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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Thanks Mark--That's my thinking as well, as to retirement accounts in name of the decedent. Exempt during life, still exempt during death. I did neglect to mention, though, that they're not non-probate assets
because they didn't list a beneficiary--they were payable to the estate.<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">Then, as to the surviving spouse's retirement account, that's neither probate nor non-probate--there's no pay out due because they are triggered by death of the survivor. But decedent had a one-half CP interest
in them. But it seems to me, if the account was exempt from attachment during life, then the death of one spouse shouldn't make half of the
<u>survivor's</u> retirement account suddenly accessible to creditors.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D">Eric<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D">Eric C. Nelsen<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D">SAYRE LAW OFFICES, PLLC<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D">1417 31st Ave South<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D">Seattle WA 98144-3909<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D">phone 206-625-0092<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D">fax 206-625-9040<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:red">Please Note that We Have Moved.</span></b><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D">
</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D">We have moved our Seattle office to Mount Baker Ridge (a small commercial community just above the I-90 tunnel).
<b>Our new address is 1417 31st Avenue South, Seattle WA 98144. </b>All other contact information remains the same.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<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>Mark Vohr<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, November 15, 2016 3:05 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [WSBAPT] Estate with creditor claims but exempt assets<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Eric – I’ll take a shot at this.
<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"> Estate creditors cannot get to those assets. Most would be non-probate assets, but are not accessible to creditors as non-probate assets. See RCW 11.02.005 for definition of non-probate assets.
Basically, the way to look at it is that if the creditor couldn’t get to the asset during life, the creditor can’t get to the asset at death. See also, RCW 48.18.410 which protects life insurance proceeds from creditors of the estate if there is a named beneficiary.<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"> Since the whole of separate and community property is administered as part of the estate, the same reasoning should apply to the surviving spouse. Make sure to provide notice to these creditors
to cut off claims. If the creditor can otherwise go after the surviving spouse, then the spouse may have to pay. However, retirement assets in the name of the spouse should be protected just as they are in the name of the decedent.
<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>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Baskerville Old Face","serif";color:#1F497D">Mark<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Bradley Hand ITC";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Bradley Hand ITC";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Bradley Hand ITC";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Bradley Hand ITC";color:#1F497D">Ohana Fiduciary Corp.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Bradley Hand ITC";color:#1F497D">Ohana Financial Services<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<td width="468" valign="top" style="width:351.0pt;border:solid windowtext 1.0pt;border-left:none;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bradley Hand ITC";color:#1F497D">Mark C. Vohr, J.D., CPG, Principal<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bradley Hand ITC";color:#1F497D">PO Box 33710 Seattle, WA 98133<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bradley Hand ITC";color:#1F497D">T: (206) 782-1189 F: (206) 782-1434<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calisto MT";color:#1F497D"><a href="mailto:mcv@ohanafc.com"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#0563C1">mcv@ohanafc.com</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D">
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calisto MT";color:#1F497D"><a href="http://www.ohanafc.com/"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#0563C1">www.ohanafc.com</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bradley Hand ITC";color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Bradley Hand ITC";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<div style="border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> <a href="mailto:wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com">
wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a> [<a href="mailto:wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com">mailto:wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Eric Nelsen<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, November 15, 2016 2:42 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> WSBA Probate & Trust listserve (<a href="mailto:wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com">wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>) <<a href="mailto:wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com">wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [WSBAPT] Estate with creditor claims but exempt assets<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If an Estate has $50,000 in creditor claims but its only available assets are retirement accounts exempt from seizure under
<a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__app.leg.wa.gov_RCW_default.aspx-3Fcite-3D6.15-26full-3Dtrue-236.15.020&d=DQMFAg&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=K1mLMC1eFjwfeeMM-AC6zQ&m=DY5JIujnt46cGhiAK_E3h9Dl9-oXw9mQ7SPNllWqa8o&s=jzVWA6bWFq-87sYh_IgNbUah0AxU9GkNBZ-vDzzjspM&e=">
RCW 6.15.020</a>, does that also exempt the Estate from paying the creditor claims?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The statute says:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in">The right of a person to a pension, annuity, or retirement allowance or disability allowance, or death benefits, or any optional benefit, or any other right accrued or accruing to any citizen of the state of Washington
under any employee benefit plan, and any fund created by such a plan or arrangement,
<b><u>shall be exempt from execution, attachment, garnishment, or seizure by or under any legal process whatever</u></b>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Does that include a creditor claim process in an estate?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Additional wrinkle, bonus points: The retirement account is actually accrued by and in name of the
<u>surviving</u> spouse -- community property. Same result?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Can the surviving spouse be forced to pay a debt, via a creditor claim process, with assets that couldn't be attacked by attachment or garnishment?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Eric<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Eric C. Nelsen<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">SAYRE LAW OFFICES, PLLC<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">1417 31st Ave South<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Seattle WA 98144-3909<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">phone 206-625-0092<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">fax 206-625-9040<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:red">Please Note that We Have Moved.</span></b><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt">
</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt">We have moved our Seattle office to Mount Baker Ridge (a small commercial community just above the I-90 tunnel).
<b>Our new address is 1417 31st Avenue South, Seattle WA 98144. </b>All other contact information remains the same.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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