Earlier today, Governor Brown issued executive order 20-12 entitled “Stay Home, Save Lives,” in an effort to slow the rapid spread of COVID-19. The order took effect immediately after signing, and remains in effect until terminated by the governor. The order directs individuals to remain…
On December 20, 2019, the Setting Every Community Up For Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act was signed into law. The law became effective on January 1, 2020 and created sweeping changes to the landscape of retirement and estate planning. Pre-SECURE Act Rules for Beneficiaries Before…
A trust is an estate planning tool that is primarily used for individuals who wish to avoid probate and streamline the administration of their estate. Trust administration is informal, meaning that ordinarily there will be no court involvement. If properly funded, a Trust can save…
Southwest Portland Law Group is moving to a new office in order to better accommodate our growing practice! The new office is fully ADA compliant, providing greater accessibility for our clients with a single-story layout and a larger parking area. Our firm started with just…
People are often confused about what assets make up their estate, and how the Oregon estate tax applies to those assets. Below, we delve into these issues to help you better understand whether or not your estate will pay a tax after you die. What…
Background to Portland’s Renter Additional Protections The city of Portland estimates that more than half of renters are paying more than 30% of their monthly income towards rent. Almost half of Portland’s population consists of renters. In October 2015, in response to rapidly rising rent…
As with many legal questions, the answer is: “it depends.” In order for a will to be validly executed, Oregon law requires that a will be (1) in writing, (2) signed by the testator (or person making the will), and (3) signed by two witnesses…
Around this time of year, many people search for ways to give back to their communities, donate to local charities, or make gifts to their families and loved ones. Unfortunately, this altruistic intent can often leave people confused and overwhelmed with the tax consequences of…
Last week, Attorney General Jeff Sessions released a formal memorandum effectively withdrawing the Cole Memorandum. As you may recall from our earlier posts, the Cole Memo directed the federal government not to use it’s limited resources to police robustly regulated state-legal cannabis. Under the direction of the Cole Memo,…
On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Job Act was signed by President Trump, signaling a sweeping legislative reform of the federal tax code. In November, we discussed how the new tax bill would affect pass-through entities, so now we will turn our attention…
