Estate Planning for Spokane County, Washington Property Owners

For most Spokane County homeowners, the house is what drags an estate into probate. A transfer-on-death deed or a living trust keeps it out—here is how to set up either one and record it locally.

Record a TOD deedWhere to recordLocal attorneys

For a Spokane County property owner, the biggest probate risk is the home itself. Real estate is what forces most families into the Superior Court. The two tools that keep a Spokane County home out of probate are a transfer-on-death deed recorded with the County Auditor, and a revocable living trust that holds title to the property.

Skipping this planning step means the Superior Court decides who receives the property: a simple Washington probate takes 4+ months and opens with $290 in court filing fees.

Record a Transfer-on-Death Deed in Spokane County

A transfer on death deed names a beneficiary who receives Spokane County property automatically at the owner's death, without probate. It is recorded with the County Auditor during the owner's lifetime and can be revoked at any time.

Before recording, a Washington transfer on death deed is signed with notary acknowledgmentRCW 64.80.010 to 64.80.904Verified Oct 19, 2026View source. The deed takes effect only if it is recorded before the owner's deathRCW 64.80.010 to 64.80.904Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.

Create a Washington TOD deed →Spokane County signing requirements →

Where to Record Property Documents

Deeds and other real property documents for Spokane County are recorded with the County Auditor at 1116 West Broadway Avenue, Spokane, WA 99260. Phone: 1-509-477-2270. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:00 PM.

Documents submitted by mail go to P.O. Box 2353, Spokane, WA 99210.

The County Auditor charges $304 for the first page plus $1 for each additional page. A 2-page transfer on death deed costs $305 to record in Spokane County. A transfer on death deed is exempt from transfer tax.

Spokane County accepts electronic recording through ePN, CSC, Simplifile and Indecomm.

Recording Office Record

County Auditor

Spokane County

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:00 PM

Office

1116 West Broadway Avenue, Spokane, WA 99260

Open in Google Maps

Mail

P.O. Box 2353 Spokane, WA 99210

Verified October 17, 2026 · Source

Estate Planning Attorneys Serving Spokane County

FirmSpokane Valley, WA

Palm & Froese Law PLLC

Since 2026 · Serves 1 county

Spokane Valley elder law and estate planning firm formed in 2026 when Danielle Palm and Kendel Froese combined their Liberty Lake and downtown Spokane practices. Handles probate, trust administration, and estate administration, plus adult guardianship and conservatorship petitions. The first consultation is free and meetings can be held by phone or Zoom.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 2 more

Office
521 N Argonne Rd, Building B, Suite 103Spokane Valley, WA 99212
Free consultationVirtual consultations

Solo PracticeSpokane, WA

Spokane Wills, Trusts, and Probate

Serves 1 county

Downtown Spokane practice where attorney Emily Wilson represents personal representatives in probate, including families probating an estate when there is no will, and represents trustees of living and testamentary trusts. It also prepares wills, trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives, and community property agreements on a flat fee. Initial consultations are free.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateSpecial Needs Planning

Office
421 W Riverside Ave, Suite 330Spokane, WA 99201
Free consultation

Solo PracticeLiberty Lake, WA

Tate Law Offices, PLLC

Serves 1 county

Liberty Lake solo practice of Katharine Tate serving Spokane County, including Spokane, Spokane Valley, Medical Lake, Deer Park, and Airway Heights. Guides families through formal probate and summary probate for small estates, and advises trustees on legal and fiduciary compliance in trust administration. The practice also handles estate planning, elder law, guardianships, and conservatorships, with a free initial consultation.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 2 more

Office
23403 E Mission Ave, Suite 215Liberty Lake, WA 99019
Free consultation

FirmSeattle, WA

Gravis Law, PLLC

Serves 6 counties

Multi-state firm with Washington offices in Seattle, University Place, Olympia, Spokane, Richland, Kennewick, and Dayton. Guides personal representatives through probate and estate administration, from gathering assets and paying debts to transferring ownership, and handles elder law matters including Medicaid planning and guardianship. Consultations are available by phone or video.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawConservatorshipand 4 more

Office
10202 5th Ave NE, 2nd FloorSeattle, WA 98125
Virtual consultations

FirmWalla Walla, WA

Basalt Legal PLLC

Since 1954 · Serves the whole state

Walla Walla firm, formerly Burkhart and Burkhart, representing families, farms, and businesses. Handles probate and trust administration, including supporting successor trustees who distribute a deceased person's assets, and litigates estate and trust disputes, including will contests. Accepts clients throughout Washington State.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 3 more

Office
6 1/2 N 2nd Ave, Suite 200Walla Walla, WA 99362

FirmWenatchee, WA

Bromiley Mackay Williams PLLC

Serves the whole state

Wenatchee firm, doing business as Northwest Estate Plans, that handles Washington probate and trust administration for families after a death, starting with a free Executor Guidance Meeting to review the options. Also prepares wills and revocable living trusts. Meetings, signings, and notarization can be completed over Zoom for clients anywhere in Washington, or in person at the Wenatchee office.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbate

Office
303 S Mission St, Suite 300Wenatchee, WA 98801
Free consultationVirtual consultations
See all 18 firms serving Spokane County →

Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.

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Legal Sources

Data sourced from Washington statutes and official state code. How we research.

Forms for Planning Your Estate in Washington

Free forms for planning your estate in Washington: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for Washington.

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Last Will and Testament

In Washington, a will is signed before 2RCW 11.12.020Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyRCW 11.12.020Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.

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Codicil to a Will

In Washington, a codicil is signed before 2RCW 11.12.020Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, like a will, and the self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyRCW 11.20.020(2)Verified Oct 25, 2026View source.

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Healthcare Power of Attorney

Washington allows a choice for a healthcare power of attorney: 2RCW 11.125.050; RCW 11.125.400; RCW 70.122.030; RCW 7.70.065Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.

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HIPAA Release

In Washington, a HIPAA release names who may receive your records and, as the state requires, names HIV/AIDS-related information and mental health recordsRCW 70.02.220(1), (2)(a) (2013 c 200 § 6; last amended 2021 c 270 § 5); cross-references chapter 70.24 RCW; RCW 70.02.230(1) (2013 c 200 § 7; version in effect until June 30, 2027, last amended 2024 c 209 § 32)Verified Jun 10, 2026View source expressly before a provider releases them.

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Financial Power of Attorney

Washington requires explicit durability language for a power of attorney to survive incapacityRCW § 11.125.050Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and it is signed before 2RCW § 11.125.050Verified Oct 21, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.

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Transfer on Death Deed

In Washington, a transfer on death deed is signed before a notaryRCW 64.80.010 to 64.80.904Verified Oct 19, 2026View source, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathRCW 64.80.010 to 64.80.904Verified Oct 19, 2026View source. Washington does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.

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Living Will

In Washington, the living will is the Health Care DirectiveRCW ch. 70.122 (Natural Death Act)Verified Sep 27, 2026View source, a document of its own, apart from the healthcare power of attorney.

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Free

Pour-Over Will

In Washington, a pour-over will is signed before 2RCW 11.12.020Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.

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Tools for Planning Your Estate in Washington

Free tools for planning your estate in Washington: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for Washington.

How Do I Sign Estate Documents?

In Washington, a will is signed before 2RCW 11.12.020Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredRCW 11.12.020Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.

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Will My Estate Documents Transfer?

Washington recognizes a will signed under the law of the place where it was signedRCW 11.12.020Verified Oct 19, 2026View source; a will signed in Washington itself needs 2RCW 11.12.020Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredRCW 11.12.020Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.

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Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?

In Washington, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 2.2%Modeled estimate under RCW 11.48.210 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 9, 2026View source to 3.5%Modeled estimate under RCW 11.48.210 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 9, 2026View source of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.

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How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in Washington runs $3,400Estimate: 10 hours at $340, Clio's Washington Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $5,100Estimate: 15 hours at $340, Clio's Washington Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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How Much Does a Will Cost?

An attorney-prepared will in Washington runs $1,164Estimate: 3 hours at $388, Clio's Washington Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $2,328Estimate: 6 hours at $388, Clio's Washington Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $299 up front with an online service, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $27,599RCW 11.48.210 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 9, 2026View source.

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How Does SimplyTrust Compare to LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and Other Services?

Compare what it costs to make a trust official across SimplyTrust, LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Rocket Lawyer, and Quicken WillMaker.

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How Do I Name a Guardian for My Minor Children?

In Washington, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a will or a separate signed writingRCW 11.130.215(2)(a); RCW 11.12.020 (will formalities)Verified Sep 16, 2026View source, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18RCW 26.28.010Verified Sep 16, 2026View source.

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Do I Need a Revocable Trust?

Probate in Washington takes 4 months to 6 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees of typically 2.2%Modeled estimate under RCW 11.48.210 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 9, 2026View source to 3.5%Modeled estimate under RCW 11.48.210 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 9, 2026View source of the estate; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.

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