Mark E. Wight

Mark E. Wight Estate Planning Attorney, focusing on Trusts, Wills, Trust Administration and Probate.

Mark Wight, Attorney at Law, is the founder and president of Idaho Estate Planning Law Firm and also the author of "Get Real: Planning for Life, Death, and Disability." Educator for Wealth Counsel and Atticus, Board Member at HAPPEN Idaho, Author and Senior advocate.

When you think about leaving something to the people you love, it’s natural to focus on who gets what.But there can be a...
08/28/2026

When you think about leaving something to the people you love, it’s natural to focus on who gets what.

But there can be another important question: How should they receive it?

Depending on your family and circumstances, you may want to think about when a beneficiary receives an inheritance, who should manage it, or whether additional protections should be built into your plan.

These decisions can be especially important when planning for minor children, younger beneficiaries, or loved ones whose circumstances may require additional consideration.

Estate planning gives you the opportunity to think beyond simply naming beneficiaries and make thoughtful decisions about the legacy you leave behind.

Who you leave it to matters. How you leave it matters, too.

A will and a trust are tools. The real value of estate planning is in the decisions those tools are designed to carry ou...
08/27/2026

A will and a trust are tools. The real value of estate planning is in the decisions those tools are designed to carry out.

Who should make decisions if you can’t? Who are you trying to protect? How should your assets be handled? What circumstances could affect your family in the years ahead?

There isn’t one plan that works for every person or every family.

At Idaho Estate Planning, we help you understand your options, work through the decisions that matter, and create a plan built around your family, your assets, and your future.

The documents support the plan. The decisions shape it.

One of the most important estate planning questions has nothing to do with what you own:If you couldn’t make decisions f...
08/26/2026

One of the most important estate planning questions has nothing to do with what you own:

If you couldn’t make decisions for yourself, who would you trust to make them for you?

It’s a conversation many families put off, but choosing the right people—and making sure they have the proper authority to act—can make an enormous difference during a difficult time.

Estate planning is about more than what happens after you’re gone. It’s about being prepared for life along the way.

If it’s been a while since you’ve looked at your plan, this is a good question to start with.

One thing I’ve learned after more than 30 years in estate planning: life rarely stays the same—and your estate plan shou...
08/21/2026

One thing I’ve learned after more than 30 years in estate planning: life rarely stays the same—and your estate plan shouldn’t be expected to either.

You may have created your plan when your children were young. Since then, they may have grown up, gotten married, had children of their own, or moved away.

Maybe you’ve bought or sold property. Your financial situation has changed. You’ve experienced a marriage, divorce, loss, or another major change in your family.

The question I encourage people to ask is simple:

“Does the plan I created years ago still reflect the life I have today?”

If the answer is “I’m not sure,” it may be time to take another look.

Estate planning isn’t just about getting documents signed and putting them on a shelf. It’s about creating a plan for your family—and making sure that plan continues to reflect your wishes as life changes.

At Idaho Estate Planning, that’s one of the reasons we believe so strongly in continuing relationships and regular plan reviews.

Life changes. Good planning keeps up.

— Mark

I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Carly Ward since she joined Idaho Estate Planning in 2019, and I’m incredibl...
08/20/2026

I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Carly Ward since she joined Idaho Estate Planning in 2019, and I’m incredibly grateful to have her as part of our team.

Carly brings knowledge, energy, and a genuine commitment to helping families work through some of life’s more complicated decisions.

Whether she’s helping a family with long-term estate planning, probate, Medicaid, asset protection, or a difficult care situation, Carly understands that good legal guidance starts with listening and helping people understand their options.

What I especially appreciate about Carly is that her commitment to serving others extends far beyond our office. She’s active in our Idaho community, has contributed her time to pro bono work and legislative reform, and regularly educates other professionals about estate planning and the issues families may face.

She’s an advocate, an educator, and an important part of what we do at Idaho Estate Planning.

And, of course, when she’s not taking care of clients, there’s a good chance she’s coaching youth fastpitch softball—or talking about Star Wars.

Carly, I’m proud to have you on our team and even more proud of the work you continue to do for Idaho families.

After more than 30 years practicing estate planning, I still believe the most important part of this work isn’t the docu...
08/19/2026

After more than 30 years practicing estate planning, I still believe the most important part of this work isn’t the documents.

It’s the people behind them.

I’ve had the privilege of sitting across the table from families as they make decisions about their children, their parents, their spouses, their businesses, and the legacy they hope to leave behind.

Those conversations have reinforced something I’ve believed throughout my career: families deserve to understand their options before they’re asked to make important decisions.

That’s why I’ve always viewed education as an important part of my role as an attorney. My job isn’t simply to tell someone what documents they need. It’s to help them understand the why behind their plan and how the decisions they make today can affect the people they care about tomorrow.

I often say that I get up every morning because families are the most important organization in my life.

After all these years, that remains at the heart of why I do this work.

I’m grateful for the Idaho families who have trusted me—and our entire team at Idaho Estate Planning—to be part of these important conversations.

Here’s to planning for life, not simply preparing for what happens after it.

One of the most rewarding parts of what I do is knowing that our relationship with a family doesn’t end when their estat...
08/14/2026

One of the most rewarding parts of what I do is knowing that our relationship with a family doesn’t end when their estate planning documents are signed.

Life changes. Families change. Laws change. And questions come up along the way.

This review from clients we’ve had the privilege of working with for the past three years means a great deal to me and our team.

They initially came to us for help setting up a trust, and since then, we’ve continued to be a resource as they’ve had questions and needed guidance managing their estate.

That’s exactly what we want estate planning to be: an ongoing relationship, not simply a set of documents.

I’m grateful for their trust in me and the entire Idaho Estate Planning team—and especially grateful when clients take the time to share their experience.

Thank you for allowing us to be part of your family’s planning.

— Mark

Over the years, I’ve learned that when people hear the words “estate planning,” they often think first about their asset...
08/13/2026

Over the years, I’ve learned that when people hear the words “estate planning,” they often think first about their assets.

But your estate is about much more than what you own.

It’s about your family. Your home. The people you’ve worked hard to provide for. The decisions you want to make for your future. And the legacy you hope to leave behind.

A good estate plan can help answer some very important questions:

Who will make decisions for me if I can’t?

Who will care for my children?

Who do I trust to carry out my wishes?

How can I make things easier for the people I love?

These are deeply personal questions, which is why I’ve never believed estate planning should be one-size-fits-all.

At Idaho Estate Planning, Carly Ward and I have the privilege of helping Idaho families understand their options and create plans around what matters most to them.

Your family is unique. Your estate plan should be, too.

After more than 30 years of helping Idaho families with estate planning, one thing I continue to see is that many people...
08/12/2026

After more than 30 years of helping Idaho families with estate planning, one thing I continue to see is that many people think estate planning is primarily about what happens after we die.

It’s much more than that.

A good estate plan also helps answer important questions during our lifetime.

Who can make financial decisions if I’m unable to?
Who can make healthcare decisions for me?
Who will care for my children?
Will my family know what I want—and have the right plan in place to carry it out?

I've always believed that one of my most important roles as an estate planning attorney is to educate. The better families understand their options, the better prepared they can be to make decisions for the people they love.

Over the coming weeks, our team at Idaho Estate Planning will be sharing a Did You Know? series answering common estate planning questions and making some of these complicated topics easier to understand.

Because estate planning isn't simply planning for death.

It's planning for life.

What estate planning question would you like us to answer?

Many older adults assume family will be there when they need help. For a growing number of people, that simply isn’t the...
05/12/2026

Many older adults assume family will be there when they need help. For a growing number of people, that simply isn’t the case.

Solo aging is becoming more common. Planning ahead for healthcare decisions, housing, and social connections helps protect independence and quality of life.

https://idahoestateplanning.com/podcast

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453 S. Fitness Plaza
Eagle, ID
83616

Telephone

(208) 939-7658

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