Melissa F. Busley
Partner
Melissa Busley is an estate planning and tax attorney who joined Dunn Carney LLP in 2007. She enjoys working with clients to address their concerns and developing plans to achieve their goals.
In her estate planning practice, Melissa works with individuals and couples to ensure they have plans tailored to their unique situations, which provides for the management of assets if the client becomes incapacitated and also addresses how to manage and dispose of assets upon death.
Whether creating a complex or simple estate plan, Melissa’s goal is to ensure that the plan is appropriate to her client’s specific needs, and that the client is comfortable with the final outcome. Generally, the plan includes preparation of a will, powers of attorney and documents to address healthcare decisions, but can also include trusts.
Melissa also works with families after the death of a loved one to navigate the administration process. Whether there is a probate (court supervised administration process), a trust administration, or both, she walks the client through the process by providing an overview and breaking the process down into manageable steps. If necessary, she assists clients with the preparation of estate tax returns, and dealing with assets that pass by a non-probate transfer mechanism.
In addition to planning and administration work, Melissa works with tax-exempt organizations on operational matters and tax compliance. She assists new organizations in forming and receiving recognition of tax-exempt status.
Alongside her legal credentials, Melissa is a M.O.M. (mother of multiples) and cancer survivor. She loves spending time with her twin daughters, Charlotte and Elsie, her husband Sam, and volunteering with the American Cancer Society. During rare quiet moments, Melissa enjoys spending time with fictional characters, especially those found in books by her favorite author, Jane Austen.
Admissions
Oregon, 2004
Washington, 2009
Education
University of Washington School of Law, Graduate Program in Taxation, LL.M., 2004
University of Oregon School of Law, J.D., 2003
Washington State University, B.A., Political Science, magna cum laude, 2000