Estate Planning Attorney Serving Orem and Utah County
Utah County families deserve an estate plan built by a licensed attorney who knows this community — not a national platform, not a paralegal, and not a process that leaves your most important decisions to chance.
Peterson Estate Planning has served Orem and the surrounding Utah County communities for over 10 years, helping parents protect their children, couples simplify what they leave behind, and business owners build plans that hold up when it matters most. Every client works directly with a licensed Utah attorney from the first conversation to the final signature.
Name Who Raises Your Children — Before a Court Does
If you have minor children and no estate plan, a Utah court will decide who raises them if something happens to you. That decision will be made by a judge who has never met your family, without your input, and without any legal obligation to follow your wishes.
A properly drafted will with guardianship provisions gives you that authority. It puts your choice in writing, in a legally binding document, so the people you trust are the ones who step in — not the ones a courtroom process selects.
For Utah County families, guardianship designation is often the single most urgent reason to start an estate plan. It costs nothing to name a guardian. It can cost your children everything if you don't.
Why Utah Families Use Living Trusts Instead of Wills Alone
A will is a legal document. A living trust is a legal system — one that moves your assets to your family without involving a court at all.
Utah does have a simplified probate process, and for very small estates, a small estate affidavit may allow heirs to claim assets without full court proceedings. But even simplified probate is public record, takes time, and requires legal filings your family must navigate while they are already grieving. A properly funded revocable living trust bypasses that process entirely.
When your trust is funded, assets transfer directly to your named beneficiaries — no court filings, no mandatory waiting periods, no public disclosure of what you owned or who received it. For Utah County families with growing households, real property, retirement accounts, or business interests, a living trust is almost always the more protective choice.
We'll walk you through exactly which structure fits your situation on your first call.
Estate Planning for the Way Utah County Families Are Actually Built
Utah has some of the largest average household sizes in the country. That means more beneficiaries, more complexity, and more opportunity for conflict if an estate plan doesn't account for the full picture of your family.
Whether you're planning for a large family with multiple children, a blended household with children from prior relationships, or a situation where you want to treat multiple heirs equitably without creating disputes, the structure of your plan matters. A generic will that divides assets equally doesn't always produce a fair or functional outcome — and it rarely accounts for the nuances of who gets what, when, and under what conditions.
Our attorneys work through these dynamics with you directly. We help families across Orem, Provo, and the broader Utah County area build plans that reflect how their families actually work — not just how a standard template assumes they do.
For families navigating blended households, our guide on estate planning for blended families covers the core strategies in detail. If you're weighing whether a will or a trust better fits your situation, the will vs. trust guide is a useful starting point.
What a Complete Utah Estate Plan Covers
A well-built estate plan is more than a will. For most Utah County families, a complete plan includes several coordinated documents that work together — all for only $1,500 (competitors charge at least $3,000):
- Revocable Living Trust: Transfers assets to your beneficiaries without probate and keeps your estate private. Can be updated at any time during your lifetime.
- Pour-Over Will: Catches any assets not titled in the trust and directs them into it upon your death, closing gaps in the plan.
- Guardianship Designation: Names the person or people you want to raise your minor children if you are no longer able to.
- Durable Power of Attorney: Authorizes a trusted person to manage your financial and legal affairs if you become incapacitated.
- Healthcare Directive / Living Will: Documents your medical wishes and designates someone to make healthcare decisions on your behalf.
- HIPAA Authorization: Allows your designated agents to access your medical information when they need it most.
Every document in your plan is drafted by a licensed Utah attorney — not assembled from a template by a paralegal or an automated platform. These documents are designed to work together as a system, and our attorneys walk you through each one so you understand exactly what you have and why it matters.
Local Office in Utah County — Full Remote Service Available
Peterson Estate Planning has maintained a Utah County office for over 10 years. For clients who prefer to meet in person, our Lindon office is convenient to Orem, Provo, American Fork, Pleasant Grove, and the surrounding communities.
For clients who prefer to handle everything remotely, our full online service model makes it straightforward to complete your Utah estate plan from anywhere in the state. We handle the attorney work, drafting, and guidance remotely — and walk you through exactly what you need to do to get your documents properly notarized on your end. The attorney involvement is the same. The outcome is the same.
Transparent Pricing. No Surprises After the Plan Is Signed.
Estate planning at Peterson is priced in flat-fee packages — you know the full cost before any work begins. There are no hourly billing surprises, no add-on fees for annual reviews, and no charge for follow-up questions after your plan is complete.
Our packages are designed to match the complexity of your situation, from foundational plans for individuals and couples to comprehensive packages for larger families, blended households, and business owners integrating succession planning into their personal estate.
Utah Legal Requirements Your Plan Must Meet
Utah law sets specific requirements for estate planning documents to be valid and enforceable. These are not technicalities — they are the difference between a plan that holds up and one that fails when your family needs it most.
Will Execution in Utah
A valid Utah will requires the signature of the person making the will and the signatures of at least two adult witnesses who were present at the time of signing. Utah also recognizes self-proving affidavits, which allow the will to be admitted to probate without requiring witnesses to testify — a practical step that can save your family significant time and friction.
Utah's Uniform Trust Code
Utah adopted the Uniform Trust Code in 2004, establishing a comprehensive statutory framework governing how trusts are created, administered, and modified. Your trust must be drafted in compliance with this framework to function as intended.
Advance Directive Requirements
Utah's advance directive statute requires the document to be signed by the principal and witnessed by two adults who are not related by blood or marriage and who will not inherit under the estate. Healthcare providers may also be restricted from serving as witnesses. Our attorneys ensure your directive meets all current Utah requirements.
Small Estate and Probate Thresholds
Utah allows heirs to use a small estate affidavit for estates with personal property valued under $100,000 when no real property is involved. For estates above that threshold or those that include real property, formal probate or a properly funded living trust is required to transfer assets.
Frequently Asked Questions About Estate Planning in Orem and Utah County
Do I need a living trust if Utah has a simplified probate process?
Utah's simplified probate and small estate affidavit options can work for very small estates with no real property, but they still require legal filings and take time. A properly funded living trust bypasses the probate process entirely — assets transfer directly to your beneficiaries without court involvement, without public disclosure, and without the delays that even simplified probate can create. For most Utah County families with a home, retirement accounts, or dependents, a living trust is the more protective and practical choice.What happens to my children if I die without naming a guardian in Utah?
A Utah court will appoint a guardian through a formal legal proceeding. The court is not bound by your verbal wishes, your family's preferences, or informal arrangements you may have discussed. The only way to legally designate who raises your minor children is to name them in a properly executed will or trust document. Without that designation in writing, the decision belongs to the court.Can I complete my Utah estate plan without coming into an office?
Yes. Peterson Estate Planning handles everything remotely — consultations, drafting, review, and attorney guidance — so you never need to visit an office. Once your documents are finalized, we walk you through exactly what you need to do to get them properly notarized on your own. Clients who prefer to meet in person are always welcome at our Lindon office in Utah County.How much does an estate plan cost in Utah?
Peterson Estate Planning uses flat-fee package pricing, so the cost is established before any work begins. The right package depends on your family structure, asset profile, and whether you need individual or joint planning, trust-based or will-based documents, or business succession components. You can review package options on our packages page, or ask during your complimentary consultation.
What is the difference between a will and a living trust for a Utah family?
A will takes effect at death and must pass through probate before assets are distributed. A living trust takes effect immediately upon signing, holds your assets during your lifetime, and transfers them directly to your beneficiaries at death — without probate. For Utah families with real property, minor children, or multiple beneficiaries, a living trust typically provides more control, more privacy, and a faster transfer process. Our will vs. trust guide walks through the comparison in detail.
Does Peterson Estate Planning serve clients outside of Orem and Lindon? Yes. We serve clients throughout Utah County and across the state of Utah, as well as clients in California, Kansas, and Washington. Remote service is available for all locations. In-person appointments are available at our Utah County office in Lindon and our office in Oceanside, California.
Utah County Families Have Trusted Us for Over a Decade
Peterson Estate Planning has been building estate plans for Utah County families for more than 10 years — through growing households, changing laws, and the kind of life events that make a solid plan matter most. We are not a national platform. We are not a document assembly service. We are licensed Utah attorneys who work directly with you from the first conversation to the final signature, and we remain available after your plan is complete.
If you have minor children, a home, a business, or simply people who depend on you, the right time to have this conversation is now.
