Wills, trusts, powers of attorney, probate, and special needs planning — done before they're urgent, and in plain English the whole way. Flat fees where we can, plans tailored to your actual situation.
Callback within 24 business hours. $100 for a one-hour consult — credited to your retainer if we take your case. Virtual and in-home consultations available.
We'll call you back within 24 business hours. $100 for a one-hour consult — credited to your retainer if we take your case.
Quoted in writing before any work starts
Virtual & at-home consultations available
Years drafting wills, trusts & probate filings
Most people come to us after something happened — a divorce, an arrest, an accident. Estate planning is the opposite. It's the one practice area where the right time to call us is before you need us at all.
Here's the honest version: if you're a healthy adult with a modest estate and no kids from a prior marriage, you probably don't need anything fancy. A will, a durable power of attorney, a healthcare directive, and a correctly titled account or two will do almost everything you need — for a fraction of the cost of the "complete estate plan" you saw advertised somewhere.
If you're in a more complicated situation — a blended family, a special-needs child, a small business, real estate in multiple states — then yes, a trust may genuinely help you. We'll tell you which case you're in, not which one makes us more billable hours.
Jaime is the patient explainer on our team — and in estate planning, that's the whole job. Clients routinely describe him as thorough, courteous, never rushed. Before law school, Jaime spent years in real estate development and finance. He understands how property, accounts, and business interests actually work — and that shows up when we structure a plan that has to survive a market downturn, a real-estate sale, or a business exit.
Jaime wrote two wills for us. The work was excellent, and Jaime was extremely courteous, personable, and professional. He made the effort to come to us when we could not come to him.
— Sylvia P., Ogden · Estate Planning
Virtual and in-home consultations available for estate planning clients who can't easily travel to the office.
Jaime helped me with my trust, medical directive and power of attorney. It was easy, quick and thorough. I had put it off far too long, thinking it would be difficult — peace of mind is a good thing.Diana H.
Jaime wrote two wills for us, one a special needs will, tailored precisely to our needs. The work was excellent, and Jaime was extremely courteous, personable, and professional. He made the effort to come to us when we could not come to him.Sylvia P.
What a breath of fresh air! I came from another firm and wasn't happy. Jaime was amazing and more than willing to explain every detail. Everyone in the office was professional, caring and amazing.Cathy G.
Real, unedited reviews from our Google Business Profile. Every case is different — past results don't guarantee a similar outcome.
We don't sell trust packages you don't need. At the consultation, we look at your actual situation and recommend the simplest plan that does the job.
If someone you love has died and didn't leave a trust (or left only a will), most of their assets will go through probate — the legal process of identifying a deceased person's assets, paying their debts, and distributing what's left to the heirs.
Utah has a relatively streamlined probate process, but it still takes months and requires court filings that most families shouldn't try to navigate alone.
The executor (or closest eligible family member if there's no will) opens the probate. The court appoints a "personal representative."
Publish notice giving creditors three months to make claims against the estate.
Within 90 days, the personal representative lists all assets and their values.
Legitimate creditor claims and final income taxes get paid from the estate.
Distribute per the will — or, if there's no will, Utah's intestacy statute.
Typical timeline: 6-12 months for an uncomplicated estate. Longer if there's a contest or unusual assets.
Typical cost: Hourly with a written estimate, quoted at the consultation before any work begins.
Utah also has a small estate shortcut for modest estates without real estate — an heir can use a small-estate affidavit to collect assets without opening a full probate. We'll tell you at the consultation whether your situation qualifies.
Jaime wrote two wills for us. The work was excellent, and Jaime was extremely courteous, personable, and professional. He made the effort to come to us when we could not come to him.Sylvia P.
A million thanks to Jaime Richards for his legal services — at a fair price.Paula Jean
For most people, a will plus correctly titled accounts and beneficiary designations does 90% of what a trust does — for a quarter of the price. A trust becomes genuinely useful when you own real estate (it avoids probate), have a blended family, have minor beneficiaries, have a child receiving needs-based benefits, or want specific control over when and how assets are distributed. If a trust isn't right for your situation, we'll say so.
Your estate is distributed according to Utah's intestacy statute, which makes fixed assumptions about who gets what. If you're married with kids from the marriage only, your spouse typically inherits everything. If you have kids from a prior relationship, the statute splits things in ways most people wouldn't choose.
Formally: every 3-5 years, or whenever something material changes — a marriage, divorce, birth, death in the family, buying/selling real estate, starting or selling a business, or moving to a new state.
A durable power of attorney lets someone you trust manage your finances if you can't — because of illness, injury, or incapacity. Without one, your family may have to go to court for a conservatorship, which is expensive, slow, and public. Every adult should have a durable POA.
Yes — usually a "pour-over" will, which catches anything you forgot to title into the trust and directs it there. It's a safety net. Every trust-based estate plan includes one.
Yes. We do virtual and in-home estate planning consultations regularly — especially for clients with mobility limitations or who live outside Ogden. Documents still require wet signatures and notarization, but we can arrange a signing at your home or a notary close to you.
Yes. This is one of the most common calls we get. We can handle the probate for you end-to-end, or coach you through a simpler estate where you're comfortable doing the filings yourself.
You'll see exactly what's in the plan, what it costs, and what's outside the scope — before we ask for a retainer.
Our goal is one business day on every call and email — even when no deadline is pressing.
We quote the number in writing for wills, trusts, POAs, and healthcare directives. No surprise invoices.
If a will gets you there, we'll say so. We don't sell trust packages clients don't need.
If you're administering an estate, you hear from someone on your team at every meaningful step.
$100 for a one-hour consultation with Jaime — virtual, in-home, or at the Ogden office.
Schedule →The patient explainer. Real estate and finance background before law. Drafts wills, trusts, and probate filings in plain English — and travels to clients who can't easily come to the office.
Read Jaime's bio →
Adds depth on estate matters with cross-border or immigration considerations. 35+ years in Weber County courts.
Read Kevin's bio →
If a criminal matter is part of the picture — for the testator, an heir, or a trustee — Carl handles it from the same office, with the estate consequences kept in mind.
Read Carl's bio →
An attorney at Richards & Richards, working alongside the team across the firm's practice areas. Full bio coming soon.
Meet the team →A $100 consultation with Jaime gives you an hour, a plain-English explanation of what you actually need, and a written estimate before you commit to anything.
Either path works — pick whichever is easier for you.