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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>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Californian;color:black">LICENSED IN WASHINGTON AND OREGON</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Californian;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">IMPORTANT/CONFIDENTIAL: This e-mail message (and any attachments accompanying it) may contain confidential information, including information protected by attorney-client
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If you are not the intended recipient, or if this message has been addressed to you in error, do not read, disclose, reproduce, distribute, disseminate or otherwise use this transmission, rather, please promptly notify the sender by reply e-mail, and then
destroy all copies of the message and its attachments, if any.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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