We're both parents on the birth certificate. Do we still need an adoption?

We recommend it. A birth certificate is an administrative record; a court judgment of parentage is entitled to full faith and credit in every state. Confirmatory adoption in Washington is relatively streamlined, and it's the cleanest protection for a non-genetic parent if you travel, relocate, or face a medical decision out of state.

How do we save for retirement with childcare eating the budget?

By protecting the match and the tax-advantaged accounts first and treating the rest as temporary. We use the dependent care FSA, model childcare as a defined multi-year expense with an end date, and pre-commit the exit — the month childcare ends, that cash flow redirects to retirement automatically rather than being absorbed.

Do we have to live in Ballard to work with Aequitas?

No. Aequitas is fee-only and virtual-first — we work with LGBTQ+ households in Ballard the same way we work with clients across Seattle and the rest of the US. This page is written for the Ballard demographic, not as a residency requirement.

Is there a minimum account size?

No asset minimum. Engagements are priced based on planning complexity, not portfolio size, so we can work with LGBTQ+ high earners still building wealth — not just clients who already have it.

What happens on the intro call?

Twenty minutes, video or phone. We ask what you're actually trying to figure out, share how Aequitas would approach it, and decide together whether an engagement makes sense. No pressure, no product pitch.

LGBTQ+ couple in Ballard, Seattle reviewing their financial plan

Seattle · Ballard

LGBTQ+ financial planning for Ballard

You bought here because it's family-friendly. The plan has to hold RSUs, IVF, and a real mortgage all at once.

Schedule a free intro call 20 minutes · video or phone · no product pitch

Quick answer

Is there a financial advisor for LGBTQ+ households in Ballard?

Yes. Aequitas Financial is a fee-only fiduciary practice serving LGBTQ+ professionals, couples, and families in Ballard and across Seattle. Meetings are virtual, there is no asset minimum or commission, and plans are built around WA tax, titling, and chosen-family protections.

Source: CFP Board — Code of Ethics & Standards of Conduct

Who this is for

Built for Ballard LGBTQ+ households

Ballard's queer households skew younger family and dual-income tech — Craftsman single-family, growing townhouse density, and IVF / surrogacy conversations happening in real time.

IVF or surrogacy financing is coming out of RSU proceeds and the tax bill isn't in anyone's model.
Both of you have RSUs and the concentration in one or two tickers has quietly gotten large.
Second-parent adoption is still on the to-do list even after birth.
The WA estate-tax ceiling is closer than you'd guess.
Ballard's family-friendly, queer-comfortable market carries a $1,500–$2,200/mo LGBTQ+ safety premium over Eastern WA — on top of IVF and a real mortgage, that premium is why the RSU sequencing plan is not optional.

On the ground

Ballard: families, houses, and two-income coordination

Ballard attracts LGBTQ+ households who want a house and a yard — frequently couples with kids or actively building a family, often with one partner in tech and one in healthcare, education, or the trades. The plan is dominated by three simultaneous demands: a Seattle-priced mortgage, childcare that can rival it, and retirement savings that has to keep running through both.

Family-building costs deserve their own line. Washington law is comparatively protective for LGBTQ+ parents, and the state's Uniform Parentage Act supports confirmatory adoption — which we still recommend for non-genetic parents because a court judgment travels across state lines in a way a birth certificate may not. Budget for legal costs alongside fertility or adoption expenses, and note that the federal adoption credit is now partially refundable, which changes when the benefit actually reaches you.

How we help Ballard households

Family-planning cash flow

IVF, surrogacy, adoption, and second-parent adoption modeled into your real cash flow so building a family isn't paused indefinitely or financed on hope.

RSU + ESPP sequencing across two careers

Vest calendars, concentration risk, ESPP hold-vs-sell, and the tax bill hiding in your next refresh — coordinated with the rest of the plan, not treated as a separate problem.

WA estate-tax bypass planning

Washington's $3M estate exemption applies per person with no portability. For dual-income tech households with equity, we build the bypass-trust structure early — before a Roth 401(k), a house, and vested RSUs quietly cross the line.

Next step

Go deeper, or just talk to us

Skim the broader context if you want more before reaching out — or book the call and we'll cover it live.

LGBTQ+ financial advisor in Seattle

The city-wide overview: how Aequitas works with Seattle LGBTQ+ households across cash flow, tax, investing, and estate.

LGBTQ+ tax & cost-of-living guide: Seattle

State income tax, property tax, estate tax, and LGBTQ+ planning overlays specific to Seattle.

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FAQ

Ballard planning FAQs

This page is part of our wider guide to LGBTQ+ financial planning — how fee-only, fiduciary planning works for queer households, and which topic to start with.

Ready to talk through your plan?

On a free intro call we'll walk through where you are, what you're trying to figure out, and whether an engagement makes sense — no pressure.

Schedule Your Intro Call