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<p class="MsoNormal">Generally credit card debt taken out during the marriage is community debt, in which case the entire community property estate (including survivor’s half) can be used to satisfy the debt. See RCW 11.10.030. Joint bank accounts can absolutely
be subject to creditors (see RCW 11.18.200), though the life insurance would be exempt. I suppose if the credit cards were taken out without her knowledge and were used solely for separate expenses and not used for community expenses you could make the argument
that it is separate debt, but the decedent’s portion of the community property is still reachable. I personally would probably file a probate, provide/publish notice to creditors, and petition the court for an award of family support/award in lieu of homestead
under RCW 11.54.010. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Elizabeth G. Bateman
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Attorney <o:p>
</o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Admitted in Washington and Minnesota
<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Copperplate Gothic Light",sans-serif;color:#2F5496">Bateman Law Group, PLLC
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">900 SW 16<sup>th</sup> Street, Suite 120<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Renton, WA 98057<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Office: (206) 224-0900<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Cell: (425) 444-9946<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Website: <a href="http://www.batemanlawgroup.com/">
<span style="color:#0563C1">www.batemanlawgroup.com</span></a><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>Kendel Froese<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, September 26, 2023 1:29 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <WSBAPT@lists.wsbarppt.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [WSBAPT] Nonprobate NTC Question<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Hi all:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">A potential client's husband recently passed away. They don't own any real estate, any banking assets were owned by them jointly, and their children are children in common. The
husband had a life insurance policy on which he designated the surviving spouse as beneficiary. The wife found about $20k of credit card debt that the husband took out that she was previously unaware of. There are also some medical bills from the decedent's
illness. A couple questions:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">(1) If the decedent and the surviving spouse had joint banking, are half of those assets available to his creditors? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">(2) I don't see a reason to open probate, because there are no assets that need to be moved from the decedent to the surviving spouse. Is this a situation in which a Nonprobate
Notice to Creditors might be a good idea? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">(3) But, if life insurance is the only asset (assuming a "no" answer to my Q#1 above), is a Nonprobate Notice to Creditors needed? I understand wanting to cut off any claims,
but it seems a little strange to publish a notice while knowing all claims will be rejected. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Thank you in advance for your wisdom!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222">Warmly,</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222">Kendel</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222">--</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Kendel Froese </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Attorney,
<a href="https://www.froeselawpllc.com" target="_blank">Froese Law PLLC</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">203 N. Washington | Suite 200 | Spokane, WA | 99201 </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">509.514.5317 (Call & Text)
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Instantly schedule an appointment with me
</span></i><a href="https://calendly.com/froeselawpllc" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1155CC">here</span></i></a><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">!</span></i><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#222222">Please Note!</span></b><span style="color:#222222"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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