Elder Law vs. Estate Planning in Washington
Understanding the difference, and why timing matters for families
Families often hear the terms elder law and estate planning used interchangeably. While related, they solve different problems and are often needed at different stages of life.
This guide explains the difference between elder law and estate planning in Washington, when each type of attorney is most helpful, and how timing can significantly affect outcomes, senior care costs, and options.
Why this guide exists
Washington attorneys often meet with seniors and families whose legal documents were created years earlier and no longer reflect their current reality.
Powers of attorney may name people who are no longer the best fit to step in. Wills may not align with how assets are now titled. Health changes can introduce tax and care planning considerations families were not expecting.
In some cases, even late in life, there are still meaningful opportunities to reduce risk and protect family resources.
This guide was lightly inspired by a conversation with Bellevue-based attorney, Wendy L. Allard of PRK Livengood, who shared an example of working with a client receiving hospice care who still had legal capacity. By reviewing assets and acting before death, the client was able to make lifetime gifts to their children, avoiding approximately $1,000,000 in Washington state estate taxes that would have otherwise reduced what his children received.
Stories like this are what prompted us to create this guide. Families often assume it is too late, or that all attorneys do the same thing. Neither is necessarily true.
Estate planning attorneys
What does an estate planning attorney do?
Primary focus
Estate planning attorneys help individuals and families document wishes, clarify decision-making authority, and plan for asset transfer. This work is typically done when someone has legal capacity and wants to be proactive.
Common estate planning services
Wills and trusts
Durable powers of attorney for financial and medical decisions
Health care directives
Beneficiary designations and asset titling review
Estate tax planning when applicable under Washington law
When families commonly seek estate planning help
Creating or updating documents later in life
Naming or revising decision makers as circumstances change
Reviewing plans after marriage, divorce, death of a spouse, or health changes
Understanding potential Washington state estate tax exposure
Estate planning example
How timing and details change the financial outcome
The situation
Married WA couple, late 70s
Estate value
$4.5M
Multiple properties and investment accounts
Washington has a state estate tax with an exemption lower than the federal threshold. Without planning, estates of this size are often partially subject to Washington estate tax at death.
What the estate planning attorney addressed
Wills that no longer reflected how assets were owned
Powers of attorney updated to ensure the right people, and the right skills, were in place if capacity declined
Trust and lifetime planning strategies designed to reduce taxable exposure
Why these updates matter
Outdated documents often go unnoticed until a crisis reveals gaps in authority and decision-making.f
When wills are outdated
Assets may not pass as intended
Transfers can be delayed or exposed to unnecessary tax
Families face confusion at an already stressful time
When powers of attorney are outdated
The wrong person may have authority
No one may be able to act during a medical or financial emergency
Families risk court involvement to regain control
When trust and lifetime planning is missed
Fewer options once health or capacity changes
Higher tax exposure than necessary
Rushed decisions instead of intentional ones
The goal is not just tax savings. It is clarity, continuity, and fewer decisions made under pressure.
Comparison
Without planning
Estate value exposed to WA estate tax
Outdated wills and powers of attorney
Limited lifetime tax planning
Potential six or seven figure state estate tax exposure
With updated estate planning
Estate structured below WA tax threshold
Updated documents aligned with current asset ownership
Lifetime and trust planning applied
$600,000–$900,000 in Washington estate taxes avoided
Outcome
In cases like this, the cost of legal guidance is often small compared to the financial impact of missed planning opportunities.
The taxable estate was reduced below Washington’s estate tax threshold
An estimated $600,000 to $900,000 in Washington estate taxes avoided
Assets transferred more efficiently and predictably to heirs
Example shown for illustration. Outcomes depend on individual circumstances and Washington law.
Elder law attorneys
How elder law attorneys help with aging and care costs
Primary focus
Elder law attorneys help families navigate the legal and financial realities of aging while someone is still alive and often already needing care. Their work frequently centers on long-term care planning and Medicaid eligibility in Washington.
Common elder law services
Medicaid and long-term care planning
Asset protection and spend-down strategies
Crisis planning after falls, strokes, or dementia diagnoses
Guardianship or conservatorship
Advising families during transitions to assisted living, memory care, or skilled nursing
Elder law attorney example
How planning affects care longevity and financial stability
The pressure families feel
Care need
Increased care needed after a fall
Progressive health decline
Cost
$8,500 per month
$100,000+ per year
Assets at risk
$420,000 in savings
$750,000 home
$3,200 monthly income
At private-pay rates, care costs alone can consume savings far faster than most families expect.
Many families assume they must privately pay for care without realizing there are planning choices around when and how long private pay makes sense.
What the elder law attorney addressed
Reviewed assets, income, and care needs under Washington Medicaid rules
Identified exempt versus countable assets under Washington Medicaid rules
Structured a compliant spend-down strategy
Advised on timing and eligibility requirements
Coordinated care decisions with long-term financial planning
How elder law planning helps preserve assets
Ideally, families use private-pay resources to keep care options as open as possible. However, without guidance, many families end up paying privately at full market rates until savings are largely depleted.
With elder law planning, the approach changes.
Without guidance
Care is paid privately at full market rates
Savings decline month by month
Medicaid eligibility is reached later, after more assets are exhausted
With elder law planning
Assets and income are reviewed under Washington Medicaid rules
Exempt assets are identified and protected where allowed
Spend-down is structured intentionally rather than reactively
Medicaid eligibility is reached sooner
Ongoing care costs stabilize
Result
Trade-offs in care options are often part of Medicaid planning.
Fewer private-pay months
Less money spent on care before assistance begins
More assets preserved for future needs or family
Why these updates matter
Care costs continue while families figure things out. Delays often mean more months of private-pay care and fewer options later.
Elder law planning helps families make decisions earlier, align care choices with financial reality, and avoid rushed or irreversible moves during medical crises.
The goal is not unlimited choice. It is the ability to afford care for as long as it is needed.
Comparison
Without planning
Continued private-pay care at full market rates
Medicaid eligibility delayed longer than necessary
Higher risk of running out of funds later in life
Care decisions driven by crisis, not intention
With elder law planning
Medicaid eligibility achieved sooner than without planning
Care costs stabilized
Assets preserved for future needs or family
Clearer path forward during a stressful transition
Approximately $200,000–$250,000 in assets preserved
Outcome
In cases like this, elder law guidance helps families avoid a financial cliff. While Medicaid planning can limit care options and often involves trade-offs, planning earlier gives families more ways to use their resources intentionally before options narrow.
Reduced risk of exhausting assets
More predictable care funding
Fewer rushed decisions during medical crises
Example shown for illustration. Outcomes depend on individual circumstances and Washington law.
At a glance
Elder law vs. estate planning in Washington
Estate planning focuses on
Wills, trusts, and decision-making documents
What happens after death
Reducing estate taxes when applicable
Planning while someone has capacity
Elder law focuses on
Paying for care during life
Medicaid eligibility and long-term care planning
Protecting assets as health declines
Navigating care transitions and crises
Where families often get confused
Why legal guidance often pays for itself
Legal fees can feel high until families see the alternative.
Unplanned care costs, unnecessary taxes, or missed eligibility opportunities often cost far more than proactive legal advice. In many cases, the value is not only financial, but also emotional: fewer surprises, clearer decisions, and more stability during difficult transitions.
