Willamette Legacy Law: A Warm Place for Life’s Hardest Conversations

Willamette Legacy Law celebrated seven months of providing client-centric estate planning services to the Salem community with a special ribbon-cutting event on July 19th.

Attorney Stephanie M. Palmblad practiced under Collier Law for almost 13 years before leaving her role as co-owner to found her own firm, Willamette Legacy Law. Opening the doors in West Salem on January 1st marked both a new beginning for Palmblad and a continuation of her legacy of helping clients prepare for the future.

Palmblad describes her passion as educating people about the tools available to them and helping them effectively utilize those tools. “I really enjoy helping them put a plan in place that is the right fit for them,” Palmblad said. The firm offers comprehensive services in drafting wills, establishing trusts, and navigating the complexities of tax planning.

She has found that many people don’t understand the legal process that occurs when someone becomes incapacitated. She aims to educate and equip her clients so they are prepared for the unexpected.

Tax planning is a critical part of preparing for the future. Oregon is one of 13 states with an estate tax. “If you fail to put the tools in place to reduce state taxes, then there are a lot of avoidable taxes that will have to be paid upon passing,” Palmblad said.

Palmblad explained that there is a greater need for estate planning services than there are attorneys to provide them, so she’s excited to open an option on the other side of the bridge with her firm’s West Salem location.

Estate planning can be a difficult and painful task, but Willamette Legacy Law is dedicated to ensuring the process goes as smoothly as possible. “I want it to be a place where people can call with confidence, knowing that they will be holistically cared for, and supported,” Palmblad said. “It’s a safe space to talk about really hard things.”

Recent Willamette University College of Law graduate Emily Palmer joined the team this year as an associate attorney. Palmer received her license to practice law in Oregon last year and worked at another firm for a time before discovering Willamette Legacy Law’s website.

“It came across as very professional—the kind of estate planning firm you want to be associated with,” Palmer said. She submitted employment materials and was hired shortly after.

Palmer has become an integral part of their tight four-person team. She says their team’s strength is in their enjoyment of one another and their ability to work well together.

“Stephanie’s done a very good job of building this team,” Palmer said. “It’s exciting for me as a new attorney, the newest addition to the team, to see where the firm is going to be even a year from now, let alone five years from now.”

Palmblad continues to be involved in the Salem community as she grows her practice. She currently serves as vice-chair on the board of the Gilbert House Children’s Museum, a place she visits regularly with her two young children. “We’re right in the thick of that beautiful age of learning, joy, and growth,” she said.

Palmblad combines her passion for education and more than a decade of estate planning experience to provide excellent service to clients in the Salem community. “I’m not in this for the business,” she said. “I really just enjoy helping people protect their loved ones.” And she continues to do just that under the new name, Willamette Legacy Law.