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I agree with Felicia. I think I would use a conflict of interest letter and add the language Felicia suggested below. Belt and suspenders approach. With that in place and absent any disagreement or actual conflict, I think it’s fine to assist the clients. <br>
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<div dir="ltr">Inge A. Fordham
<div>Fordham Law, PLLC</div>
<div>3218 Sixth Avenue</div>
<div>Tacoma, WA 98406</div>
<div>(253) 348-2657</div>
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<blockquote type="cite">On Sep 27, 2020, at 8:57 AM, Felicia Value <felicia@skagitprobate.com> wrote:<br>
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<p><br>
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<p>Hi Kristina -<br>
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<p>I agree with Phillip Jones' analysis. I would add: If your clients do reach an agreement, I'd quickly set it out in a letter to them - describe the conflict - and their agreed resolution of the conflict. E.g. "Intially you told me X. We later discovered
Y. You eventually agreed that your Wills would read like this _________________________." Because if one of them starts to chew on this later, and asks why YOU wrote their plan the way it's written, you want to be able to document the process and the decisions
THEY made. <br>
</p>
<p>And I'd be careful to reiterate to them ASAP the basic conflit rules - that you can't keep a secret from a client, and that you can't represent either one of them if they can't agree.
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<p>Regards,</p>
<p>Felicia<br>
</p>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 9/26/2020 7:57 AM, Kristina Driessen wrote:<br>
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<blockquote type="cite" cite="mid:MW3PR16MB39323F962CB6BE9F298A7456FC370@MW3PR16MB3932.namprd16.prod.outlook.com">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Good Morning:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">I am preparing Wills for clients. Initially, the wife told me that the property was in just her name. My response was that all property acquired during marriage
was community, despite how it is deeded. This is a conversation with both spouses present.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">I have since learned from reviewing the deeds that the husband signed quit claim deeds several years after both purchases [and not part of a refinance scheme] granting
the property to the wife as her separate property. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Wife would like to give all properties to her children [2 with husband, 1 from previous relationship], husband obviously would like 50% ownership.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">I know the answer if they were to get a dissolution, but fear that in the probate court it opens up a ton of litigation. I also fear now that I know both sides, that
I am precluded from preparing the documents even if they tell me they agree one way or the other.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Thoughts?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old
Style",serif;color:black">Kristina A. Driessen<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old
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<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
PLEASE NOTE! As of August 1, 2019, my office has MOVED to 413 Morris St. in La Conner.
Felicia Value
Attorney at Law
PO Box 578/413 Morris Street
La Conner, WA 98257
(360) 466-2088
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:Felicia@skagitprobate.com">Felicia@skagitprobate.com</a>
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