Portland and the surrounding metro area

Wills and Trusts Attorney in Portland, Oregon

Chris Clark has built estate plans for Portland-area families since 2006, drafting each one himself so your documents fit your actual family instead of the assumptions baked into a template.

A Plan Built Around Your Family, Not a Template

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Most people put off estate planning because they don't know which documents they need or where to start. That's the part Chris handles. You'll talk through your family, your assets, and what you want to happen, and he'll tell you what the plan should include and why, in language that doesn't require a legal dictionary.


Twenty years of this work means cleaning up the problems that home-grown wills and online form packages create: trusts that were never funded, beneficiary designations that are inconsistent with the will or trusts, powers of attorney that banks won't accept. Getting it right the first time costs far less than fixing it later if a fix is even possible.

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Last Will and Testament

Directs how your assets subject to probate are distributed and names the personal representative who will manage your estate.


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Revocable Living Trust

A flexible way to manage assets during your life and transfer them after your death, often keeping the estate out of probate entirely.



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Irrevocable Trusts

Usually created inside a will or revocable trust and funded after death, these can reduce Oregon estate tax exposure, put a trusted person or professional in charge of a beneficiary's inheritance, and control what happens to whatever is left when the trust ends.



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Advance Directives and Powers of Attorney

Give people you trust the authority to make health care decisions (advance directive) and financial decisions (power of attorney) if you can't make them yourself.



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Beneficiary Designations

Just as important as your will or trust. Chris reviews your retirement plans and other beneficiary-designated accounts so they match your current wishes and account for contingencies.



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Guardianship and Final Wishes

Documents your choice of guardian for a minor child and any wishes you have about the disposition of your remains.

Do I Need a Will or a Trust in Oregon?

Both, usually, but they do different jobs, and the difference is worth understanding before you spend money on either.

  • What a Will Does

    A will names your personal representative and directs who inherits what. It does not avoid probate. A will is the instruction manual the probate court follows, which means the estate still goes through the court process, the four-month creditor claim period, and the filings that come with it.

  • What a Revocable Living Trust Does

    A trust you create and fund during your lifetime holds title to many of your assets, so at death they pass under the trust's terms without a court proceeding. That's the probate avoidance piece. The catch is funding: a trust that was signed but never had assets retitled into it does almost nothing, and it's the single most common failure Chris sees in plans clients bring in from elsewhere.

  • Where Oregon Estate Tax Comes In

    Oregon requires an estate tax return once total estate assets reach $1 million, one of the lowest thresholds in the country. A paid-off Portland house plus a retirement account clears it more often than people expect, and planning for it is a different conversation than planning for the federal exemption.

  • When to Update the Plan You Already Have

    Marriage, divorce, a new child or grandchild, buying or selling a home, a death in the family, or moving to Oregon from another state. Each of those can change who inherits or who has authority to act. Chris's post on how life changes reshape your estate plan walks through the specific triggers.

How Your Plan Comes Together

01

Initial Consultation

You'll talk through your goals, your family situation, what you own, and who you want to receive it so Chris understands what the plan actually has to accomplish.

02

Customized Plan Creation

Chris drafts your documents around your priorities, whether that's keeping the estate out of probate, planning for Oregon estate tax, or making sure a specific person has authority when it matters.

03

Review and Signing

Chris goes through every document with you before you sign, so you leave understanding what each one does and who it empowers.

04

Ongoing Support

Plans go stale as life changes. When something shifts, call and Chris can help you review what parts of your documents need updating.. Don’t forget to review your beneficiary designations, too.

Questions People Ask Before the First Meeting

  • Do I need a will or a trust in Oregon?

    Depending on your goals, you need both. The will names your personal representative and directs distribution for assets subject to probate. A funded revocable trust is what keeps the estate out of probate. 

  • How much does an estate plan cost in Portland?

    It depends on how complex your situation is: a straightforward will-based plan is very different from a funded trust with estate tax planning. Chris gives you an estimate after the first consultation after he knows what the plan actually needs to do, rather than selling a package before he understands your family.

  • Is an online will valid in Oregon?

    An online will can be valid if it's executed correctly, but validity isn't the problem Chris sees most. The problems are wills that don’t dispose of all assets, don’t address contingencies, unfunded trusts, beneficiary designations that aren’t consistent with the will, and estate tax provisions that inadvertently burden some beneficiaries over others.. Those problems can all pass unnoticed until someone dies.

  • Can a trust keep my estate out of probate entirely?

    Often, yes, if the trust is properly funded. Assets left in your individual name outside the trust and without a beneficiary designation still go through probate, which is why a conversation about trust funding is the first thingChris discusses after you sign your trust.

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Planning That Prevents a Court Proceeding Later

A complete plan does more than distribute assets. Powers of attorney and advance directives are what let someone act for you without going to court, and without them, a family sometimes has no option but to petition for a conservatorship or guardianship. It's worth knowing what that process involves so you can decide whether to plan around it.

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Probate Help Across the Portland Metro Area

Probate is filed in the county where the person lived, which means the court, the local rules, and the timeline shift depending on where your family is. Chris handles estates throughout Oregon, including Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties. He has written separately about what to expect in each of the communities he serves most often.


If you're settling an estate in east Multnomah County, start with the page for Gresham families. South of Portland, see Lake Oswego probate. West of the river, see Beaverton probate.

One Call Will Tell You What You Actually Need

You don't need to know which documents you want before you call. Tell Chris about your family and what you own, and he'll tell you what the plan should include and what it will cost.