<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="text-align: justify;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="text-align: justify;" class=""><font size="2" class=""><span style="text-align: justify;" class=""><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">In the case at hand, the total </span>community<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class=""> property owned by husband and wife at the time of death (2014) was </span></span>approximately $50,000. There was no separate property.</font></div><div style="text-align: justify;" class=""><font size="2" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div style="text-align: justify;" class=""><font size="2" class="">The decedent husband and surviving spouse each had substantial credit card debt in their names of about $25,000 each. After husband died, prior to hiring counsel, widow paid down credit cards in his name by about $20,000. Now, more than two years after his death, the outstanding creditors in the names of husband and wife (mostly wife remaining) are approximately $30,000.00 down from about $50,000 at the time of death.</font></div><div style="text-align: justify;" class=""><font size="2" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div style="text-align: justify;" class=""><font size="2" class="">We’ve now started a probate more than two years after death. There was no notice to creditors but the time for creditor claims has passed. </font></div><div style="text-align: justify;" class=""><font size="2" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div style="text-align: justify;" class=""><font size="2" class="">I am preparing a Petition for Family Award. The Order states that an “a</font><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="">ward of all of the property of decedent’s estate, including his one-half of the community property and all of his separate property totaling $<u class=""> "</u></span> may be awarded, and the award is discharged of all debts of decedent and decedent’s spouse existing at the time of death.</div><div style="text-align: justify;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="text-align: justify;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="text-align: justify;" class=""><font size="2" class="">Am I limited to asking for an award of his share of the community property ($25,000)? If so, and the order states that the award is free from all debts of the community, does that mean that the creditor cards that are in her name can be collected upon from her half of the community property? What have others experienced from creditors in these situations?</font></div><div style="text-align: justify;" class=""><font size="2" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div style="text-align: justify;" class=""><font size="2" class="">Thanks in advance-</font></div><div style="text-align: justify;" class=""><font size="2" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div style="text-align: justify;" class=""><font size="2" class="">Amy</font></div><div style="text-align: justify;" class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class=""><font face="Lucida Calligraphy" class=""><i class="">Amy J. Goertz, J.D.</i></font></div><div class=""><font face="Lucida Calligraphy" class=""><i class="">Goertz & Lambrecht PLLC</i></font></div><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;"><a href="mailto:brucejlambrecht@icloud.com" class="">amyjgoertz@icloud.com</a></div><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;">1.888.926.2607 phone<br class="">1.877.684.1627 fax<br class=""><br class=""></div><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;">Address for correspondence:</div><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;">2829 S. Grand Blvd., Suite 303<br class="">Spokane, WA 99203 </div><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;">Additional office locations:</div><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;">510 Bell Street<br class="">Edmonds, WA 98020</div><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;">7418 East Helm Drive<br class="">Scottsdale, AZ 85260</div><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;">Goertz & Lambrecht PLLC</div><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;">Lambrecht Dispute Resolution LLC</div><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;"><a href="http://www.goertzlambrecht.com/" class="">www.goertzlambrecht.com</a></div><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;"><a href="http://www.lambrechtdisputeresolution.com/" class="">www.lambrechtdisputeresolution.com</a></div></div><div class=""><br class=""></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>