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<p class="MsoNormal">I have done double probates, years ago, but have found that they complicate things with the IRS, so only make things easier in a few narrow situations. If property is being sold, with title insurance involved, a lack of probate affidavit
is probably better, and I find title companies will easily insure with this easy to complete/record document. Or, a simple probate for the first spouse is only another filing fee and can generally be opened and closed with little fanfare if it is after the
two year SOL for creditors. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I also think about the estate bank account. EIN will only be issued for one decedent, so using the current (surviving spouse) for this makes sense. Then the report of sale (1099) can easily be issued under this EIN and the proceeds distributed
to the bank account that matches. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Heather<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Lucida Calligraphy";color:#1F497D">Heather S. de Vrieze</span><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;color:#1F497D"><br>
</span></b><i><span style="font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#1F497D">(she/her)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#1F497D">Attorney-at-Law</span></i><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family:"Garamond",serif;color:#1F497D;mso-ligatures:none"><img width="189" height="105" style="width:1.9666in;height:1.0916in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01DCF1B1.77C88E50"></span></i><i><span style="font-family:"Kunstler Script";color:#1F497D"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E">3909 California Avenue SW<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E">Seattle, WA 98116-3705
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E">(206)938-5500
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:heatherd@westseattlelaw.com"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E">heatherd@westseattlelaw.com</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.westseattlelaw.com/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E">www.westseattlelaw.com</span></a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Nyala;color:#44524E">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Aptos Display",sans-serif;color:#C00000"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Aptos Display",sans-serif;color:#C00000">This summer our office will be OPEN Monday through Thursday and CLOSED on FRIDAYS (May 29, 2026 through September 4, 2026)</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Aptos Display",sans-serif;color:#C00000"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#002E8A">Click here to connect with de Vrieze | Carney on Facebook:
</span></b><b><span style="color:#1F497D"> </span></b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/DeVriezeCarney"><b><span style="color:blue;mso-ligatures:none;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="72" height="21" style="width:.75in;height:.2166in" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image002.png@01DCF1B1.77C88E50" alt="FB Logo"></span></b></a><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;color:#A6A6A6"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;color:#A6A6A6">CONFIDENTIAL & PRIVILEGED. This e-mail message may contain legally privileged and/or confidential information. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately
and delete all copies of this e-mail message and any attachment.</span><span style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;color:blue"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<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>James Dolan<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Sunday, May 31, 2026 12:08 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [WSBAPT] Need Feedback RE "Double" Probate<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:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841">I’m recalling that this topic has been discussed some time ago on this listserv:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841">Spouse 1 dies intestate. All finances are jointly owned or have Spouse 2 named as Beneficiary. Their house is jointly owned Community Property. Spouse 1 has
no children. No probate. Spouse 2 goes on living for another 7 years.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841">Spouse 2 dies testate.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841">We attempt to open probate in the name of both Spouse 1 and Spouse 2 for the purpose of having PR appointed to sell the house. I have done this 10-12 times over
the past 20 years with no problem. Until last Friday. Judge says judge has conducted judge’s own research and cannot find any legal authority that allows a double probate. I ask the judge if the judge has found any legal authority that prohibits it. Nope.
I inform the judge that I have done this several times. Judge says “Because ‘you’ve done it before’ doesn’t mean it is appropriate.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841">Another attorney who is present on a different matter graciously attempts to rescue me, spontaneously approaches the bench and informs the court, on the record,
that this attorney has also done research on this question, has found no case law or statutes on point, and further informs the court that she also has done several double probates with no problem.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841">I ask the judge what alternatives the judge thinks would be appropriate. The judge says that the PR can do a Lack of Probate Affidavit to convey the real property
from Spouse 1 to Spouse 2. I ask the judge what would be the benefit of doing it that way. (Full disclosure – at this point I may have sounded a bit irritated.) Judge ignores my question and calls the next case.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841">My questions for all of you smarter than me people:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<ol style="margin-top:0in" start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="color:#0E2841;margin-left:0in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3">
<span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Have any of you done this before?<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraph" style="color:#0E2841;margin-left:0in;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo3">
<span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">If so, have you ever encountered resistance from the bench?<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841">Thanks for your thoughts.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841">Jim Dolan<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841">=========================<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841">Jones Butler Dolan, PS<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841">P.O. Box 458<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841">10027 SR 532<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841">Stanwood, WA 98292<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841">(tel) 360-336-2939<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0E2841">(fax) 360-336-2949<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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