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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>Your client needs to apply for and become the DFAS “representative payee” for her husband. Then, she will have the legal authority to designate the account to which the retirement pension is directly deposited. Each federal agency that issues financial benefits [e.g., Social Security, Veteran’s Dept., Office of Personnel Management for civil service pensions, and the like] has similar requirements. The existence of a durable power of attorney makes becoming the representative payee much easier, but a medical report and an application form are required, at a minimum. Each agency has its own procedure and forms. There is more information on the DFAS website at <a href="https://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/survivors/Powers-of-Attorney-Third-Party-Reps-Annuitants.html">https://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/survivors/Powers-of-Attorney-Third-Party-Reps-Annuitants.html</a> The sooner your client gets started with this, the sooner money will flow. A guardianship is not manadatory.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>Durable powers of attorney are creatures of state law, not federal law, so the federal agencies honor them only as directed statutorily to do so by Congress. There is no single federal durable power of attorney that bypasses the representative payee requirements when the beneficiary is incapacitated.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>Jenny Rydberg, JD<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>206-550-5491<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 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"'> Heather de Vrieze [mailto:heatherd@westseattlelaw.com] <br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, January 21, 2020 10:25 AM<br><b>To:</b> WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [WSBAPT] DFAS refusing to Accept POA<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I have run into similar situations and ultimately sorted it out by getting the principal to give verbal permission, or, sign the appropriate forms. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Heather<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Vladimir Script";color:#1F497D'>Heather S. de Vrieze</span><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt;color:#1F497D'><br></span></b><i><span style='font-family:"Garamond","serif";color:#1F497D'>Attorney-at-Law<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-family:"Garamond","serif";color:#1F497D'><img border=0 width=189 height=105 id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image002.jpg@01D5D233.E57B0F30"></span></i><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond","serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E'>3909 California Avenue SW<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E'>Seattle, WA 98116-3705 <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E'>(206)938-5500 <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:heatherd@westseattlelaw.com"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E'>heatherd@westseattlelaw.com</span></a><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.westseattlelaw.com/"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E'>www.westseattlelaw.com</span></a><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#002E8A'>Click here to connect with de Vrieze | Carney on Facebook: </span><span style='color:#1F497D'> </span></b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/DeVriezeCarney"><b><span style='text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=72 height=21 id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image004.png@01D5D233.E57B0F30" alt="FB Logo"></span></b></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#A6A6A6'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;color:#A6A6A6'>CONFIDENTIAL & PRIVILEGED. This e-mail message may contain legally privileged and/or confidential information. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete all copies of this e-mail message and any attachment.</span><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Cambria","serif";color:blue'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><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">wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Brent Williams-Ruth<br><b>Sent:</b> Saturday, January 18, 2020 9:37 AM<br><b>To:</b> WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <<a href="mailto:WSBAPT@lists.wsbarppt.com">WSBAPT@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> [WSBAPT] DFAS refusing to Accept POA<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Has anyone had any experience fighting with Defense Finance and Accounting Services about accepting a POA?<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Client has 92 year old (demented) mother who receives her deceased husband's military pension. Identify theft occurred and the Bank just did what banks do - close the account and open a new one. No problem! Now go call all the direct deposits and have them send money to the new account number. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br>Call to DFAS - sorry, we won't accept a POA, you must go to Court and be appointed guardian for this incapacitated person. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>POA is durable. Legally and fully executed prior to incapacity. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>I have not seen any posts about this from here before so I am hoping someone may have a better way that moving forward with guardianship action. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Thank you!<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Brent<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><div><div><div><div><p><b>Brent Williams-Ruth</b> <br><i>Attorney-At-Law</i><o:p></o:p></p><p><b>Law Offices of Brent Williams-Ruth, </b><b><span style='font-size:7.5pt'>a division of BWR Consulting, PLLC</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p>Office/Scheduling Phone:<span style='color:#004080'> </span>(425) 830-5134<o:p></o:p></p><p>Direct Mobile: (206) 889-7919<o:p></o:p></p><p><a href="mailto:Brent@Williams-RuthLaw.com" target="_blank">e-mail</a> / <a href="http://www.Williams-RuthLaw.com/" target="_blank">website</a> /<span style='font-size:9.5pt'> </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/bwrconsults" target="_blank"><span style='font-size:9.5pt'>facebook</span></a><span style='font-size:9.5pt'> / </span><o:p></o:p></p><p><b><span style='font-size:9.5pt;color:red;background:white'>As of July 1, 2019 - I began operating as the Law Offices of Brent Williams-Ruth a division of BWR Consulting, PLLC. Please note the new points of contact <a href="mailto:Brent@Williams-RuthLaw.com">Brent@Williams-RuthLaw.com</a> and <a href="http://www.Williams-RuthLaw.com" target="_blank">www.Williams-RuthLaw.com</a> </span></b><o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>