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<p class="MsoNormal">Law school exam time!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u>The setup</u>:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Let’s say we have a married couple. H has 1 child from previous marriage, W has 1 child from previous marriage, no kids together.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">They execute a joint will. The joint will is a single document that says everything owned goes to the survivor, then upon death of survivor, goes in equal shares to the kids. The will names the two kids specifically, does not include their
issue by right of representation or anything.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Under RCW 11.12.110, if a beneficiary named in a will is the issue of a grandparent of the decedent, and that beneficiary predeceases leaving issue, the gift survives by right of representation the beneficiary’s issue.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u>The problem</u>:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">W dies, so H inherits everything.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then C, W’s child, dies leaving two kids, G1 and G2.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then H dies.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>Does the gift to C survive to pass to G1 and G2?</i></b>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">C is not issue of H’s grandparents—C is issue of W’s grandparents. But W died first and everything went to H. So does W’s grandchild end up with no inheritance?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m glad joint wills are not a common thing any more...<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Eric<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Eric C. Nelsen<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Sayre Law Offices, PLLC<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">1417 31st Ave South<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Seattle WA 98144-3909<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">206-625-0092<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><a href="mailto:eric@sayrelawoffices.com">eric@sayrelawoffices.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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