[WSBAPT] Probate for Profit - REVISIONS DISCUSSION

Wed Aug 5 14:35:50 PDT 2026

August 5, 2026

Brent,

Thank you very much for taking the lead on this. We appreciate it.

On behalf of the Washington Association of Professional Guardians (WAPG), where I serve as President, we support amending RCW 11.36.010 to place individual and agency Certified Professional Guardians and Conservators (CPGCs) in the same category as attorneys, banks, and trust companies.

The reasons are simple:

CPGCs are trained to marshal and protect assets. That is core to what they do.
CPGCs are certified and actively regulated. They are subject to robust professional standards, discipline, and oversight.
CPGCs are required to carry errors and omissions insurance. Attorneys serving as personal representatives are not necessarily required to do so.
CPGCs have substantial hands-on fiduciary experience. They routinely secure property, manage finances, address creditors, account for assets, and work on complex cases with challenging parties.
CPGCs are often appointed as neutral fiduciaries. Families and attorneys regularly turn to them when an independent professional (e.g. Agent under DOPA) as needed.
CPGCs are generally more cost-effective than banks, trust companies, or attorneys performing the same administrative work.
CPGCs were not the problem HB 2445 was intended to address. Their exclusion appears to have been an oversight.
This is a narrow fix. WAPG is not asking to weaken HB 2445. We are asking that actively certified individual and agency CPGCs be treated like the other regulated professional fiduciaries already recognized by the statute.

I have attached WAPG’s proposed amendments.

Thank you again for your leadership. WAPG would be happy to participate in any way that would be helpful.

Chris Neil, President
Washington Association of Professional Guardians

Chris Neil | Attorney | Neil & Neil, P.S.
5302 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98408 | Chris.Neil at NeilLaw.com
(253)475-8600 | f:(253)473-5746
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> On Aug 5, 2026, at 1:53 PM, Brent Williams-Ruth <brent at williams-ruthlaw.com> wrote:
> 
> Greetings List Mates - 
> 
> As an individual member of the WSBA who has history working on the probate for probate bill, I am meeting with those involved from the AGO to talk about obtaining their support for some "revisions" "modifications" "tweeks" "amendments" - FIXES to the newly passed law. 
> 
> I want to hear from you and your experiences.  Here is my existing list: 
> 1) I want to bring back consent and waiver for the listed family members.  Why is it that it is ok for a surviving spouse to consent to the service of someone but all the children cannot get together and agree to let the son's wife who just did this process for her family and knows all the steps.....why should she have to be a Sub 3 with full intervention?
> 
> 2) Can we amended 11.36.010(3) - to specifically indicate that an attorney within one of those types of entities can also serve with NIP/No Bond
> 
> 3) Amending 11.36.010 to include professional guardianship companies. The argument is that they are already bonded and licensed. Just because they may not be appointed through the 11.28.120(2) process doesn't mean they shouldn't be allowed to qualify for NIP. 
> 
> I plan to share many of the stories that have already come my way, but if you have a specific ask for a revision - send it to me by the start of business on the 7th (this friday) as I will be having my zoom. 
> 
> To be fully transparent, I am basically advising that I have sponsors that will put this through but I would like the AGO to support these under the guise of.....they broke it, they should support the effort to fix it and make it as best as possible while still maintaining the integrity of what they wanted to accomplish. 
> 
> If you have not heard me speak on this topic - this is a delicate dance. There are some issues where the AGO was intractable in their demand for what the legislation should say. My hope is that these specific fixes and the explanation as to WHY - will win the day and have their support. 
> 
> Thank you!
> Brent
> 
> 
> 
> Brent Williams-Ruth (pronouns: he/him)
> Attorney-At-Law
> 
> Law Offices of Brent Williams-Ruth, a division of BWR Consulting, PLLC
> 
> Physical Address: 500 S 336th Street, Suite 214; Federal Way, WA 98003
> 
> Mailing Address: PO BOX 3319; Federal Way, WA 98063 
> 
> Office/Scheduling Phone: (253) 285-7751
> 
> For All Meetings & Scheduling: info at williams-ruthlaw.com <mailto:info at williams-ruthlaw.com>
> 
> e-mail <mailto:Brent at Williams-RuthLaw.com> / website <http://www.williams-ruthlaw.com/> / facebook <http://www.facebook.com/bwrlaw> / 
> 
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