Sometimes it’s hard to see the forest through the trees. This is as true for sophisticated estate planning as it is for anything else. It’s worthwhile then to step back and consider not the sophisticated, but the mundane instead.Most Americans don’t have a basic will (or any will for that...

Owner, The Cicotte Law Firm, PLLCGeorge CicotteNumber of employees you oversee: 35Brief background of your business: My firm was established in the Tri-Cities in 2002. For seven years before that, I practiced with international firms in Washington, D.C., and in Denver, Colorado.How did you land your current role?Before becoming an...

Franklin County prosecutor2020 president of Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys Shawn P. SantNumberof employees you oversee: 26 Briefbackground of what the Prosecuting Attorney’s office does: The prosecutor’s office handles all legal matters forFranklin County. This includes criminal prosecution for all felony crimesoccurring within Franklin County, as well as misdemeanor crimes...

By Patrick JonesOne of the startling aspects of the greater Tri-City economy is the juxtaposition of a large agricultural sector with one formerly called the white-collar sector. In the terminology of labor economists, the latter consists of professional and technical services. It, too, looms large in the two counties.Today,we might...

Each year about 4,000 people reach out to the Benton-Franklin Legal Aid Society for legal assistance.And each year Tri-City area attorneys donate their time to help those they can.The nonprofit society recently held its annual awards luncheon to recognize attorneys who significantly contributed to the organization’s efforts to find pro...

Despite a higher state school tax levy in 2018, families in Eastern Washington may see some relief on their property tax bill this year.That’s because the state collected more than it anticipated, and to alleviate the tax burden for 2019, the state rate of $2.70 per $1,000 of assessed property...

By Alex Johnson Alex Johnson ofJohnson & Johnson Law FirmAs a DUI defense attorney here in the Tri-Cities, I often get questions about this area of law. Here are short answers to frequently asked questions about driving under the influence. What is the “legal limit” for a DUI?When I’m asked...

Although business owners were anxious to see how the tax code overhaul affected their bottom line in 2018, many are scratching their heads as regulations fall into place.“I’ve put in enough hours at this point it feels as though I’m getting ready to take another CPA exam,” said Ty Schatz,...

By Beau RuffAt death, there is a little-known tax benefit that the federal government provides. It is an adjustment to tax basis and it can have a profound effect on the taxation of the assets owned at death. This column discusses two kinds of taxes that apply at death: the...