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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Colleagues,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">PC is surviving spouse and was omitted from decedent’s will, which was executed prior to the date of the marriage. The will is a pour over will that leaves the estate to a RLT that was created decades ago
(well before the creation of the pour over will). Under the omitted spouse statute, PC would be entitled to 100% of the community property and 50% of the decedent’s separate property. Assume, for purposes of this exercise, that there is little or no community
property. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">If all or a majority of what would otherwise be considered “separate property” is actually held in a RLT that was created by the decedent prior to the date of the marriage, does PC have any claim to those
assets? It seems that if the Legislature intended the omitted spouse statute to apply to trust assets, it would have provided as much. RCW 11.98, et seq. does not have a provision similar to RCW 11.12.095. RCW 11.54.010 is also limited to community versus
separate property. What is the effect? Is PC’s claim limited to 50% of the separate property that was not already transferred into the RLT and would therefore be subject to the pour over will?
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Thank you in advance for your thoughts.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:#203864">Inge A. Fordham | Attorney</span></b><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:3.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black">Fordham Law, PLLC<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:3.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black">3218 Sixth Avenue | Tacoma, WA 98406<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:3.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black">Office: (253) 348-2657 | Mobile: (206) 778-3131<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:3.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:black"><a href="http://www.fordhamlegal.com"><span style="color:#0563C1">www.fordhamlegal.com</span></a>
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