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I have some doubts: Paul's fee agreement states, "My services ...
are, by law, limited to representing you as personal representative
of the estate. ... [I]f you got into a dispute with other
beneficiaries over distribution of assets, you might have to hire
separate counsel for that matter." Since the PR's duty includes
distributing estate assets among beneficiaries, why shouldn't the PR
expect his attorney to represent him regarding any dispute relating
to that duty? Granted, a PR's lawyer could withdraw (abandon the
client) whenever a dispute arises, or if the client is not heeding
the lawyer's advice.<br>
<br>
That brings to mind a long-standing concern I have about
lawyer-client conflicts. I often see it said that an individual
client who has conflicting interests (e.g., beneficiary and
fiduciary of a trust or estate, shareholder and director/officer of
a closely held corporation) must retain separate lawyers to advise
him concerning each interest. I disagree. My view is that a
lawyer serves essentially as a supplemental brain for the individual
client -- it's as if the individual client hires and then possesses
the brain (legal knowledge) of a lawyer. If the individual client
actually were a knowledgeable lawyer, he'd not be required to
somehow bisect his brain so as to address each interest separately
without regard to the other interest, but he would "juggle" those
interests based upon his legal knowledge. So in cases in which the
law tolerates one individual acting with conflicting interests
(e.g., PR and estate beneficiary), the law should permit him to be
advised by a single lawyer concerning the juggling of those
competing interests.<br>
<br>
Doug Schafer, in Tacoma.<br>
P.S. please forgive the use on masculine pronouns, but it got
cumbersome with repeated him/her's.<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 8/19/2015 2:10 PM, Eric Nelsen
wrote:<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">That's
great language Paul--thanks. Clear and succinct. I may use
that myself.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span
style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p>Eric
C. Nelsen<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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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"">
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com">wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>
[<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="mailto:wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com">mailto:wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Paul Neumiller<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, August 19, 2015 10:39 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> 'WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv'<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [WSBAPT] Questions regarding
wrongful death claims and probate<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Eric,
thanks for the clarification. I use the following language
in all of my fee agreements for probates:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">“You
are personally responsible for payment of all amounts due,
for example, if the estate has insufficient funds for their
payment. My services on behalf of the estate are, by law,
limited to representing you as personal representative for
the estate. I do not represent you as an individual, or
your interests as an individual beneficiary. I do not
represent the estate itself, or any of the estate's
beneficiaries. So, for example, if you had a claim against
the estate for services rendered to the decedent, or if you
got into a dispute with other beneficiaries over
distribution of assets, you might have to hire separate
counsel for that matter. My job is to assist you in your
work as personal representative throughout the probate
process, with a primary focus on assisting you in carrying
out your fiduciary duties according to the law.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">In
other words, I gotta get paid.
</span></p>
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