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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Scott:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>How did Decedent “inherit all that he owned at the time of his death” from his deceased wife. Was there a will to that effect? Was there a probate at the time of her death? Or, did everything pass due to a Community Property Agreement?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Depending upon how long Decedent and your client’s mother were married at the time of the client’s mother’s death, is it possible that there was any separate property belonging to client’s mother, half of which would have gone to your client, as her child, with the other half of the separate property going to the decedent, at that time her surviving spouse. Again, that is assuming that there was no will, and assuming that all of the client’s mother’s money was not in non-probate assets with the husband named as the beneficiary thereof.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Talk about being in the right place at the right time, with a bunch of circumstances falling in just the right order for the deceased individual’s long-gone birth mother. Equities are certainly on the side of your client, but this is one more example of why people should acknowledge their inevitable demise and make a will. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Your client’s situation reminds me quite a bit of a client of mine whose long-time partner (now deceased) bothered to change over some non-probate assets to my client, but just did not get around to updating his will, to include provisions which recognized their quality relationship that was long-term and devoted, albeit, without the marriage certificate. His death occurred on the very day he was retiring and traveling back to re-join his partner, my client. A will, over twenty years old, and predating the start of the relationship with my client, ended up being the dispositive document, and included a long-ago estranged sibling to whom the decedent had not spoken for almost ten years. Such a shame. But, so many people shy away from wills for whatever reason.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>I would say best of luck, Scott, but I think your client is SOL.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Doug Bratt<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Lucida Calligraphy";color:#1F497D'>Douglas J. Bratt</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Calligraphy";color:#1F497D'>Lawyer</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'><img width=220 height=224 id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D0617A.AC150EF0" alt="Envelope scaled Foster"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'>Office: (360) 213-2040 <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'> Fax: (360) 213-2030<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'>CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email message may contain confidential or privileged information. If you have received this message by mistake, please do not review, disclose, copy, or distribute the email. Instead, please notify us immediately by replying to this message or telephoning us. Thank you.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'>NOTE:</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'>I do not use encrypted email. Messages sent to or from my office via email are not secure and may not be protected by attorney-client privilege. This email address is not monitored at all times. If your matter is urgent, please phone my office during regular business hours.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'>TAX ADVICE NOTICE: IRS Circular 230 requires us to advise you that, if this communication or any attachment contains any tax advice, the advice is not intended to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of avoiding federal tax penalties. A taxpayer may rely on professional advice to avoid federal tax penalties only if the advice is reflected in a comprehensive tax opinion that conforms to stringent requirements. Please contact us if you have any questions about Circular 230 or would like to discuss our preparation of an opinion that conforms to these IRS rules.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com [mailto:wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Scott Kee<br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, March 18, 2015 11:57 AM<br><b>To:</b> wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com<br><b>Subject:</b> [WSBAPT] Quasi Adoption for inheritance purposes<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Listmates:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I have a client who is a stepchild of the deceased. Deceased left no Will, and inherited all of what he owned at the time of death from my client’s mother, decedent’s wife(who died 6 months prior). At the time of death decedent was not married, had no kids and no siblings. Decedent was abandoned by his natural parents at an early age and raised by another family. Prior to his death, decedent claimed he was adopted, however it appears that was not case. Our investigation reveals no evidence of an adoption. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>If the above is correct, the estate would normally escheat. However, client filed a probate, seeking to inherit under RCW 11.04.095(inheritance from stepparent to avoid escheat). An affidavit from decedent’s birth mother was filed, claiming she is the only heir. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Question---Is anyone aware of authority supporting an argument from my client that there was a “quasi” adoption, or that the natural mother lost inheritance rights by abandoning decedent at an early age and not being involved in decedent’s life for 50+ years. I feel like the answer is “no” and equity really doesn’t matter in a case like this . . . . <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:blue'>C. Scott Kee</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:blue'>Rodgers Kee & Card, P.S.</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:blue'>324 West Bay Drive, Suite 201</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:blue'>Olympia, WA 98502</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:blue'>(360) 352-8311</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:blue'><a href="mailto:scottkee@buddbaylaw.com" target="_blank">scottkee@buddbaylaw.com</a></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>