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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.0pt">Hello, list mates – <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.0pt">My client is one of three adult children whose elderly mother has needed substantial help with care and arranging care for her. My client gave up a highly compensated professional job and also depleted savings
to care for and arrange care for her mother. Upon mom’s death, the three children are to receive an equal share of mon’s sizable estate, according to the terms of two trusts of which mom is the beneficiary – one revocable and one irrevocable. The other two
children, both professionals who have been able to keep working, agree this is not a fair outcome.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.0pt">There is a significant question whether mom has capacity to amend her revocable trust to provide for a larger share to the caregiver child at mom’s death, and the trust forbids her agent under a DPOA from
making such an amendment. I have concluded that I should not also represent mom in amending her trust to change the beneficiary structure, due to the potential for a conflict of interest, and that another attorney would need to consult with mom and determine
if she has capacity. In an effort to avoid bringing in other attorneys, we have also looked at whether a trustee of the irrevocable trust could distribute principal from that trust to the caregiver child, if the transaction were properly documented. And of
course there is the option of having the trusts pay the caregiver child some amount of taxable compensation.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.0pt">I have explored these questions with a couple of other attorneys so far.
<b>My question is this: Have you represented a family member in a similar situation, and what solution(s) did the family come up with?
</b>I think this must not be an uncommon situation. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.0pt">Best,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.0pt">Sharon <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">Sharon C. Rutberg, Attorney at Law</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">Salmon Bay Law Group, PLLC</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">1734 NW Market St.</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">Seattle, WA 98107</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">206-735-3177, ext. 2</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><a href="mailto:sharon@salmonbaylaw.com"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:#0563C1">sharon@salmonbaylaw.com</span></a></span><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">
</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">Website:
<a href="http://www.salmonbaylaw.com/"><span style="color:#0563C1">www.salmonbaylaw.com</span></a></span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black">Washington State Bar #47055<br>
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