Planning your estate in Spokane?
A good estate plan spares your family confusion and conflict at the worst possible time and makes sure your wishes are actually carried out. An estate planning attorney brings the judgment to choose the right tools — will, trust, powers of attorney — and draft them so they hold up. For Spokane families, the lawyer you choose protects the people and assets you care about most.
Estate planning covers wills, trusts, powers of attorney, health-care directives, and strategies to reduce probate and taxes. Below are Spokane-area firms and attorneys that appear consistently across Justia, Super Lawyers, Avvo and Expertise.com, with verifiable estate-planning focus. Most offer a consultation.
How we picked these 6: We reviewed peer rankings (Justia, Super Lawyers, Avvo and Expertise.com), directory listings, bar recognition, and verifiable practice focus. Firms that appeared consistently across independent sources made the list. We do not accept payment for placement, and we do not write sponsored reviews. More on our methodology →
Practice focus: Estate planning, asset protection, elder law
A regional asset-protection estate-planning firm; founder Lynn St. Louis is recognized as a top-rated elder-law attorney, with a Spokane office serving Eastern Washington.
Practice focus: Wills, trusts, powers of attorney
Helps Spokane individuals draft wills, durable powers of attorney and health-care directives; managing partner Michael D. Whipple holds an American Institute of Certified Planners certification.
Practice focus: Estate planning, probate, tax
Attorney Megan Lewis has more than ten years of experience in estate planning, probate, business and tax, and holds an LL.M. (master's of law) in taxation.
Practice focus: Estate planning, probate, guardianship
A Spokane firm concentrating on estate planning, probate and guardianship matters for area families.
Practice focus: Estate planning, trusts, probate
One of the Inland Northwest's established full-service firms, with an estate-planning and trusts group serving Spokane families and business owners.
Practice focus: Estate planning, wills, trusts
A Spokane estate-planning practice handling wills, trusts and related planning for area families.
Tell us about your situation and we'll match you with vetted estate planning attorneys in Spokane. Free, confidential, no obligation.
Request Free Consultation →People finally call an estate planning lawyer at recognizable moments: buying a home, getting married or divorced, having a child, starting a business, receiving a diagnosis, or watching a friend's family struggle through a messy probate. Others come because they have assets in more than one place, a blended family, a child with special needs, or a Washington estate large enough to face the state estate tax. The common thread is wanting to spare the people they love confusion and conflict later, and to make sure the right person is in charge if they cannot be.
Whatever brought you here, the value of good counsel is the same: someone who has seen your situation many times, knows how it usually plays out, and can tell you early whether you have a strong position or a difficult one. A estate planning lawyer who works in Spokane regularly will also know the local people and process, which shortens the distance between your first question and a real answer.
It is worth talking to a lawyer sooner rather than later, even if you are not sure you need one. Most firms on this list offer a free or low-cost first conversation, and an early consultation often costs nothing while saving you from an avoidable mistake. Waiting until a problem is urgent narrows your options and usually raises the price of fixing it.
Match the firm to the complexity of your situation. A straightforward estate planning matter is often a defined, lower-cost engagement, while a contested or high-stakes one needs a firm with the depth to see it through. The names above all have verifiable focus in this area; the right fit comes down to scope, budget, and rapport.
Ask who actually does the work, how they communicate, and how they price the engagement. A estate planning lawyer who handles Spokane-area matters regularly can give you a realistic read on timeline and outcome at the very first meeting.
The firms above are a starting point, not a verdict. The right estate planning lawyer for you depends on your facts, your budget, and how you want to be treated. Use these five signals to compare them.
Relevant, recent experience. “We handle everything” is a weakness, not a strength. You want a lawyer who works estate planning matters in Spokane week in and week out, not one who takes them occasionally between unrelated cases. Recent, repeated experience with situations like yours is the single best predictor of a good outcome.
Straight talk about your situation. A good lawyer tells you what is strong and what is weak at the first meeting, not just what you want to hear. If everything sounds easy and the result sounds guaranteed, be skeptical — real matters carry real risk, and an honest lawyer names it.
Communication you can live with. Most complaints about lawyers are not about losing — they are about silence. Ask who returns your calls, how fast, and whether you will reach the actual attorney or only a screener. Set that expectation before you sign, because it rarely improves later.
Fees in writing, in plain English. You should leave the first meeting knowing exactly what you will pay, what it covers, and what could cost extra. A clear written fee agreement is a sign of a well-run practice; a vague “don't worry about it” is a sign to keep looking.
Local knowledge. A lawyer who handles estate planning matters in Spokane regularly knows the local courts, agencies, and counterparts, and which resolutions are realistic. That practical knowledge is hard to fake and easy to verify — just ask.
A typical engagement starts with a conversation about your family, your assets, and your goals, then a recommendation on the right combination of documents. For many Spokane families that means a will, durable financial power of attorney, and health-care directive; for others a revocable living trust to keep assets out of probate.
The lawyer drafts the documents, walks you through signing them under Washington's formalities, and helps you fund any trust so it actually works. A good plan is reviewed and updated as your life changes, not filed away and forgotten.
Many Spokane estate-planning lawyers offer flat-fee packages — a basic will-based plan for a set price and a trust-based plan for more — so you know the cost up front. Complex estates with tax planning, business interests, or special-needs considerations cost more because they take more work.
Ask what the flat fee includes, whether trust funding and future updates are covered, and what a more complex plan would run. Paying for a properly drafted plan is far cheaper than the probate fights and tax surprises a do-it-yourself form can cause.
Guaranteed outcomes. No ethical attorney can promise a specific result. If a firm guarantees how your estate planning matter will end before reviewing your file, walk away.
The disappearing senior lawyer. You meet a name partner at intake, then never speak to them again while a junior runs the file unsupervised. Ask in writing who your day-to-day lawyer will be.
No verifiable track record. “We have handled thousands of cases” is marketing. Real evidence is named results, peer recognition such as Super Lawyers or Best Lawyers, and a clean record with the state bar.
Pressure to sign immediately. A reputable firm gives you the engagement letter in writing and time to read it. High-pressure intake is a sign of a volume mill, not a careful practice.
Vague fee terms. “Don't worry about the cost” is a red flag. Every legitimate firm puts the fee, what it covers, and what triggers extra charges in writing.
Most firms on this list offer a free or low-cost consultation. Use it, take notes, and compare at least two firms before you sign.
Washington has its own estate tax. Washington imposes a state estate tax with an exemption well below the federal threshold, so estates that owe nothing federally can still owe Washington tax. Planning around it is a key reason to use local counsel.
Community property rules. Washington is a community property state, which affects how assets are characterized and pass at death. A Spokane lawyer builds your plan with that in mind.
Probate and avoiding it. Washington probate is relatively streamlined, but many families still use trusts to avoid it, keep matters private, and plan for incapacity. The right tool depends on your situation.
This list is editorial, not paid. We start from public, independent signals — peer recognition such as Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers, bar standing, board certifications where they exist, directory profiles on Justia, Super Lawyers, Avvo and Expertise.com, and a verifiable focus on estate planning work — and include firms that show up consistently across more than one of them.
We do not accept payment for placement, we do not rank firms by who advertises with us, and we do not publish sponsored reviews. The order is not a scoreboard; a solo practitioner near the bottom may be the perfect fit for your situation, and a larger firm near the top may be more than you need. Treat the list as a vetted starting set of Spokane-area options, then do your own short diligence: read recent reviews, confirm the firm still handles matters like yours, and speak with two or three before you decide.
If you are dealing with a estate planning matter in Spokane right now, a few moves protect you while you take the time to choose the right lawyer.
Write down the timeline. Put the dates, names, and what was said on paper while it is fresh. Memories fade and details that feel obvious today are easy to lose in a month, and a clear timeline makes your first consultation far more productive.
Save everything. Keep the documents, emails, text messages, and records connected to your situation in one place. The strength of a estate planning matter often comes down to what you can show, not just what you can say.
Do not sign or agree to anything under pressure. You are allowed to say you want to speak with your own lawyer first. A reputable Spokane firm respects that; anyone who does not is telling you something.
Book two consultations. Most firms above offer a free or low-cost first meeting. Talk to at least two before you commit, and choose the lawyer who explains your options clearly and answers your questions without rushing you.
Tell us what is going on. We'll match you with vetted Spokane firms from the list above. Most respond within one business day.
Usually a will, a durable financial power of attorney, and a health-care directive (living will), and often a trust. Together they direct your assets and name who acts for you if you cannot.
A will directs assets through probate; a revocable living trust can avoid probate and plan for incapacity. Many plans use a will plus a trust. A lawyer can recommend the right mix for your assets and goals.
Many lawyers offer flat-fee packages — a will-based plan for a set price and a trust-based plan for more. Complex estates with tax or business planning cost more. Ask exactly what the fee includes.
Washington has a state estate tax with an exemption well below the federal level, so some estates owe Washington tax even when they owe nothing federally. Washington does not have a separate inheritance tax. Planning matters.
Probate is the court process of administering an estate. Washington probate is comparatively efficient, but a properly funded living trust and beneficiary designations can keep many assets out of it entirely.
It authorizes someone you trust to handle your finances if you become incapacitated, and 'durable' means it survives that incapacity. Paired with a health-care directive, it covers both money and medical decisions.
State intestacy law decides who inherits, which may not match your wishes, and the process can be slower and more contentious. A will lets you control who receives what and who administers your estate.
Review it after major life events — marriage, divorce, a birth, a death, a big change in assets, or a move to another state — and otherwise every few years. Outdated plans cause avoidable problems.
In a community property state, most assets acquired during marriage are owned jointly, which affects how they are characterized and pass at death. Your lawyer accounts for this when drafting your plan.
Online forms can work for the simplest situations, but they miss Washington-specific rules, tax planning, and proper execution, and small errors can invalidate a document. A lawyer's plan is built to hold up.
One last thing. Choosing a lawyer is personal. Read the reviews. Call two or three firms before you sign. Ask each one how many matters like yours they have handled in Spokane in the last three years. The answer tells you most of what you need to know. — The LawFirmSquare team