<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Helvetica;
panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Yu Gothic";
panose-1:2 11 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"\@Yu Gothic";
panose-1:2 11 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Garamond;
panose-1:2 2 4 4 3 3 1 1 8 3;}
@font-face
{font-family:Nyala;
panose-1:2 0 5 4 7 3 0 2 0 3;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Lucida Calligraphy";
panose-1:3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Vladimir Script";
panose-1:3 5 4 2 4 4 7 7 3 5;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle19
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal">I agree with Heather. This is where you want to develop a relationship with a title insurance company. Most of them will prepare a preliminary commitment for attorneys at no charge, and then you just ask them what is required to vest it
into the surviving spouse. Usually a Lack of Probate Affidavit and Death Certificate, copy of the Will, Community Property Agreement if available, or some combination of those documents will get the job done. Once you’ve done that leg work, it is imperative
that the realtor understands you already have a title commitment at a particular company and want that to be in the listing so the buyers are aware of that.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That is assuming the PR is intending to list the house for sale. If it is going to stay in the family, then you may or may not want to buy a new title insurance policy. If not, then possibly I would probate the first spouse’s estate as
well, so it transfers by PR Deed to second spouse, and then PR for second spouse can transfer by PR Deed to relative. That way if relative eventually goes to sell, there is a really good paper trail and it shouldn’t be an issue. I’ve occasionally ran into
problems when only a LOPA was used, and now the grandchild wants to sell grandma’s house, and title company is asking for an Affidavit that grandma’s estate was not subject to estate tax or Medicaid liens, and we have no personal knowledge of that. So I tend
to think a second probate or purchase of title insurance is worth it if the house might be staying in the family for a long time.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Best, <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Nick<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#2B6AA4">Nicholas Pleasants<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#2B6AA4">Owner<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#2B6AA4"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#2B6AA4"><a href="http://www.pleasantslaw.com/"><span style="color:#2B6AA4;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="144" height="44" style="width:1.5in;height:.4583in" id="_x0000_i1028" src="file:////Users/pleasantsn/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Outlook/Data/Library/Caches/Signatures/signature_468556112" alt="(Logo) Pleasants Law Firm"></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">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>
</span><span style="color:#2E75B6"><a href="mailto:nick@pleasantslaw.com"><span style="color:#2E75B6">nick@pleasantslaw.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#2E75B6"><a href="http://www.pleasantslaw.com"><span style="color:#2E75B6">www.pleasantslaw.com</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;color:black">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="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;color:black">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><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div style="border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black">From: </span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com> on behalf of Heather de Vrieze <heatherd@westseattlelaw.com><br>
<b>Reply-To: </b>WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com><br>
<b>Date: </b>Wednesday, November 3, 2021 at 4:15 PM<br>
<b>To: </b>WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com><br>
<b>Subject: </b>Re: [WSBAPT] Adding Spouse to Probate<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Have you already tried clearing pre-deceased spouse from title with a CPA and death certificate? Is this a testate or intestate pre-deceased spouse? Is the property being sold, or kept in the family? How long
ago did first spouse die?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">I’m not sure that going back to add the spouse to the probate is particularly useful, or tidy. Depending on answers to the questions above, I would consider a Lack of Probate Affidavit, a simple probate (open,
deed, close) or an adjudication of testacy/intestacy and heirship before I tried to convert existing probate to a joint probate.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Heather<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Vladimir Script";color:#1F497D">Heather S. de Vrieze</span><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;color:#1F497D"><br>
</span></b><i><span style="font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#1F497D">Attorney-at-Law<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#1F497D"><img border="0" width="189" height="105" style="width:1.9687in;height:1.0937in" id="Picture_x0020_3" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D7D0CF.19160480"></span></i><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E">3909 California Avenue SW<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E">Seattle, WA 98116-3705
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E">(206)938-5500
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:heatherd@westseattlelaw.com"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E">heatherd@westseattlelaw.com</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.westseattlelaw.com/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E">www.westseattlelaw.com</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#002E8A">Click here to connect with de Vrieze | Carney on Facebook:
</span><span style="color:#1F497D"> </span></b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/DeVriezeCarney"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"><b><span style="color:blue"><img border="0" width="72" height="21" style="width:.75in;height:.2187in" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image002.png@01D7D0CF.19160480" alt="FB Logo"></span></b></span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;color:#A6A6A6"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;color:#A6A6A6">CONFIDENTIAL & PRIVILEGED. This e-mail message may contain legally privileged and/or confidential information. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately
and delete all copies of this e-mail message and any attachment.</span><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:blue"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><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"><b>From:</b> wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com <wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Amy Goertz<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, November 3, 2021 9:32 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [WSBAPT] Adding Spouse to Probate<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt">Good morning, listers,</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt">I opened a probate recently and have now discovered that the house is in the pre-deceased spouse’s name.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt">Can anyone point me to a statute or does anyone have pleading to add a spouse to an ongoing probate? </span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt">I would appreciate if I don’t have to re-invent the wheel.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt">Thanks in advance for your consideration -</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img border="0" width="235" height="90" style="width:2.4479in;height:.9375in" id="EBDA6D0E-0908-4B3F-B23E-424D43AAEF07" src="cid:image003.gif@01D7D0CF.19160480"><o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Calligraphy";color:black">Amy J. Goertz, J.D.</span></i><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Lucida Calligraphy";color:black">Goertz & Lambrecht PLLC</span></i><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black"><a href="mailto:amyjgoertz@icloud.com">amyjgoertz@icloud.com</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black">1.888.926.2607 phone<br>
1.877.684.1627 fax<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black">Address for correspondence:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black">2829 S. Grand Blvd., Suite 303<br>
Spokane, WA 99203 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black">Additional office locations:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black">510 Bell Street<br>
Edmonds, WA 98020<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black">Goertz & Lambrecht PLLC<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black"><a href="http://www.goertzlambrecht.com/">www.goertzlambrecht.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:Helvetica;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>