<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Good morning, listers,</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I have an upcoming hearing to admit an unsigned Will to probate. The Will is dated, initialed at the bottom, and witnessed by two witnesses.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The decedent signed estate planning documents with two witnesses, and they passed around paperwork and thought everyone signed and witnessed as necessary. However, only after her death when the Will was reviewed for probate did they discover that the signature line on the Will is blank. The Will is dated, initialed at the bottom of each page, and the Affidavit of Witnesses is filled out and signed. I have submitted additional Declarations from the Witness as to the circumstances of signing the documents and recent emails from the decedent where she discusses her Will.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">In my Petition, have argued the following:</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>1. Petitioner can sign by mark (arguing that her initials at the bottom are her “mark.”)</div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>2. Law favors testacy</div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>3. Testator is presumed not to intend to die intestate</div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div class="">Does anyone have any arguments, statutes, or case law to bolster the admission of this Will to probate?</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Such as, </div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>What constitutes a “mark”?</div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Preference to admit the Will and allow a Will contest rather than reject the Will?<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div class="">I appreciate any insight you might have!</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><br class=""><div class="">
<span><img apple-inline="yes" id="E7CFE100-18EC-46E7-8826-B413B6158CDC" src="cid:C79E98F6-A4CF-4882-BFFF-2416315E6619@hsd1.wa.comcast.net" class=""></span><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class=""><font face="Lucida Calligraphy" class=""><i class=""><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><br class=""></i></font></div><div class=""><font face="Lucida Calligraphy" class=""><i class=""><br class=""></i></font></div><div class=""><font face="Lucida Calligraphy" class=""><i class="">Amy J. Goertz, J.D.</i></font></div><div class=""><font face="Lucida Calligraphy" class=""><i class="">Goertz & Lambrecht PLLC</i></font></div><div class=""><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><a href="mailto:amyjgoertz@icloud.com" class="">amyjgoertz@icloud.com</a> </div><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;">1.888.926.2607 phone<br class="">1.877.684.1627 fax<br class=""><br class=""></div><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;">Address for correspondence:</div><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;">2829 S. Grand Blvd., Suite 303<br class="">Spokane, WA 99203 </div><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;">Additional office locations:</div><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;">510 Bell Street<br class="">Edmonds, WA 98020</div><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><br class=""></div><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;">Goertz & Lambrecht PLLC</div><div class="" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><a href="http://www.goertzlambrecht.com/" class="">www.goertzlambrecht.com</a></div></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; line-height: normal;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;">
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