Track Town Law is a virtual firm serving Oregon and Idaho with clear, flat-fee legal services in estate planning and small business law—offering evening and weekend appointments to fit real life.

If your pets are more than just background characters in your life, they deserve more than an afterthought in your estate plan. Oregon law allows enforceable pet trusts to ensure your animals are cared for—and funded—according to your wishes. Here’s how they work, who needs them, and why they matter.

Oregon’s 2025 legislative session is over—and despite a flurry of bills, the state’s estate tax rules remain mostly unchanged. The $1 million exemption still applies to most families, but a new law—HB 3630—expands relief for farms, forests, and fisheries held in trusts or business entities. Here’s what changed, what didn’t, and what Oregon families need to do now.

If you're a parent in Oregon, naming a guardian for your minor children is one of the most important—and most overlooked—parts of an estate plan. This post explains how guardianship works, what happens if you don't have a plan, and why a trust may be just as important as the nomination itself.

A durable financial power of attorney may not be flashy—but when you’re incapacitated, it’s the document that keeps your financial life running. Learn why it matters, how it works in Oregon, and what makes a POA legally effective.

A HIPAA Authorization is one of the most overlooked but essential estate planning tools in Oregon. Without it, your loved ones may be legally shut out of your medical care when it matters most. Here’s what it is, why it matters, and how to do it right.

An Advance Directive is one of the most important—and most overlooked—parts of any Oregon estate plan. This post explains how to appoint a health care representative, what the form actually covers, and why having the wrong witnesses could render it useless.

Oregon doesn’t let married couples combine estate tax exemptions—so without the right planning, your first $1 million exemption can disappear. This post explains how a credit shelter trust preserves both exemptions, reduces estate tax, and protects your legacy.

Life insurance is often seen as tax-free—but if you live in Oregon and own the policy yourself, it could push your estate over the $1 million estate tax threshold. This post explains how an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT) can keep your death benefit protected and out of the taxman’s reach.

The phrase “health, education, maintenance, and support” isn’t just legal jargon—it’s the backbone of many Oregon trusts. Known as the HEMS standard, this clause plays a critical role in preserving tax exemptions, protecting assets from creditors, and guiding trustees. Here’s why it shows up in almost every trust—and why it matters more than you think.

Irrevocable trusts aren’t just for the ultra-wealthy. In Oregon, they’re key tools for Medicaid planning, protecting inheritances, and shielding special-needs beneficiaries. Learn when giving up control can actually mean gaining long-term security—for your estate and your loved ones.

A pour-over will works alongside a revocable trust to catch any assets left out and funnel them back into the plan. Learn why this document matters, what it does (and doesn’t do), and why even trust-based estate plans still rely on a will in Oregon.

A revocable living trust can help avoid probate, plan for incapacity, and simplify inheritance. But it only works if it’s used—and funded—properly. Here’s how Oregon trusts work, who needs one, and why it’s not always essential.

Joint ownership may sound simple—but the way you hold title can override your will and affect what happens after death. Learn the difference between tenancy by the entirety, joint tenancy, and tenancy in common under Oregon law.

Transfer-on-Death Deeds let you pass Oregon real estate directly to a beneficiary without court or probate. Learn how they work, when to use them, and what makes them one of the simplest (but most misunderstood) estate planning tools.

Non-probate transfers—like POD accounts and beneficiary designations—can override your will. Learn how they work in Oregon, how they fit into an estate plan, and why they’re a useful tool when handled correctly—and a disaster when they’re not.

Oregon and the IRS both tax estates—but their rules are different, their thresholds are decades apart, and their systems don’t coordinate. Learn how both taxes work, when they apply, and how to plan across state and federal lines to avoid surprises.

DIY wills may look cheap and easy—but in Oregon, they often fall apart in court. Learn why state-specific rules, witness mistakes, and tax oversights make these forms riskier than they seem—and what to do instead.

Oregon taxes estates over $1 million—and that includes your house, retirement accounts, and even life insurance. Learn how the threshold works, what counts toward it, and how smart planning can reduce or eliminate the estate tax before it hits your heirs.

Oregon’s Small Estate Affidavit can help families settle modest estates quickly—without months of court supervision. Learn who qualifies, how the process works, and why it may be a better alternative to formal probate.