[WSBAPT] Identity proof in probate matter?

[Adrienne Keith Wills]

Hi Listmates:

In a King County matter, I'm serving as an agent for absentee beneficiaries on two related estates (elderly parent and adult child).  Thanks to a previous recommendation from this list serv, I was able to find a private investigator who located a potential heir residing in California.

As you can imagine, proof of the identify of this person is important before making a distribution from the estate.  What would be ideal, of course, is a certified birth certificate.  At this time, that's not something the heir has in his possession and it appears that obtaining a certified copy of the birth certificate is supposed to take between 5-7 weeks.

What I received in the mail from the heir is a certified death certificate from California that shows the heir's name as well as the name of his grandmother which is how he's connected to the estate.  The heir also sent a photocopy of a current driver's license as well as a photocopy of his Social Security card (matching name and signature).

Is there guidance or common practice re: identity proof in probate matters?  This is a new issue for me.  I want to be prudent but not unreasonable.

Thank you, Adrienne

--
Adrienne Keith Wills, Attorney/Mediator
Wills Law Firm Inc. | www.WillsLawFirm.com<http://www.willslawfirm.com/>
Helping family law and estate planning clients

1700 Seventh Ave, Suite 2100 | Seattle, WA  98101
Tel. (206) 523-3047 | Fax (206) 219-6714

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