Estate Planning
PDX Law Group helps Oregon families with estate planning and probate.
Whether you’re building a plan from scratch or working through probate after a loss, the work is the same: get the details right so the people involved know what to do.
David Richardson has been handling this work in Oregon for decades. He asks the right questions, explains what each document does, and makes sure the plan fits your situation before anyone signs anything.
Do you need an estate planning attorney?
A lot of people put estate planning off because it feels complicated, morbid, or like something that can wait until later. The problem is that “later” often means scrambling—or leaving the people you care about scrambling—when decisions need to be made fast and emotions are already running high.
An estate planning attorney isn’t just there to produce documents. The right attorney helps you think through what you actually want, what happens if something unexpected comes up, and how the pieces fit together for your specific family and assets.
You need a plan that reflects your actual life. Generic documents don’t account for blended families, minor children, business ownership, property in multiple states, or complicated family dynamics. A plan that doesn’t reflect reality is a plan that will cause problems. David asks the right questions to make sure the documents match the situation—not just a checklist of standard provisions.
You need to understand what you’re signing. A will, a trust, a power of attorney, a healthcare directive—these documents have real legal consequences. David takes the time to explain what each one does, what it doesn’t cover, and why it matters, so you leave with a clear picture of what you’ve put in place.
Your plan needs to stay current. A will written ten years ago may not reflect your current assets, relationships, or wishes. Major life changes—marriage, divorce, a new child, a death in the family, buying property, starting a business—are all reasons to revisit an existing plan. David helps clients update documents that have drifted out of alignment with their lives.
Probate is a process, not just paperwork. If someone has died and left assets that need to go through probate, there are deadlines, creditor notice requirements, court filings, and distribution steps that need to be handled in the right order. Having an experienced attorney manage the process reduces the risk of errors that can slow things down or create liability for the personal representative.
You don’t want to leave this to chance. If you die without a plan, Oregon’s intestacy laws decide who gets what. That may not match what you would have chosen. If you become incapacitated without a power of attorney in place, someone may need to go to court to get authority to manage your affairs. The time to put a plan in place is before you need it.
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Estate planning and probate matters handled
Every family’s situation is different. PDX Law Group handles a wide range of estate planning and probate matters, including:
- Wills (simple and complex)
- Revocable living trusts
- Powers of attorney (financial and healthcare)
- Advance healthcare directives / living wills
- Beneficiary designations review and coordination
- Estate plan updates after major life changes
- Small estate administration
- Formal probate in Oregon
- Personal representative support and guidance
- Trust administration after death
- Disputes involving wills or trusts (contested matters)
If you’re not sure whether your situation fits, schedule a free consult. A short call usually clarifies what’s needed and what the path forward looks like.
Oregon estate planning basics
You don’t need to become an expert on Oregon probate law. But a few basics are worth knowing.
A will does not avoid probate. A will tells the court what you wanted, but it still has to go through the probate process to transfer assets. If avoiding probate is a priority—for privacy, speed, or cost reasons—a revocable living trust is usually the better tool.
Not all assets pass through a will. Retirement accounts, life insurance, and jointly held property typically pass by beneficiary designation or operation of law—not through your will. Coordinating these is part of building a plan that actually works.
Oregon has a simplified small estate process. If the estate is small enough and structured correctly, it may qualify for a shortened probate process that’s faster and less expensive than full probate. David can help you determine whether that applies.
Intestacy laws have a default order. If someone dies without a will in Oregon, the state has a set order for who inherits. That order may not match what the person would have chosen—especially for unmarried partners, stepchildren, or estranged relatives.
Powers of attorney end at death. A power of attorney only covers decisions made during a person’s lifetime. Once someone has died, the personal representative named in the will—or appointed by the court—takes over. Planning for both situations matters.
What a free consult looks like
A consult is a straightforward conversation about your situation, what you have in place, and what you need.
David will ask a few practical questions about your family, your assets, and your goals. He’ll flag anything that needs immediate attention and tell you what a reasonable plan would look like for your situation.
If it’s a good fit, you’ll leave the call with a clear next step. If it’s not the right fit for the firm, he’ll point you in the right direction.
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Probate
PDX Law Group can help you through the probate process. If you have been appointed a personal representative or are a beneficiary of a will, we can help you understand what’s entailed and what your rights and responsibilities are.