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<div dir="ltr">Jeanne,</div>
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<div dir="ltr">I do not believe you can “get to” per capita (for any generational levels you might have in play). This language to me is unequivocally creating one share for each deceased sibling of the decedent, so long as that deceased sibling left at least
one surviving descendant: “<span style="caret-color: rgb(225, 225, 225); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; display: inline !important;">one equal share for the issue of each deceased sibling who has surviving issue then living.”</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr"><span style="caret-color: rgb(225, 225, 225); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; display: inline !important;">It is not one equal share for each descendant of a deceased sibling. It is an equal share for (“the issue,” however many at however many
generational levels) of EACH deceased sibling… </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr"><span style="caret-color: rgb(225, 225, 225); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; display: inline !important;">If the issue of each deceased sibling are of the same generational level (all are nieces and nephews of decedent), then it is as simple
as dividing each deceased sibling’s 1/4th or 1/5th share into an equal number of shares for his or her children. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr"><span style="caret-color: rgb(225, 225, 225); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; display: inline !important;">If there are descendants of deceased siblings in more than one generational level, I still think you take the share of the deceased sibling’s
deceased child and divide it equally among the next generation. In this respect, I think you get the same result under representation and
<i>per stirpes</i>, unless there is an angle I’m missing.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr"><span style="caret-color: rgb(225, 225, 225); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; display: inline !important;">But if the total number of descendants of siblings is 13 or 14, the quoted language expressly does
<u>not</u> follow the approach often associated with representation by which you make the first division of the estate in the first generational level with surviving issue (which eschews a true
<i>per stirpes</i> pattern in favor of equality at that first generational level with at least one descendant). Rather, the quoted language seems very clearly to implement a more traditional
<i>per stirpes</i> distribution. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr"><span style="caret-color: rgb(225, 225, 225); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; display: inline !important;">Beyond that, I suppose consulting a Montana lawyer may be reasonable, in case there is some law out there that connects the necessary
dots here. But it seems like the unadopted child’s burden, not the PR’s. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr"><span style="caret-color: rgb(225, 225, 225); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; display: inline !important;">I have not had occasion to have someone declared the issue of a decedent when they were not the adopted or natural child of the decedent
or his/her issue. If this person was not adopted, and there are issue to take the relevant share (i.e., it won’t escheat), then I don’t understand how a step-child would be an heir at law and thus a devisee here. I’m not sure it is the PR’s job to spend Estate
assets to figure that out. Rather, it seems it is the step child’s job to establish his or her right to a share under some applicable law. So if the PR sought a ruling that s/he was
<u>not</u> an heir and thus <u>not</u> a devisee, and the PR served notice of the motion and hearing on all 13 or 14 people and the stepchild, then he or she could assert whatever rights he or she ha has. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr"><span style="caret-color: rgb(225, 225, 225); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; display: inline !important;">Good luck with all this! Best, Josh </span></div>
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<div style="direction:ltr">Joshua D. McKarcher</div>
<div style="direction:ltr">McKarcher Law PLLC</div>
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<div style="direction:ltr">(509) 758-3345</div>
<div style="direction:ltr">(509) 758-3314 (fax)</div>
<div style="direction:ltr">josh@mckarcherlaw.com</div>
<div style="direction:ltr;text-align:left" dir="auto"><a href="http://www.mckarcherlaw.com" style="">www.mckarcherlaw.com</a><span style="caret-color: rgb(33, 33, 33); font-family: -apple-system, HelveticaNeue; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); display: inline !important;"></span></div>
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<div id="divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif"><b>From:</b> wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com <wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com> on behalf of Jeanne Dawes <jjdawes@goregrewe.com><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, December 8, 2021 3:24 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [WSBAPT] Thorny Heirship Question
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; color: blue;">Since I did not get any responses to my long (sorry) email below, I would appreciate a referral to a Montana Attorney who handles heirship matters. The potential heir in question was born in Havre, MT, and has spent
her entire life in MT. I believe MT law will determine her legal lineage. She currently resides in Great Falls, MT .
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<i><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: "TypoUpright BT"; color: blue;">Jeanne</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; color: blue;">
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: "TypoUpright BT"; color: blue;">Jeanne J.</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; color: blue;">
</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: "Bella Donna"; color: blue;">Dawes</span></i></b></p>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: blue;">Gore & Grewe, P.S.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; color: blue;"></span></p>
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<b>From:</b> wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com <b>On Behalf Of </b>Jeanne Dawes<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, December 07, 2021 4:41 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> 'WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv (wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com)' <wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [WSBAPT] Thorny Heirship Question</p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt">Dear List Mates:</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt">Testatrix dies leaving, no children, no spouse, but does leave a Will. In a “special instructions” paragraph directly following the “family” paragraph, she said she is providing for her siblings and identifies 6 siblings, stating
that one predeceased beneficiary (PDB) left no issue living or deceased at the time of making the will in 2012.</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt">Testatrix recently passes, and all of her siblings have predeceased her. Her residue disposition is “(1) one equal share for each of my then living siblings ; (2) one equal share for the issue of each deceased sibling who has
surviving issue then living.” No where in the will does it specify “per stirpes”, “right of representation” or “per capita” distributions with regards to issue of a deceased sibling. The will does refer to the statute RCW 11.02.005 to define “issue.”</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt">Come to find out PDB (the sibling who predeceased testatrix and left no issue) did actually have 4 children prior to his death said sibling was never married. 3 of the 4 children were adopted. One child was not. The unadopted
child was born in MT and her birth certificate names the mother and father. The named father is not PDB, but the mother’s husband. The child never met the father listed on her birth certificate, and believes that her mother and he were divorced at the time
of her birth but is not sure. MT law presumes that a child born within 300 days of a divorce is presumed to be the child of both divorcing parents.
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt">Testatrix’s estate is valued at just under 1 million. Using the “Right of Representation” method the estate would be divided 4 or 5 ways, depending on whether PDB’s unadopted child is counted, and she would be the sole recipient
of a 1/5 share. Using the “per capita” method it would be divided equally 13 or 14 ways, depending on whether PDB1’s unadopted child us counted.
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt">Questions: 1) I believe the PR has the discretion to decide if per capita or right of representation was intended by the testatrix (PR is a CPA, not a beneficiary under the will, although her spouse is). PR was testatrix’s
AIF and handled all her affairs for the 4-5 years prior to death. Do you concur? If not, I believe the dispositive will language would be interpreted as a per capital distribution to issue of a deceased sibling? Do you concur?</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt">2) Should the PR petition for a court order adjudicating heirship in this probate, if we cannot get unanimous consent of all beneficiaries to a distribution schedule?</span></p>
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<span style="font-size:12.0pt">3) Should the PR petition the court for an order establishing that the PDB’s unadopted child is not a legal heir due to the presumption she is the child of the father listed on her birth certificate? One more
fascinating tidbit, in an Ancestry DNA test, the unadopted child was identified as a 1</span><sup><span style="font-size:8.0pt">st</span></sup><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> cousin of one of the other beneficiaries, and has been acknowledged by at least one
predeceased sibling as PDB’s child (PR’s mother-in-law, who considered adopting the child back in the 1960’s but never did). If anyone has handled disinheriting a potential beneficiary under these circumstances, or knows of a reason why this would not work,
I would love to have a conversation with you.</span></p>
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<b><i><span style="font-size:18.0pt; font-family:"TypoUpright BT"">Jeanne J.</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">
</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size:18.0pt; font-family:"Bella Donna"">Dawes</span></i></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"></span></p>
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