<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto">Totally agree about clear drafting. This thread shows why this is necessary and how to think about it. Thanks to all. <br><br><div dir="ltr">Susan Donahue <div><br></div></div><div dir="ltr"><br><blockquote type="cite">On Sep 1, 2023, at 4:03 PM, Joshua McKarcher <josh@mckarcherlaw.com> wrote:<br><br></blockquote></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">With respect to all, I think this chain demonstrates why estate planning lawyers should
<u>all</u> just add a couple paragraphs to each document containing a firm definition of whatever version by whatever name you wish to implement and
<u>not</u> try to incorporate statutory language that can change, that is subject to judges’ understanding, that is the subject of elaborate treatises and appellate opinions like the ones I circulated, and – today – elaborate email chains among learned people
trying to make words mean or not mean roughly or exactly or approximately or not at all “the same thing.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">It takes nearly zero effort to include a definition that requires no reference to a statute. Heck, you could say “to my descendants, by Gadzooks” and define “Gadzooks” in
whatever concrete, inescapable way you wish, and that would be an improvement.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Happy weekend to all!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com <wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Heather de Vrieze<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, September 1, 2023 3:11 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [WSBAPT] The chart<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Susan, <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">No wonder lay people have different understandings of these things. Even the lawyers can’t agree.<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">The last example in your chart is not at all how I understand per capita. The degree of kinship matters, so that in that example, I would distribute per capita by distributing ¼ each to B & D, with A1, A2,
C1, C2, and C3 dividing the remaining 1/2 equally.<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">Blacks law defines per capita as follows:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">PER CAPITA Definition & Legal Meaning<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Definition & Citations:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt">Lat. By the heads or polls; according to the number of individuals: share and share alike. This term, derived from the civil law, is much used in the law of descent and distribution, and denotes that method
of dividing an intestate estate by which an equal share is given to each of a number of persons, all of whom stand in equal degree to the decedent, without reference to their stocks or the right of representation. It is the antithesis of per stirpes, (q. v.)<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 guessing case law in Washington may have explored this, but don’t have any cites at hand. I think this is why it is important to be clear in our documents. For example, I might say in a will (having already
identified children in the family section) “I give all of my estate to my children, named above, equally. If a child fails to survive me, that child’s share shall be distributed to his/her descendants, if any, by right of representation. If a child fails to
survive me leaving no surviving descendants, I give that child’s share to my remaining named children, equally.” Then I define by right of representation. “Where distribution is specified to a person's descendants, by Right of Representation, all children
of such person shall be identified. Each then living child shall receive one share and the share of each deceased child shall be divided among such child's descendants in the same manner</span>.”
<span style="font-size:12.0pt"><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>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Vladimir Script";color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">Heather S. de Vrieze</span><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><br>
</span></b><i><span style="font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">Attorney-at-Law</span></i><i><span style="font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> <a href="mailto:wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com">
wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a> <<a href="mailto:wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com">wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Susan Donahue<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Friday, September 1, 2023 1:48 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com">wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com</a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [WSBAPT] The chart<o:p></o:p></p>
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<br>
Susan Donahue <o:p></o:p></p>
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