Oregon’s estate-tax threshold is far lower than the federal one, and the total typically includes far more than the money in your bank. Here is what every Oregon family should understand.
When an Oregon resident’s estate reaches $1 million, Oregon requires an estate-tax return — and depending on how the estate passes, estate tax itself may be due at rates that start at 10%. Many families reach that level sooner than they expect.
For 2026, the federal estate-tax exclusion is $15 million per person. Oregon’s threshold sits far below it, so an estate can have an Oregon filing requirement even when no federal tax is due.
Reaching the threshold doesn’t always mean tax is owed. The result depends on your estate, ownership, deductions, and the law in effect at the time.
Talk through your estateWe sit down with you, listen to your situation, and design a plan around your family, your assets, and your goals. Each document is prepared with our carefully developed drafting system, grounded in Oregon law, and walked through with you page by page before you sign. We do not move to the next step until you understand and approve the one we are on.
The result is a plan you understand, built to work when your family needs it, and an attorney you can call as your life changes.
A clear, three-step process, so you always know what is happening, which decisions are needed, and when your plan will be complete.
We sit down, in our office or over video, and listen. You tell us about your family, your worries, the people who depend on you. We answer your questions in plain English and explain what an Oregon plan can do for your situation.
We design your blueprint, prepare each document with our carefully developed drafting system, and walk through every page together at your signing. Your Will, Trust, Advance Directive, and Powers of Attorney, prepared to address probate and Oregon estate-tax considerations.
At your binder pickup, we review the signed plan, walk through the funding and beneficiary steps still needed, and explain what the engagement letter and document-retention policy say about which originals or copies the firm keeps. We also explain when a future review may be appropriate after changes in family, assets, goals, or law.
From a first Will to a multi-generational Trust, we handle all aspects of estate planning.
Wills and revocable trusts shaped to your family, prepared so your wishes are clear and your plan works when your family needs it.
Learn MoreDurable and Limited Financial Powers of Attorney that let people you trust act for you if you cannot, written to hold up when they are needed.
Learn MoreWhen a loved one passes, we walk your family through probate and trust administration, clearly, patiently, and on your timeline.
Learn MoreStrategic, lawful structuring, irrevocable trusts, LLCs, and beyond, to help protect what you’ve built, depending on the risks and circumstances involved.
Learn MoreAn Oregon Advance Directive that records your healthcare preferences and appoints a representative, so your family has clearer guidance if you can’t speak for yourself.
Learn MoreA flexible arrangement that allows properly transferred assets to pass without probate while you keep control of them during your lifetime.
Learn MoreOregon-centered estate and gift-tax planning that evaluates current state and federal thresholds and elections for what you’ve built.
Learn MoreNominating the people you trust to raise your children, and structuring how their inheritance is managed until they’re ready.
Learn MoreClear-eyed conversations about what you each bring into a marriage, documented before the wedding with Oregon’s enforceability requirements in mind.
Learn MoreThe fee for an agreed scope of estate-planning work is confirmed in writing before that work begins. Your consultation is a focused session to understand your goals, identify the appropriate planning options, and explain the proposed scope and fee.
For individuals and couples who need clear, foundational documents, written carefully, signed cleanly.
For families seeking a revocable trust plan that allows properly transferred assets, including an Oregon residence, to pass without probate, coordinated with Oregon estate-tax considerations.
For estates near or above Oregon’s $1 million filing threshold, with planning tailored to both spouses’ estates and applicable state and federal tax rules.
Listed fees apply to the stated scope. Additional assets, documents, tax analysis, entities, deeds, or unusual circumstances may require a different written scope and fee. A separate consultation fee applies before any package begins.
One hour, in the office or by video. We’ll talk through your family’s situation, explain the Oregon options that fit, and you’ll leave with a clear sense of the next steps and a flat-fee quote if you want to move ahead.
