Guides

Plain-language legal guides

Written by Frank Stucki, Esq., MBA. General information for Nevada, Washington, Utah and California residents — not legal advice.

Estate planning

Do I need a will or a trust? NV, CA, WA and UT compared

A will says who gets what and who raises your kids, but it usually goes through probate court. A funded living trust can keep assets out of probate, which matters more in some states, and for some families, than others.

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Estate planning

What happens if you die without a will in Nevada

If you die without a will in Nevada, state law decides who inherits, starting with your spouse and children. Married couples are often surprised by how Nevada splits separate property between a spouse and kids, parents or siblings.

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Estate planning

Dying without a will in Utah

In Utah, if you die without a will, your surviving spouse often inherits everything, unless you have children from another relationship. Then the spouse takes the first $75,000 plus half the rest, and your descendants share the remainder.

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Estate planning

Washington community property and your estate plan

In Washington, most property earned during marriage or a registered domestic partnership is community property, and each spouse controls only their half at death. Knowing which assets are community and which are separate is the starting point for any Washington will or trust.

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Prenups

Prenups for people who aren't rich (yet)

A prenup isn't only for millionaires. It's a plan for your money, debt and future that you make together while you still like each other, and it often matters most for people who are building something.

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Prenups

Prenups in Nevada: what they can and can't cover

A Nevada prenup can cover property, businesses, debts, spousal support and estate plans, but it can't cut a child's right to support. It must be in writing and signed by both of you, and it takes effect when you marry.

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Digital Assets

Your digital life after you're gone: accounts, passwords and creator income

Your email, photos, social accounts, crypto and creator income won't automatically pass to your family just because you have a will. Nevada, California, Washington and Utah each have a digital-assets law that lets you choose who can access what, and a platform's own legacy tool can take priority over your will.

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Powers of Attorney

Power of attorney and health care directives: the documents everyone needs

A financial power of attorney lets someone you trust handle money and paperwork if you can't, and a health care directive names who makes medical decisions and records your wishes. Without them, your family may need to go to court for authority, even for routine bills.

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Wills & Trusts

Guardianship for your kids: naming who raises them

Your will is the main place to name who would raise your children if you and the other parent can't. A court still makes the final appointment, but in Nevada, California, Washington and Utah, a parent's written choice carries real weight.

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Record Sealing

Sealing your record in Utah (expungement)

Many older, lower-level Utah cases now clear automatically under the Clean Slate law. Others, including many felonies, can still be expunged by petition after a waiting period, a certificate of eligibility from the Bureau of Criminal Identification, and a court order.

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Wills & Trusts

Dying Without a Will: How a Large Estate Can Be Tied Up for Years

Dying without a will is called dying intestate. The state decides who inherits, not you. For a large or complex estate, that can mean years of contested probate, public court filings, and a final distribution that looks nothing like what the person would have wanted.

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