<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Arial Narrow";
panose-1:2 11 6 6 2 2 2 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Perhaps it was on the Elder Law Listserv, but earlier in the week someone shared an email from the Presiding Judge in Kitsap County, who had inquired of Chief Justice Stephens in Olympia whether attorneys provide “essential services.” Justice Stephens stated that we do. Remember that in many ways we are under the jurisdiction of the judicial branch, not the legislative or executive. I think that may be why Governor Inslee referred to the state supreme court in his list of “essential services.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I’ll try to find the email and share it.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>John J. Sullivan<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com <wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Sara D. Longley<br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, March 27, 2020 12:40 PM<br><b>To:</b> 'WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv' <wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [WSBAPT] attorneys are officers of the court--therefore essential<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Susan,<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'>I also believe doing estate planning is an essential service. My office colleagues and I have conducted signings as you describe, before the “stay home” order was announced. <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'>For signings going forward I also plan to implement the following: when I print documents, I handle the paper only with gloves on, and all witnesses and the notary also wear gloves and take care not to touch anything else during the signing process. (I like to keep a scan of the documents, and any scanning would be done while still using gloves.) That way, the clients take home original signed documents that have not been touched by human hands since the paper was packaged up.<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'>My office has not done a will signing since last week, so I would be interested in any additional precautions others are taking.<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'>Best,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Sara Longley<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Sara D. Longley<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Ivy Law Group, PLLC<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>1734 NW Market Street<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Phone: (206) 706-2909<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Fax: (206) 834-6044<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:sara@ivylawgroup.com"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>sara@ivylawgroup.com</span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Pronouns: she, her, hers<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:1.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;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='font-size:1.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:#76923C'><img border=0 width=122 height=107 style='width:1.2708in;height:1.1145in' id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D60436.55FFF070" alt="cid:image001.jpg@01CF48D6.0249B5A0"></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><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>Susan Donahue<br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, March 27, 2020 12:09 PM<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] attorneys are officers of the court--therefore essential<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hello everyone,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I have someone who wants to execute his will. So, I’m faced with the actual situation now. On page 10 of the list of “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers’ issued by Governor Inslee on March 23, 2020, “The Courts, consistent with direction from the Washington State Chief Justice” are listed as part of the “essential workforce”. As an attorney, I am an officer of the court, therefore, I argue, I can conduct a will signing if the participants always stay 6’ away from one another by approaching a table outside on my office’s porch one at a time to sign, with the table wiped down and the pen wiped down, etc.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Has anyone figured out a way to conduct will signings under these conditions? Is my argument too novel? If I did this, could I be in violation of the governor’s order?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I know this has been discussed but in previous threads the issue of notarizing was the issue—not the issue of witnessing a will.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Any thoughts would be helpful.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Thank you.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Susan Donahue<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Law Office of Susan Donahue<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>125 West 2<sup>nd</sup> Avenue, Suite “B”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>P.O. Box 81<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Twisp, WA 98856<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(509) 996-5944 (phone)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(509) 362-9692 (fax)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:sdonahue@sdonahuelaw.com">sdonahue@sdonahuelaw.com</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.sdonahuelaw.com">www.sdonahuelaw.com</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>