Meet Idaho Estate Planning’s Team

Mark E. Wight

Idaho Estate Planning Attorney and President

A graduate of Utah State University and the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University, he began his law career at the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C. before he and his family moved to Idaho where he started in private practice.

Mark E. Wight, Attorney, Founder and President of Idaho Estate Planning, is enthusiastic about helping families plan for their futures: “I get up every morning because families are the most important organization in my life. I help parents care for their children. I help children take care of their parents. I help husbands and wives take care of each other.”

Mark sees his primary role as an educator. Whether educating an individual, a family, or providing professional education to other attorneys, financial advisors, accountants, care providers, assisted living administrators, or the general public, sharing the knowledge gained over more than 30 years as an estate planning attorney is key. A great estate plan is thorough and specific to individual families. Mark guides families to choose carefully as they build a plan for life, disability, and in death.

As an innovator, Mark and his team have developed the Legal Life Plan™️ with its Life Plan Protector Program™️ to help families customize their trusts, keep them current, and address changing situations throughout their life. In addition, he developed the Home Sweet Home Trust™️. As the name implies, the Home Sweet Home Trust™️ is designed to protect the family home in case of almost anything. The Home Sweet Home Trust™️ ensures that your home remains yours no matter what may come.

Mark is a member of the Idaho State Bar, the Taxation, Probate & Trust Law Section of the Idaho Bar, Wealth Counsel, and Elder Counsel. He is also a Certified Academy Attorney with the Academy of VA Pension Planners and an accredited attorney with the Veterans Administration. He also serves on several boards including HAPPEN – Ada County, Alzheimer’s Idaho. He supports LEARN, Idaho, JAVA, Healthcare Share Treasure Valley, Caregiver of the Year, FRIENDS – Canyon County, and Care Council. He is also an Adjunct Practice Advisor and Attorney Coach for ATTICUS and is an educator/speaker for groups of attorneys, insurance agents, financial planners, and other professionals. Mark has volunteered for the Court Appointed Special Advocate (“CASA”) program and received the CASA Attorney of the Year Award in 2006. He also earned the Denise O’Donnell-Day, Pro Bono Award in 2003, for fifteen years of service in the CASA program.

Finally, but most importantly, his family. Mark and his wife of 42 years, JoAnn, find ways to spend time with their children and spoil their grandchildren.

Carly Ward

Attorney

Carly Ward, Attorney received her law degree from Concordia University School of Law and her undergraduate degree in political science from Brigham Young University-Idaho. While Carly has been an integral part of the Idaho Estate Planning team since 2019, her passion for helping families make long-term estate plans, protect their assets, solve complicated care and estate problems, probate and Medicaid is evident. She’s received comprehensive training in Medicaid and continuing education in Idaho Estate Administration, Sales of Businesses to Outsiders, and Business Law Essentials.

Carly is highly invested in her community. She has been recognized for her pro-bono work, volunteer work on legislative reform, board membership for Healthcare Share-Treasure Valley, is a member of LEARN Idaho and is a podcast guest on DIY Wills and Estate Planning Mistakes. She also spends her time in the community educating other professionals on Estate Planning 101 for Realtors, Estate Planning 101, and Estate Planning Basics for Social Workers.

When Carly isn’t advocating for families and seniors, she coaches youth fastpitch softball, enjoys working out, and watching Star Wars.

Bill Poulson

Director of Client Services

Bill joined Idaho Estate Planning in 2009 after spending a decade at Micron. He has more than 30 years in service-oriented industries including hotels, restaurants, retail, construction, and law. At Idaho Estate Planning, Bill is the Director of Client Services and is a compassionate voice helping families navigate the early stages of their estate planning. Bill has been on a variety of podcasts as an expert related to general estate planning, understanding family dynamics, dementia and your loved ones, and the VA Aid & Attendance Benefit. He is dedicated to providing the best client experience possible.

Bill graduated from Boise State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and returned to earn his Culinary Certificate.

Bill is an accomplished chef and enjoys serving a large circle of family and friends. His passions include fine arts, good cuisine, hunting, fishing, all things BSU, and most of all his family.

Juana Espinoza-Alcaraz

Legal Assistant

Juana Espinoza-Alcaraz is the newest addition to our team in the role of Legal Assistant. Born in Morelia, Michoacan and raised in Idaho, Juana continues towards her degree at College of Western Idaho and brings with her several years of experience in law firms and the healthcare industry.

One of Juana’s qualities is her bilingual proficiency, expanding Idaho Estate Planning’s ability to better assist Spanish speaking clients. Her outstanding organizational skills and attention to detail make her a perfect fit for handling the intricate specifics of estate plans and meeting the needs of our clients with precision and care.

Beyond her career, Juana is a devoted mother of three and has a Chihuahua-mix named Walter.  Walter is her bestie.  She continues to set goals to be more active and explore new places with the kiddos.

Karen Macfarlane

Office Assistant

We are so excited to introduce Karen Macfarlane to the Idaho Estate Planning family. Many have already spoken to or met Karen as she is our new receptionist and first contact for our clients. Karen recently moved to the Treasure Valley with her husband from the Bay Area. She has several years of experience in the finance and accounting fields and really enjoys working with people. We know you will love working with her as much as we do.

When she is not at Idaho Estate Planning, spending time with her adult children, enjoying the great outdoors, or supporting our local sports teams, the Hawks and the BSU Broncos, Karen volunteers at Fit and Fall Proof™ as an instructor.

Tina Kierce

Marketing Manager

Tina joined Idaho Estate Planning in 2022 as the Marketing Manager. She has worked across multiple industries including k-12 and higher education, humanitarian services, performing arts, adoption, and commercial property development. Tina’s role includes communication and outreach to families, clients, and professionals searching for estate planning services.

She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education from Radford University in Southwest Virginia. As a lifetime learner, Tina has completed post-graduate studies from Boise State University and Brigham Young University and continues to attend online classes related to marketing and artificial intelligence.

Tina has lived in Boise for 28 years and has been an active volunteer and participant in the community. She enjoys traveling, shopping, and spending time with her family.