Smart financial and legal strategies for protecting what matters most.
Your Money & The Law is part of Answers for Elders Radio, and airs the fourth week of each month. Listen Saturdays at 12:00 PM on AM 1000 | 97.7 FM (Northwest Newsradio).
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Hello, I’m Steve.
I’m Steve Waltar, an estate planning and elder law attorney and founder of Legacy Estate Planning.
My path to this work became deeply personal after my mother-in-law passed away. I saw firsthand how the grief of losing someone you love can be made even more difficult by confusing legal procedures, unanswered questions and decisions a family may be completely unprepared to make.
I realized that most people simply don’t know what will be required of their families after they’re gone—or how much heartache, expense and uncertainty can be prevented with thoughtful planning ahead of time.
That experience changed the direction of my career.
In 2000, I founded Legacy Estate Planning because I wanted to help families prepare differently. Estate planning and elder law aren’t simply about documents, taxes or what happens to your assets. At their heart, they’re about the people you love, protecting your choices and helping you and your family prepare for whatever the aging journey may bring.
Over the years, I’ve focused my practice on estate planning and elder law, including trusts, wills, probate, asset protection, business succession planning, charitable giving, disability and incapacity planning, and the legal issues families face as loved ones grow older.
I’ve also had the opportunity to teach and speak about estate planning and charitable giving more than 100 times, including courses and presentations at the University of Washington, Seattle University, Seattle Pacific University, Northwest University and Bellevue College. I’m also the co-author of Legacy Wealth Planning: Looking Beyond the Financial to Provide Your Family with True Generational Wealth.
Why Your Money & the Law?
As we grow older—or step in to care for someone we love—the worlds of money and law can suddenly become very personal.
Families often find themselves navigating caregiving while trying to understand powers of attorney, estate planning, long-term care costs, protecting assets, planning for incapacity and the many legal and financial decisions that come with eldercare and elder law.
At the same time, older adults have concerns of their own. Will my money last throughout my lifetime? How do I prepare for the possibility of needing care without jeopardizing everything I’ve worked for? And how can I preserve the assets I hope to someday pass on to the people and causes I care about?
These aren’t simply financial or legal questions. They’re deeply personal ones—and having the right information before a crisis happens can make an enormous difference.
That’s what Your Money & the Law is about.
We’ll take the financial and legal issues surrounding aging, estate planning, elder law and caregiving and make them understandable. We’ll talk about what you need to know, what you may not know to ask, and what you can do today to better prepare yourself and the people you love for tomorrow.
Because good planning isn’t simply about protecting your money or having the right legal documents. It’s about protecting your choices, your independence, your family and your peace of mind.
My goal is to help you understand your options, ask better questions and move forward with greater confidence.
A Little More About Me
Although I was born in Boston, my roots are firmly planted in the Pacific Northwest. I grew up in Richland and came to Seattle in 1980 to attend Seattle Pacific University. I later spent three years in Princeton, New Jersey, earning my Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary before returning home to the Northwest for law school at the University of Puget Sound/Seattle University. I was admitted to the Washington State Bar in 1994.
My wife and I have been married for nearly 30 years, and we have two daughters. Family is a huge part of my life, and when I’m away from the office, you’ll usually find me doing something active. I love skiing—especially spending time on the slopes in Sun Valley—as well as fishing, hiking, fitness, sporting events and travel. I’ve also enjoyed coaching girls’ basketball over the years.
One of my most memorable adventures came in 2012, when I hiked to the summit of Mt. Rainier. That’s an experience—and an accomplishment—I’ll never forget!
Giving back to my community has also been an important part of my life. Through the Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club, I’ve participated in numerous service projects and led blood drives, eventually becoming a member of the Puget Sound Blood Bank’s “Three Gallon” Club. I’ve served on the boards of Elder and Adult Day Services and the Evergreen Healthcare Foundation and volunteered as a mediator with the Center for Conflict Management.
At the end of the day, whether I’m sitting across the table from a family, speaking to a room full of people or sitting behind the microphone, my goal is really the same: to take something that feels complicated, make it understandable, and help people feel more confident about what comes next.
I’m glad you’re here, and I hope you’ll join me for Your Money & the Law.
Steve Waltar
Estate Planning & Elder Law Attorney
Founder, Legacy Estate Planning
Host, Your Money & the Law
Legacy Estate Planning
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