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Because every family and financial situation is different, effective estate planning requires thoughtful analysis and individualized solutions. Catalyst’s trusts and estates attorneys work closely with clients to design estate plans that reflect personal values, family dynamics, and long-term goals, while promoting the efficient management and transfer of property and wealth.
If you’re searching for an experienced Oregon estate planning attorney, Catalyst Law offers a thoughtful, fixed-fee approach to protecting what matters most. We help individuals and couples throughout Portland, King City, and the surrounding metro area create custom wills, trusts, and powers of attorney tailored to Oregon’s unique tax and legal landscape, and not a generic, one-size-fits-all template.
National estate planning advice often overlooks the realities Oregon families actually face. Oregon imposes its own estate tax on estates over $1 million per person, which is far lower than the federal exemption. Estates above the threshold are taxed on a graduated scale ranging from 10% to 16%. Unlike federal law, Oregon does not allow spousal portability of that exemption. Without Oregon-specific planning, couples can unintentionally expose their estate to state tax that proper structuring could have avoided.
Catalyst offers custom estate planning services for a fixed fee, scaled to the complexity of your circumstances. Our plans range from straightforward foundational documents to sophisticated estate, tax, and succession planning.
A foundational estate plan may include:
For clients with more complex needs, our planning may also address:
For clients with revocable trusts, we also provide guidance on retirement beneficiary planning and asset titling to ensure proper trust funding.
Catalyst’s estate planning process is designed to be efficient, thorough, and collaborative. Most plans are completed within two to three months of engagement and include three in-person meetings.
Meeting #1 – Discovery & Recommendations
We review your personal, family, and financial information; discuss your goals and priorities; and explore planning options, including tax and asset-protection considerations. Based on this meeting, a Catalyst attorney recommends a tailored scope of services and provides a corresponding fixed fee.
Meeting #2 – Draft Review & Planning Coordination
We review draft documents together, explain key provisions in plain English, answer questions, and identify any needed revisions. We also discuss beneficiary designations and, for trust-based plans, the steps required to properly fund your trust.
Meeting #3 – Signing & Implementation
At the final meeting, we guide you through the formal signing process with a notary and witnesses. This meeting typically includes assistance with beneficiary updates and, for trust plans, completion of many (if not all) trust-funding tasks.
For clients who already have an estate plan in place, Catalyst offers a standalone Estate Plan Review service. This review includes:
If, following the review, you decide to proceed with updates or a new estate plan, the review fee is credited toward the fixed fee for those services.
Whether you’re planning for the first time or updating documents that no longer reflect your wishes, we work collaboratively with you — and with your CPA or financial advisor, when helpful — to build a plan that fits your life.
Reserve your Complimentary 15-Minute Consultation to speak with an experienced and knowledgeable attorney about our fixed-fee packages or how we work with families on complex estate and business succession planning issues.