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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#002060">Practice tip: send your spouse to law school.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#002060"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222A35">Mark B. Anderson<br>
</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222A35">ANDERSON LAW FIRM PLLC<br>
821 Dock St Ste 209 PMB 4-12<br>
Tacoma, Washington 98402<br>
+1 253-327-1750<br>
+1 253-327-1751 (fax)<br>
<a href="mailto:marka@mbaesq.com">marka@mbaesq.com</a><br>
<a href="http://www.mbaesq.com/">www.mbaesq.com</a><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
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If you have received this transmission in error, please immediately notify the sender via e-mail or by telephone at (253) 327-1750 that you have received the message in error, and then delete it. Thank you.</span><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#002060"><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>Carmen Rowe<br>
<b>Sent:</b> 09/15/2023 2:40 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [WSBAPT] Accessing Deceased Attorney's IOLTA<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">To back up what Amy shared:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">It was some years ago, but a case I had been involved with faced a similar dilemma. We had settled and I was waiting for the signed agreement with a rapidly
approaching trial date, when a paralegal from a neighboring office called at 9 pm responding to my multiple messages. Her & her boss, who had a neighboring office, found out and were desperately going through boxes and trying to catch up with things and at
least contact people involved in impending actions.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Problem with resolution, as for many of the cases, was that the clients' monies were in the IOLTA account - which kept both settlements from being executed
as well as clients being able to transfer the monies to a new attorney as a deposit for their services, leaving clients with urgent time-sensitive matters in highly vulnerable predicaments.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">In that case the attorney petitioned the court, who then appointed an attorney to handle the accounting, funds and distributions. So while my info is third-hand,
the answer I understood about non-attorneys handling IOLTA funds was not just no, but he** no. The court would not even allow for the wife, who was the office manager, to sign an assignment of the account over to the attorney willing to help handle things,
as - technically she had no rights to handle the monies, so any "permission" was void. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">And, incidentally, the court and bar both had conveyed that the wife's name (or anyone else who was not an attorney) even being on the account was an ethical
breach.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Important lesson for the rest of us. As with potential liability of the business to clients for any damages flowing from lack of a plan. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif">Carmen Rowe<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><img border="0" width="201" height="71" style="width:2.0937in;height:.7395in" id="_x0000_i1025" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4yaIwO8NwDh1yJGQWP1qK1vhwcBcK5yYclhzfMrEc3GuEfI5eiJ-wA30feUaQTq_2U2bQPszU4"></span></i><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;color:#660000;background:white">Phone: (360) 669-3576 (direct cell)</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;color:#660000">Email:
<a href="mailto:Carmen@GryphonLawGroup.com">Carmen@GryphonLawGroup.com</a><br>
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<b><span style="background:white">Olympia/Lacey and primary mailing office:</span></b></span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;color:#660000;background:white">1415 College Street SE, Lacey, WA 98503</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><b><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;color:#660000">Seattle office:
<i>We are currently moving our Seattle location - notice of new address coming soon!</i></span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt">Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2023 17:58:43 +0000<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt">From: "Lewis, Amy C." <<a href="mailto:ALewis@Eisenhowerlaw.com">ALewis@Eisenhowerlaw.com</a>><br>
To: WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <<a href="mailto:wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com" target="_blank">wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>><br>
Subject: Re: [WSBAPT] Accessing Deceased Attorney's IOLTA<br>
Message-ID:<br>
<<a href="mailto:MW2PR18MB2265ADCB7CDF0110C44CD699D9F6A@MW2PR18MB2265.namprd18.prod.outlook.com" target="_blank">MW2PR18MB2265ADCB7CDF0110C44CD699D9F6A@MW2PR18MB2265.namprd18.prod.outlook.com</a>><br>
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One of my colleagues is currently handling a probate of a deceased attorney. This attorney's practice area was immigration, and he had taken deposits/retainers from many clients. We felt it was necessary to find another immigration attorney to assist with
winding up the practice. Here are my colleague's comments regarding our matter:<br>
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In response to the questions of whether or not a non-attorney PR can disburse funds from the IOLTA, the answer is no. The bank will not likely allow access to the IOLTA account. Even if the bank were to, I would be concerned with the PR having legal exposure,
as a licensed attorney must access those funds.<br>
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The guidance that I have gotten from the WSBA (and from the court) on this issue is that a licensed attorney must "wind down" the law firm, which includes handling the IOLTA (settling the accounts, issuing refunds, etc.), as well as the operating (non-IOLTA
account). What seems to be the preferred/agreed upon path in these types of situations is for the PR to retain an attorney, preferably someone with experience in the same practice area(s) as the firm, and that attorney is hired to wind down the firm. The attorney
can retain non-attorney professionals to assist with things like accounting, but the actual disbursements and refunds and assessment of cases and fees earned should be handled by an attorney that the PR hires.<br>
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Some probate attorneys will do this as part of the representation of the PR in the estate, but our analysis was that there is too much risk in doing so and such work should be outsourced to a firm that has greater experience in the practice area.<br>
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Amy Lewis, Attorney<br>
Pronouns she/her/hers<br>
[cid:Logo_fa335a1d-9f24-4802-a3dd-b58f259e3c98.png]<br>
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909 A Street, Suite 600 | Tacoma, WA 98402<br>
phone 253.572.4500 | fax 253.272.5732 | <a href="http://www.eisenhowerlaw.com/" target="_blank">www.eisenhowerlaw.com</a><<a href="http://www.eisenhowerlaw.com/" target="_blank">http://www.eisenhowerlaw.com/</a>><o:p></o:p></p>
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