Estate & Gift Tax Planning
Protect your legacy. Reduce tax exposure. Pass on more to the people you love.
Why Estate & Gift Tax Planning Matters
Federal and state tax laws can dramatically diminish what your heirs receive. Without careful planning, your family may face hefty estate or gift tax liabilities, burdensome legal filings, and potential IRS challenges.

At Wade Law Offices, we serve families in California and Washington to reduce estate and gift tax exposure, make full use of available exemptions, and ensure your wealth transfers as you intend. With advanced tax training and experience in multi-generational wealth planning, we deliver practical, effective strategies for both modest and high-net-worth estates.
How We Can Help
We provide comprehensive planning tools that work across jurisdictions
Estate Tax Planning
Structure your estate to minimize federal and state estate tax while protecting beneficiaries.
Gift Tax Strategies
Use the annual exclusion and lifetime exemption to transfer wealth efficiently during your lifetime.
Generation-Skipping Transfer (GST) Tax Planning
Create tax-smart strategies for passing wealth to grandchildren and future generations.
Tax Return Preparation & Compliance
We prepare and file IRS Form 706 (estate tax), Form 709 (gift tax), and GST filings, ensuring you meet all legal deadlines and documentation requirements.
Asset Valuation Coordination
Work with appraisers to ensure accurate and defensible valuations of real estate, business interests, or other complex assets.
Property & Local Tax Considerations
Coordinate your estate plan to minimize reassessment penalties and property tax exposure, especially in California.
Smart strategies. Tailored plans. Trusted advice.
- Dual‑state legal support for California and Washington clients
- Attorneys with advanced tax training (many hold LL.M. degrees)
- Deep experience with complex trusts, intergenerational transfers, and tax mitigation
- Proven success in reducing estate, gift, and GST tax liability
Secure your wealth for the next generation—and don’t let taxes erode it.
Our Process: A clear, personalized approach to reduce your tax burden and preserve your legacy.
Tax Exposure Review
Assess your current asset profile, gifting history, and potential federal and state estate tax liability.

Custom Strategy Design
Create a tailored plan using trusts, gifting, and valuation strategies to reduce taxable estate value.
Implementation
Draft and execute legal documents, coordinate with appraisers, and handle any IRS or state filings.

Ongoing Review & Adjustments
We revisit your plan as laws or life circumstances change—so your strategy stays effective and compliant.
Common Scenarios We Help With
Our Approach
Estate and gift tax planning isn't one-size-fits-all. We work with clients facing a wide range of needs, including:
- Business Owners transferring closely held business interests or structuring buy-sell agreements to minimize estate taxes
- High-Net-Worth Families navigating lifetime gifting and generation-skipping transfers to reduce tax exposure
- Blended Families who need to balance inheritance plans with tax-efficient strategies
- Real Estate Investors concerned about capital gains, valuation discounts, or property tax reassessments
- Parents or Grandparents
using life insurance or 529 plans as part of their long-term gifting strategy
No matter your situation, we tailor the plan to your unique financial, personal, and legacy goals.
We’re Ready to Help You Plan with Confidence
A smart estate and gift tax strategy doesn’t just protect wealth—it empowers your family, honors your values, and creates a legacy that lasts.