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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext">For what it’s worth—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext">I don’t think it’s a violation of RPC 1.7 strictly speaking, but it’s always a fraught problem when a PR is a creditor of the estate. My argument against an
RPC violation is that the creditor claim has to be resolved by TEDRA under RCW 11.40.140, and therefore the PR “hat” does not have a direct conflict against the PR as an individual: the decision is always up to a judge.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext">The tricky bit is I think the lawyer has serious RPC 3.3 and RPC 3.3(f) candor requirements, especially if no interested party shows up to oppose the claim.
So, the lawyer really should be presenting adverse case law and any adverse evidence to the court. That puts the crosshairs squarely on the lawyer, if the claim is approved and then an interested party cries foul later.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext">The safest course is always to tell the PR to get a separate lawyer to file the TEDRA petition to get the creditor claim approved.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext">Regardless of the lawyer’s violation or non-violation of RPCs, I would say that the claim is still procedurally valid and has to be either withdrawn or resolved
by TEDRA under RCW 11.40.140, before the estate can be closed. Whether it’s actually valid is for the facts on the merits to determine.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext">Eric<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext">Eric C. Nelsen<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext">Sayre Law Offices, PLLC<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext">1417 31st Ave South<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext">Seattle WA 98144-3909<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext">206-625-0092<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext"><a href="mailto:eric@sayrelawoffices.com"><span style="color:#467886">eric@sayrelawoffices.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:windowtext"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext"> wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com
<wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Mark Anderson<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, January 20, 2026 3:22 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [WSBAPT] Conflicted Estate Counsel v Creditor's Claim<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#002060">Fun scenario.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#002060">I represent the Estate of Harry. Harry's Estate is the sole beneficiary of the estate of Harry's late brother Dave.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#002060">After Dave died, an attorney was approached by new client Charlie to file a petition to open an intestate probate for decedent Dave. In the petition, the attorney identified Charlie as a creditor of Dave's Estate
and sought to have Charlie appointed as the Personal Representative. The Court granted the petition and appointed Charlie as the Personal Representative. The stage is set: we now have Charlie as the Personal Representative and the attorney as counsel for
the Estate ("Estate Counsel").<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#002060">Before expiration of the four month creditor claims period, Estate Counsel (and not Charlie himself) filed a substantial creditor's claim in Dave's Estate on behalf of Charlie – Estate Counsel signed the pleading
as "Attorney for Claimant." When I say that Estate Counsel signed and filed a "substantial" claim, I mean that it was so big that it would subsume all assets of Dave's Estate, which was worth about $300,000. Charlie did not sign the claim.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#002060">To me, Estate Counsel clearly violated RPC 1.7 when he signed and filed a claim against Dave's Estate on behalf of Charlie.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#002060">The four month creditor claims period has long since passed. The creditor's claim that Estate Counsel signed and filed on Charlie's behalf has not yet been approved or adjudicated by the Court. I will be challenging
the claim on several bases.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#002060">Here are my questions for discussion.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="color:#002060;margin-left:0in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3">
Am I correct in saying that Estate Counsel violated RPC 1.7?<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="color:#002060;margin-left:0in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3">
If I am correct and, in light of the conflict, is the creditor's claim still valid?<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="color:#002060;margin-left:0in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3">
Is there any way that Charlie can cure any invalidity in the creditor's claim?<o:p></o:p></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#002060">Any suggestions for how to proceed?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#002060">Thanks in advance for your collective wisdom.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><b><span style="color:#002060">Mark B. Anderson<br>
</span></b><span style="color:#002060">ANDERSON LAW FIRM PLLC<br>
821 Dock Street, Suite 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"><span style="color:#002060">marka@mbaesq.com</span></a><br>
<a href="http://www.mbaesq.com/"><span style="color:#002060">www.mbaesq.com</span></a><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:#002060">CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE<br>
</span></b><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow",sans-serif;color:#002060">This transmission is confidential and is intended solely for the use of the individual named recipient. It may be protected by the attorney-client privilege, work product doctrine,
or other confidentiality protection. If you are not the intended recipient, or the person responsible to deliver it to the intended recipient, be advised that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is prohibited. 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.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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