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<p class="MsoNormal">Terry,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Did you tell the mother (your client) that you had advised the son to get the doctor letter, that he did so, and that you had a copy of it? From your fact statement, it sounds as though your client may have no idea her son is validly acting
as DPOA with the doctor letter in hand.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I do not necessarily “disagree” with the other fine folks who say “do nothing,” but I’m not sure you’re “out of the woods” if you are holding a copy of a doctor letter and have not sent a copy of it or disclosed it to your former client
upon her telling you (in effect) that it should no longer “matter.” Her sister and the daughter even “could theoretically” have no idea there is a doctor letter.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">That is the only “piece” I am less confident about you “washing your hands of.” If mother, sister, and daughter go do all manner of things while the doctor letter is still valid, and you both suggested and have a copy of it, but never disclosed
it to mother (at minimum), I would be uncomfortable with any potential liability for the resulting mess that son may later claim you took no action to prevent.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And that leads me to my number 1 piece of advice: calling your malpractice insurer’s “help line” or the equivalent. Not so you can get yourself involved, but so that you don’t leave yourself vulnerable as described above.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Or, if you know full well (and can demonstrate credibly) that mother/client knows about the doctor letter and is disregarding it at her own peril, then, I suppose I probably join the chorus of “ding dong you do nothing, you do nothing,
you do nothing!” [I’ll let you discern the intended melody; no witch’s involvement implied.]<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Maybe one might conclude that the very safest route is a letter to mother referring by date/time to her call to you and her sudden “demand and handoff to sister” and your instruction that you could not “help her via her sister”, enclosing
a copy of the doctor letter, confirming that you considered the representation terminated on the phone call, refer to the date/time of daughter’s later conveyance of “the enclosed documents,” and suggesting she (mother-client) consult other counsel as to the
effect of the various documents now at play. I suppose you’d want to confirm if that could make your situation “worse,” but I’m having a hard time understanding how it could. (Heck, I’m not sure that you wouldn’t be within your rights under the DPOA-with-doctor-letter
to deliver a copy of that letter to the son as her . . . apparently validly acting DPOA . . . Heck, under my documents and HIPAA release, I “think” I’d be within my rights to deliver that to the DOCTOR to ensure he can care for her if she is a vulnerable adult.
Note that none of that would require me to continue a representation or take a new representation. But it would inform various parties with information if the DPOA or HIPAA releases contained sufficient language to permit me to make those protective disclosures.)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And then there is the WA procedure (under DSHS) for protecting vulnerable adults from physical or financial abuse, which system I have seen work reasonably in the past. But, there again, of course, you would need to have included various
permissions in documents aimed at her protection as opposed to divesting her of rights. I’m still focused on whether she even knows this doctor’s letter exists, or if she knows from you . . .
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Best, Josh <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none"> wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com <wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Mark Vohr<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, October 20, 2025 1:39 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [WSBAPT] DPOA Unraveling<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Terry –
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> These are challenging situations. There are two, well, maybe three paths. I’m not an expert on the legal ethics implications of this, but I believe you can
decline to assist your client or agree to help your client – you have said you could not help. Probably a good response. What I don’t think you can do is help the son or sister even if your are thinking this is possible under RPC 1.14. However, if I was
the attorney in this matter, I would be very curious who procured the new DPOA and how (another reason to say no…). I would also be very careful not to divulge client confidences. You are no longer involved and said you could not help her. That problem
belongs to someone else. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> As to the validity of the new DPOA, other than the concern over undue influence, there is the matter of a valid revocation of the first DPOA. RCW 11.125.160(2)(a)
and (4) addresses valid revocation by authorizing a court petition. The son could certainly bring a petition for determination.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> Given the incapacity factor, a guardianship/conservatorship may, unfortunately, be needed. This sounds like the elements of dueling powers of attorney and possible
undue influence or something else. So, the son could bring a petition for guardianship. All this said, I would not tell the son or sister or mom anything about what they can do or can’t do. I would refer them to another attorney. Good move saying no –
I would not waiver on that. Sometimes our smartest moves are the cases we don’t take.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Regards,</span><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Mark<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Mark C. Vohr, J.D. CPGC<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Ohana Fiduciary Corporation<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">A Washington Trust Company<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">155 NE 100<sup>th</sup> St., Suite 209<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Seattle, WA 98125<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Telephone: (206) 782-1189<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none">
<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>Terry Gobel<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Monday, October 20, 2025 1:05 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com">wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com</a><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [WSBAPT] DPOA Unraveling<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">A couple of years ago, a client signed an estate plan, including a springing DPOA. Recently, her son, who she named as AIF, contacted me and said she was hospitalized with a serious condition and her mental
state had deteriorated to the point where he needed to step in under the DPOA. I told him to get a letter from the attending physician with that clinical determination. He did that and sent me a signed and dated letter from his mother’s physician that stated
she could no longer made decisions for herself in her best interests. Then, about a month later, the client called me to say that her son was meddling in her life and trying to take over and she wanted me to intervene. Then, she handed the phone over to her
sister, but I told her that I could not help her. The son, then reached out and said his sister, who had been estranged from his mother for many years, suddenly appeared in the mother’s life and was trying to undo the estate plan. A few days ago, the sister
(formerly estranged daughter of my client) emailed me a revocation of POA written up on a Bank of America form and a newly notarized POA signed by my former client.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt">I don’t know who is on “first” here, but I know the physician and trust his assessment. What should I do? What should I not do?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none">Very truly yours,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none">Terry D. Gobel, J.D.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none">Gobel Law Office, PLLC<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none">421 W. Riverside Avenue, Suite 908<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none">Spokane, Washington 99201<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none">(509) 624-4102<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none"> 624-4115 (fax)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none"><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.attorneyinspokane.com&d=DwMFAg&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=K1mLMC1eFjwfeeMM-AC6zQ&m=a9dfHjylDUjIdILdtFyQ2mC48lyrAWkIH3jz_5basQXFoVEQJyvPPzLtGL8cKX-a&s=fxdpydshB4AmfUX7zuTbQZApdIOS5VCZJ5JCcYct-BQ&e=">www.attorneyinspokane.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none">This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error
please notify the system manager. This message contains confidential information and is intended only for the individual named. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. Please notify the sender immediately
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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