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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">RCW 11.02.005 provides that:
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">"Heirs" denotes those persons, including the surviving spouse or surviving domestic partner, who are entitled under the statutes of intestate succession to the real and personal property of
a decedent on the decedent's death intestate.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Decedent died intestate and was survived by a spouse and one sibling. Decedent never had any children. Per RCW 11.04.015(2)(c), the decedent’s sibling is entitled to one-quarter
of the decedent’s separate property per RCW 11.04.015(2)(c). According to the surviving spouse, however, the decedent’s estate is composed of community property only. The surviving spouse is entitled to all of the decedent’s share of the community property.
RCW 11.04.015(1).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Even though it appears that the decedent’s sibling is not entitled to any property from the estate, would you nonetheless list the sibling as an heir in the petition to appoint
the surviving spouse as personal representative and send them a Notice of Appointment? If you don’t list the sibling and give them notice, aren’t you risking that they could pop up later to say, “Actually, the decedent did have some separate property and
I should have received 25% of it.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Sincerely,<br>
Jon M. Fritzler<br>
Attorney at Law<br>
717 E. 22<sup>nd</sup> St.<br>
Vancouver, WA 98663<br>
Tel. 360.818.4431<br>
Eml <a href="mailto:fritzlerlaw@outlook.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">fritzlerlaw@outlook.com</span></a><br>
<br>
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at <a href="mailto:fritzlerlaw@outlook.com" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">fritzlerlaw@outlook.com</span></a>. Thank you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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