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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:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>Nick, thanks so much for telling me about the case law and the recent statutory change!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>Dennis<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;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 style='punctuation-wrap:hanging;text-autospace:ideograph-numeric ideograph-other'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;position:relative;top:0pt;mso-text-raise:0pt'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;position:relative;top:0pt;mso-text-raise:0pt'> wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com <wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Nicholas Pleasants<br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, June 10, 2020 7:47 PM<br><b>To:</b> WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [WSBAPT] declaration of witnesses to wills in Snohomish County<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Witness attestation to the Will does not need to be notarized. See <i>In re Estate of Starkel</i>, 134 P.3d 1197, 134 Wn. App. 364 (Wash. App. 2006). Declaration is adequate to admit a Will. I have not heard of any problems in Snohomish County on this issue. And the legislature has enacted a fix, which the governor has signed, to permanently codify this issue. See SB 6028 Sec. 23 (<a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=6028&Year=2019">https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=6028&Year=2019</a>), which will be effective tomorrow, June 11, 2020! Professor Karen Boxx and Senator Jamie Pedersen led an effort to fix this potential issue. The bill amends RCW 5.50.030 (<a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=5.50.030">https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=5.50.030</a>) to delete sub (2)(e). The effect is that an unsworn declaration should suffice to authenticate a Will.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Best,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Nick <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='punctuation-wrap:hanging;text-autospace:ideograph-other'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#2B6AA4;position:relative;top:0pt;mso-text-raise:0pt'>Nicholas Pleasants</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;position:relative;top:0pt;mso-text-raise:0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='punctuation-wrap:hanging;text-autospace:ideograph-other'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;position:relative;top:0pt;mso-text-raise:0pt'>Pleasants Law Firm, P.S.<br>2300 130th Ave NE, Suite A-101<br>Bellevue, WA 98005-1755<br>(425) 615-7070 tel/fax<br><a href="mailto:nick@pleasantslaw.com"><span style='color:#00006A'>nick@pleasantslaw.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='punctuation-wrap:hanging;text-autospace:ideograph-other'><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;position:relative;top:0pt;mso-text-raise:0pt'>The information contained in this e-mail message may be privileged and is confidential information intended only for the use of the recipient, or any employee or agent responsible to deliver it to the intended recipient. Any unauthorized use, distribution or copying of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;position:relative;top:0pt;mso-text-raise:0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black;position:relative;top:0pt;mso-text-raise:0pt'>If you have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately and destroy the original message and all attachments from your electronic files.</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='color:black'>From: </span></b><span style='color:black'><<a href="mailto:wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com">wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>> on behalf of Dennis Burman <<a href="mailto:dburman@premier1.net">dburman@premier1.net</a>><br><b>Reply-To: </b>WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <<a href="mailto:wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com">wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>><br><b>Date: </b>Wednesday, June 10, 2020 at 10:55 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] declaration of witnesses to wills in Snohomish County<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>Do any of the commissioners have an issue with declarations of witnesses rather than affidavits of witnesses being presented in support of wills? Thanks.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>Dennis Lee Burman</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>PO Box 1620</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>Marysville, WA 98270</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>(360) 657-3332</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>