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<div>I'm not sure exactly what the judge was objecting to, but you mention ethics, and the only ethics issue that comes to mind is the question of whether an attorney can represent a creditor and also represent the PR. Down here in Oregon, we have two ethics
rulings by the Oregon State Bar that says it is ethically permissible if they are the very same person. Which makes perfect sense, because if you have only one person as your client, you can't have a conflict, even if that one person is wearing two different
hats. Karen Boxx and I spoke on this subject at the Seattle estate planning seminar two years ago. The problem is that Washington has no legal authority directly on point. The Oregon rule seems to be the best answer, but I was once warned that the Washington
ethics committee might rule the other way if someone were to take the question to them. So approaching the ethics committee might not get you the answer you want.<br>
Phil Jones</div>
<div id="AppleMailSignature"><br>
Philip N. Jones
<div>Duffy Kekel LLP</div>
<div>Portland, OR</div>
<div><a href="mailto:pjones@duffykekel.com">pjones@duffykekel.com</a></div>
<div>(503) 226-1371</div>
</div>
<div><br>
On Sep 7, 2018, at 5:22 PM, Dalynne Singleton <<a href="mailto:dalynne@glgmail.com">dalynne@glgmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana Pro",sans-serif">I have done a lot of creditor opened probates in the past 15 years. This week I had a first – a Judge in King County Superior Court chastised me in open court when I opened
a probate for a deceased defendant from a tort. Not for wanting to serve as Administrator when no one in the family stepped up, but for getting paid to do so from the creditor’s counsel. The defendant’s family had not opened his probate and the statute of
limitations on the tort was coming up. An estate needed to be opened, an Administrator appointed and served with the tort litigation complaint.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana Pro",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana Pro",sans-serif">I have done more than 50 deceased defendant probates and in many, I am appointed the Administrator. Usually, I am hired by tort plaintiff’s counsel who do not know probate
law and want me to handle the probate side of things. I’ve never had any issues, until this week. RCW 11.28.120(6) provides for creditors to serve and then (7) any suitable person… Judge appointed me but said – you are not getting paid by the creditor or
creditor’s counsel.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana Pro",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana Pro",sans-serif">I would like to hear of your experiences in handling estates for deceased plaintiffs or defendants involved in tort litigation or wrongful death. Have you had any issues
with opening estates on behalf of creditors, appointing attorney Administrators and being paid by the creditor or creditor’s counsel? If a tort creditor is not given an opportunity to open a deceased defendant’s estate to protect the tort litigation statute,
there is no other remedy…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana Pro",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana Pro",sans-serif">I have contacted the WSBA Ethics committee, feel I am justified in what I have been doing, and will be asking for a written opinion but was told it may take up to 4 months
and the committee has to agree to take the ethics issues on before any opinion will be given.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Verdana Pro",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial Rounded MT Bold",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Dalynne Singleton<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:#1F497D">Gourley Law Group<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:#1F497D">Snohomish Escrow<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:#1F497D">The Exchange Connection<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Rounded MT Bold",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">1002 10<sup>th</sup> Street / PO Box 1091<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Rounded MT Bold",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">Snohomish, WA 98291<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Rounded MT Bold",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Rounded MT Bold",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">360.568.5065<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Rounded MT Bold",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">360.329.4079<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Rounded MT Bold",sans-serif;color:#1F497D">360.568.8092 fax<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Rounded MT Bold",sans-serif;color:#0563C1"><a href="mailto:dalynne@glgmail.com"><span style="color:#0563C1">dalynne@glgmail.com</span></a></span></u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Rounded MT Bold",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></p>
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