Top Best Estate Lawyers | 18416 Available

No one enjoys having to see a lawyer.. While this sentiment is true in almost every circumstance imaginable, my goal is to change this statement.  Whether you are having a contract dispute, preparing your estate, struggling with debt or just looking for some general legal advice, selecting the right lawyer is often the first step towards building a better tomorrow.  While I can't change your past, I can protect your rights going forward.

Everyday, I work hard to represent my clients when they need it the most. My firm helps people with tragic injuries, difficult divorce and custody relatonships, and end of life planning. Every lawyer in my firm takes pride in zealous and dignified representation.. My interest in family businesses and wealth-building strategies began at a young age working on my family farm in Eastern Oregon. As in any good family business, I started at the bottom. Beginning as a farmworker, it was a different lesson every day. But the lessons that stood out the most were three:. 1. Take pride in what you do;2. Find ways to make it better; and3. Treat people the right way.Everyday I help small businesses deliver great services and products, understand and evaluate risk, and ensure the finances of their family for generations to come.The current business climate rewards savvy owners who understand and apply legal principles used by the largest corporations. I institute those principles so my clients have the peace of mind that allows them make business decisions with confidence.Thank you for visiting my profile.

I am a native Oregonian, originally from Depoe Bay, Oregon.  I grew up on the coast, working on fishing boats and enjoying the outdoors.  I attended Oregon State University before moving to Reno, NV for 4 years.  After a few years in Reno, I realized that there is no place like Oregon and I moved back.  I attended Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland, and I have lived in Portland ever since. I am a partner in a small, 4 attorney law firm in Garden Home.  I am still an avid outdoorsman, enjoying scuba diving on the coast, fishing, hiking and boating.  My wife and I live in the Beaverton area with our 2 year old son.  My current passion is building my law firm and enjoying my family and friends.

I got into estate planning law because it’s one of the few legal practices where everyone leaves my office happy. I genuinely enjoy getting to know my clients and being a small part of their family.. Before starting my practice, I helped the estate planning clients of Ben Knaupp and Associates and worked as a corporate lawyer for KT Contracting Co., Inc. At Thatcher Smith Law I get to work closely with families and individuals through major life transitions. Whether they’re starting a small business, writing their first will, or dealing with the death of a loved one, I’ve been proud to serve them.. I’m here to make sure that your planning – whatever it entails – is done quickly and successfully. The sooner you start thinking about the future, the better you’ll be prepared to deal with it once it’s actually arrived.

As an attorney, I am committed to treating my clients with respect and compassion while assisting them in resolving both the immediate and long-term issues they face. I value communication, collaboration and teamwork, which are often the necessary ingredients to obtaining the results my clients desire.. As a community member, I am passionate about being a leader who initiates and develops opportunities to enhance the vibrancy of our community. I am drawn toward working with individuals on both ends of the age spectrum, from increasing availability of extracurricular opportunities for junior and high school students to coordinating county-wide senior services.. In my personal time, I am an avid athlete when the weather is good and book lover when I have to stay indoors. I have a wonderful husband and climbing partner, Michael, who dares me to be a better person and professional every day.

Brian Jolly is a lawyer who advises businesses in all phases of their maturity, from creation to mergers/acquisitions, including resolving internal and external disputes. He also enjoys working with families to protect and ensure a smooth transfer of business and family assets to the next generation. His approachable style puts clients at ease and makes them comfortable with sometimes-complicated legal concepts. Brian regularly handles matters involving the following:. Business--Entity Formation--Mergers & Acquisitions--Business Succession Planning. Estate Planning & Administration--Estate & Tax Planning--Business Succession & Transition Planning--Estate & Trust Administration--Estate & Trust Disputes--Conservatorships & Guardianships. Real Estate--Acquisitions & Sales--Leases. A native Oregonian, Brian grew up in Portland and is an alumnus of both David Douglas High School and Portland State University. He attended law school at the University of Miami, and returned to Portland to practice law in 2005. He strongly supports local non-profits that create opportunities for underserved youth, and currently serves as a board member for the Institute for Youth Success (formerly Oregon Mentors), Chess for Success, and Sanaga-Yong Chimpanzee Rescue.

Stefan views his role as a strong support system, guiding people through the critical personal and financial choices involved in estate planning. As an experienced estate planning attorney, he regularly assists clients with wills, trusts, planning for incapacity, gift tax returns, estate tax returns, and probate and trust administration matters. Anchored by his attentive spirit and genuine charm, Stefan offers clients both candid and compassionate counsel – recognizing estate planning as one of the most important aspects in a person’s financial life. He approaches each client’s unique situation by identifying their personal and financial goals so that their estate can be handled in accordance with their wishes and in a tax-efficient manner.. As a Portland native, Stefan enjoys skiing, soccer, and spending time with his family. When asked where he would live if he could choose any place in the world, he’s quick to respond with his hometown of Portland, but admits the island of Kauai comes in at a close second.

Amy is a seasoned attorney with more than twenty years of in-depth experience in estate planning, probates, trust administrations, general business matters and taxation, protective proceedings, and beneficiary representation matters in Oregon and Washington State. As a shareholder at Buckley Law P.C. in Lake Oswego, Oregon, Amy represents high-net worth individuals and families throughout the United States and internationally.. Amy’s greatest strength is her ability to connect with clients; developing trust, open conversations, and mutual respect. She recognizes that her job as an Estate Planning attorney is to first listen to each client’s unique and dynamic family story, and then to proactively craft a generational legacy plan in a compassionate and meaningful way that meets each client’s goals. She leads her clients with firm belief that planning ahead often optimizes independence for the future and helps safeguard family wealth and relationships over time. She is the ultimate problem-solver, helping clients understand complex legal process and ultimately bringing peace of mind to each person, and family, she represents.. Amy received her Juris Doctorate (JD) at the University of Oregon School of Law, where she also completed their estate planning program, and attended the University of Portland earning a Bachelor of Arts in English.  She is  a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Gus Solomon Inns of Court, National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, Oregon Women Lawyers, and the Multnomah County Bar Association. She is licensed in Oregon, Washington, and New York.. As a native Oregonian, Amy enjoys unwinding outdoors with her family. She plays the piano, enjoys folk and pop concerts, and her estate planning theme song is "Fight for your Right" by the Beastie Boys, with the intention that pre-planning for life's future unknowns when you are healthy and well allows you to go out and live your best life with confidence!

My legal practice focuses on estate planning (including special needs planning), probate and trust administration, elder law and general business.. I served on the legislative work group to prepare the Advance Directive legislation that went into effect in 2018 and am the current chair of the  Advance Directive Adoption Committee that is tasked with revising the form.. Prior to attending law school, I served as an Associate Dean at Centralia College. As such, I directed library operations and coordinated distance and online education.. Stephanie enjoys traveling and spent one year of college studying in Sagunto, Spain, and another studying in Paris, France. Her hobbies include reading and gardening. She belongs to two book groups through the Lake Oswego Branch of AAUW.

Ms. Malek is a Cum Laude graduate of the University of San Francisco School of Law and is licensed in Idaho and Oregon. Prior to joining Berg, McLaughli & Nelson, Ms. Malek was an associate at Holtey Law in Portland, Oregon. Ms. Malek believes the best outcomes are achieved when clients are empowered to make informed decisions and take an active role in working toward a resolution of their conflict.. She is also  dedicated to civic enaggement. Ms. Malek sits on the Board of Directors for OGALLA and is a long time volunteer for the Legal Aid Services of Oregon Pro Se Assistance Project. She has also volunteerd for the Veterans Justice Outreach Program and  currently serves on the YLS Pro Bono committee. Her dedication was recognized by the Multnomah Bar Association as the recipient of the MBA Michael E. Haglund award.

Mark moved his family to Idaho in 1987 and has worked in private practice ever since. While his practice has always included wills, trusts and probate work, it was in 2001 that Mark focused his practice entirely on estate planning. Mark has co-authored several manuals for attorneys and has regularly taught attorneys and other professionals on the subjects of estate and legacy planning as well as asset protection and tax planning. Mark is also a frequent lecturer to financial professionals and insurance agents on the same topics.. Mark has also been involved with volunteer work for the Court Appointed Special Advocate (“CASA”) program, representing the guardians ad litem who are appointed by the Court to represent abused or neglected children. Mark received the CASA Attorney of the Year Award in 2006. He also earned the Denise O’Donnell-Day, Pro Bono Award in 2003, for fifteen years of service in the CASA program. He has also served as a member of the Alzheimer's Idaho Board of Directors since 2010.. Mark is active with the Boys Scouts of America. He and his wife JoAnn reside in Meridian and have six children and four grandchildren.

I have been practicing in the estate planning area since 1982.  I have an undergraduate degree in accounting, so I have always been interested in the tax planning aspects of estate planning, as well as working with individuals.  I have worked in virtually all phases of estate planning, including the preparation of comperehensive (and often complex) estate plans, including working with owners of closely held businesses, nonprofit organizations, professionals, and a great variety of interesting people.  Each family situation presents unique opportunities (and often challenges) and I try to approach each client as if they were a member of my own family.. With the birth (adoption) of my two special needs children in the early 1990's, I became very interested in planning for special needs children.  This work has enabled me to not only help my clients, but to also learn from them!  Together we work to solve the individual special needs planning situation in order to maximize total resources available to the special needs individual.  This includes maximimizing government benefits such as Social Security and Medicaid, arranging appropriate Trustee and advisory roles, identifying service-providers who may be able to help the individual in his or her special situation, providing for maximum flexibility for unforseen circumstances, etc.  I prepare estate plans for clients with special needs loved ones (so called "third party" special needs trusts), as well "first party" special needs trusts for disabled individuals who may have received an unplanned inheritance, a lawuit settlement, etc.  Without the use of a special needs trust, the disabled person may lose his or her benefits and we can avoid that outcome in the vast majority of cases.. My practice if very personalized and has brought me great personal and professional satisfaction for well over 30 years.

Cheryl concentrates her practice on elder law and asset protection, combining traditional estate and gift planning with today's elder estate planning tools to minimize the financial impact of elder care, rehab, and long-term nursing home costs. Working all throughout the state of Kentucky, she prepares irrevocable asset protection trusts, revocable living trusts, wills, durable power of attorney (financial and medical surrogacy), and living wills. For many individuals and families, an asset protection trust is an essential component of an elder estate plan to preserve the tradition of passing down an inheritable asset. Cheryl also prepares gun trusts to give firearms owners peace of mind related to inheritance or transfer of their property.

I started my own practice because I wanted to help clients on my terms. I represent clients in Boone, Kenton, Gallatin, Grant, Pendleton, and Bracken Counties. I currently utilize a virtual office for the convenience of my clients, which means that I will travel to meet you.