Estate Planning Attorney in South Jordan, Utah
A good estate plan is not about death. It is about making sure the people you love are protected, your wishes are honored, and the things you have worked for end up where you intend — without unnecessary court involvement, family conflict, or delay. At Ashvale Legal, we help individuals and families throughout South Jordan, Daybreak, Herriman, Riverton, and the surrounding communities build estate plans that are clear, legally sound, and built around their actual lives.
Why Estate Planning Matters — At Every Stage of Life
Most people assume estate planning is something to deal with later. When they are older. When they have more assets. When things settle down. The reality is that the families who need an estate plan most urgently are often the ones who have not gotten around to it yet — young couples who just bought a home, parents with minor children, business owners with no succession plan, and individuals who simply assumed their assets would sort themselves out.
In Utah, dying without a will means the state's intestacy laws decide who inherits your assets and, critically, who raises your children. That may or may not align with what you would have chosen. A properly drafted estate plan removes that uncertainty entirely. It puts you in control — while you are here to make those decisions clearly and thoughtfully.
Estate planning is also not a one-time event. Life changes. Marriages, divorces, new children, business acquisitions, and relocations all have implications for your existing plan. We work with clients not just to create an estate plan, but to make sure it continues to reflect their lives as those lives evolve.
Our Estate Planning Services
Every estate plan is different because every client's situation is different. Below is an overview of the core services we offer. Most clients need a combination of several of these working together — which is why we start every engagement with a thorough conversation before recommending anything.
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Revocable Living Trusts
Unlike a will, a trust does not go through probate — meaning your assets pass to your beneficiaries privately, efficiently, and without court involvement. You retain full control during your lifetime and can amend or revoke it at any time. We help clients structure trusts that are properly funded, because a trust that holds no assets provides little of the protection it promises.
Powers of Attorney
A power of attorney designates someone you trust to manage your financial or medical affairs if you are unable to do so yourself. Without one, a court may need to appoint a guardian or conservator — a lengthy and expensive process that could have been avoided entirely. We draft both financial and healthcare powers of attorney as part of every comprehensive estate plan.
Guardianship Designations
For parents of minor children, naming a guardian is often the most emotionally significant part of the estate planning conversation. A properly drafted will designates your preferred guardian and, combined with a trust, ensures your children are cared for by the right people and supported by the resources you intended to leave them. We make sure this critical decision is documented clearly and legally.
Wills
A last will and testament specifies how your assets are distributed, names an executor to carry out your wishes, and — critically for parents — designates a guardian for your minor children. Without one, those decisions default to Utah's intestacy statutes and a court that does not know your family. We draft wills that are clear, legally sound, and written in language you can actually understand.
Advance Healthcare Directives
An advance healthcare directive — sometimes called a living will — documents your medical wishes for situations where you cannot communicate them yourself. It removes an impossible decision from the people who love you most and ensures your wishes, not someone else's assumptions, guide your care. Having this document in place is one of the most important gifts you can give your family.
Pour-Over Wills and Trust Coordination
For clients with a revocable living trust, a pour-over will serves as a safety net — capturing any assets inadvertently left outside the trust and directing them into it at death. This ensures everything is distributed according to the same unified plan rather than defaulting to Utah's intestacy laws. We address this coordination in every estate plan that includes a trust component.
Transfer on Death Deeds
Utah law allows real estate to pass directly to a named beneficiary at death without going through probate — through a simple instrument called a transfer on death deed. For clients whose primary asset is their home, this can be a cost-effective alternative to a full trust structure. We help clients evaluate whether this tool fits their situation and record it correctly under Utah law.
Most clients go from first conversation to signed documents in two to four weeks.
How it works
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It depends on your situation. A will is the foundation of most estate plans and is sufficient for many families. A trust makes more sense when you own real estate, want to avoid probate, have significant assets, or want more detailed control over how and when things are distributed. Most of our clients end up with a combination of both — a revocable living trust as the centerpiece and a pour-over will as a safety net. We help you figure out which approach fits your life before recommending anything.
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Utah's intestacy laws take over — meaning the state decides who inherits your assets and, if you have minor children, a court decides who raises them. That distribution may or may not reflect what you would have chosen. Utah has adopted the Uniform Probate Code, which simplifies some aspects of the process, but it is not a substitute for having a plan in place.
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No. Utah does not impose a state-level estate tax. The federal estate tax exists but only applies to estates above the federal exemption threshold — currently well above what most Utah families need to plan around. That said, estate planning is about far more than taxes. It is about making sure the right people are in charge, the right assets go to the right places, and your family does not have to figure it out in the middle of a difficult time.
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For most clients, from initial consultation to signed documents, the process takes two to four weeks. More complex situations — business interests, blended families, special needs planning — may take a bit longer. We work efficiently and keep you informed at every step so nothing drags on longer than it needs to.
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Yes — and you should. A revocable living trust can be amended at any time during your lifetime. A will can be updated or replaced entirely. We recommend reviewing your plan after any major life event: marriage, divorce, a new child, a move to a new state, or a significant change in assets. Your plan should reflect your life as it is now, not as it was when you first signed.
