020Law ContentEstate Planning

You have recently divorced your spouse and the judge has signed the divorce decree. Now what? Although you may feel as though you have spent enough time and money on lawyers, there is one last attorney you need to talk to: an estate planning attorney. If you and your former spouse had estate planning done…

Read More

Spring Cleaning: Time to Clean Up Your Estate Planning

April 6, 2020Law ContentEstate Planning

Your estate plan, like your home, periodically needs a thorough polishing. Your life circumstances are constantly changing, and an estate plan that perfectly met your needs a couple of years ago may now be cluttered with outdated provisions or documents. With spring fast approaching, now is the time to dust off your estate plan to…

Read More

Posts navigation

< 1 2 3 4 >

Puyallup Office

3708 14th St Place SW Puyallup, WA 98373
Tel:253-840-0288


Tacoma Office

14718 Union Ave SW
Lakewood, WA 98498
Tel:253-840-0288

 

Facebook
Google+
LinkedIn
Yelp
Avvo

COVID-19 UPDATE:
Additional Information for you.

Click here to learn more
COVID-19 UPDATE

PLEASE NOTE: The State and Local courts in Pierce and King Counties have implemented changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As such Court will not be held until late April or May, except for emergency hearings with a few exceptions. The court in Pierce County is also allowing for family law motions by scheduled and decided based on written motion only (no oral argument) so we are able to address family law matters without having to personally appear. If you have an emergency family law matter or domestic violence situation, those matters will still be heard in all courts and you will not have to wait to have your matter before the court for relief.

While our office will still be working diligently on your cases, for the health and safety of our community, appointments will be telephonic or via Skype if possible. To schedule an appointment please call the office at 253-840-0288.

© 2020 Donna Person Smith - Privacy Statement