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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#002060">Joshua’s last line ("We shall see…") reminded me of someone's idea of marketing glass caskets. Whether they would become popular remains to be seen.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#002060;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">Mark B. Anderson<br>
</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#002060;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">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>
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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>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com <wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Joshua McKarcher<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, June 24, 2026 7:57 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <WSBAPT@lists.wsbarppt.com><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [WSBAPT] Authorization to Dispose of Remains<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">No argument from me, as I think a notary is like a ‘super witness’ in the sense that they actually have a legal obligation TO OBSERVE the signing of the document whereas we all know a witness can be asked to sign
a document signed hours or weeks previously and there would be no way of knowing they did not witness the “signing and dating” this statute requires. (The dating requirement is absurd. Why shouldn’t a preprinted date be sufficient? But I also have a hard time
a court would not determine that the signing of the document is the adoption of its date and constitutes the signing party “dating” the document or some reasoning to reach the sensible conclusion.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">As you know, this is all worth exactly nothing, but I will also be amazed if there is any case law on this statute unless a family had a lot of money and could somehow freeze a body long enough to get a published
opinion on cremation vs. burial, say. Otherwise, these that have been disputed are, I would surmise, the subject of audio recordings with oral orders and maybe cursory written orders entered later, just given the nature of the dispute this statute would be
resolving as to remains.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">But I will LOVE IT if someone tells me I’m wrong and they’ve been involved in one and I’m all wet and there is a written opinion, etc. etc. We shall see . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p style="margin:0in"><b><span style="color:black">Joshua McKarcher</span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><i><span style="color:black">Attorney, Owner</span></i><span style="color:black"><br>
McKarcher Law PLLC<br>
o: (509) 758-3345<br>
</span><u><span style="color:#469EF5"><a href="mailto:josh@mckarcherlaw.com"><span style="color:#469EF5">josh@mckarcherlaw.com</span></a></span></u><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0in"><a href="https://mckarcherlaw.com/"><span style="font-size:14.5pt;color:#469EF5;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="140" height="63" style="width:1.4583in;height:.6562in" id="_x0000_i1027" src="blob:outlook-mobile-compose:///e7b75432-119d-4092-9bee-4012483c8a61" alt="A close-up of a logo<br><br>AI-generated content may be incorrect."></span></a><span style="color:black"><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;color:black">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">
<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>> on behalf of Brent Williams-Ruth <<a href="mailto:brent@williams-ruthlaw.com">brent@williams-ruthlaw.com</a>><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, 23 June 2026 14:52:44<br>
<b>To:</b> WSBA Probate & Trust Listserv <<a href="mailto:WSBAPT@lists.wsbarppt.com">WSBAPT@lists.wsbarppt.com</a>><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [WSBAPT] Authorization to Dispose of Remains</span> <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">In today's version of educational discussion, I would love to here the thoughts on this provision from RCW 68.50.160(3)(b): <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Lato",sans-serif;color:#212529">(b) The designated agent of the decedent as directed through a written document signed and dated by the decedent<b><u> in the presence of a witness</u></b>. The
direction of the designated agent is sufficient to direct the type, place, and method of disposition;</span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">As we all know, a POA can be executed in front of two witnesses OR a notary. To comply with this statute, would a notary be be a viable witness?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">My thought is yes - even though they are being tasked to perform a notarial act to validate a POA, if that POA includes a provision to permit disposition of remains, then they witnessed the signature
of the principal. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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Any disagreement on that front?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Brent Williams-Ruth</span></b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> (pronouns: he/him)<br>
<i>Attorney-At-Law</i></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Law Offices of Brent Williams-Ruth, </span></b><b><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">a division of BWR Consulting, PLLC</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Physical Address: 500 S 336th Street, Suite 214; Federal Way, WA 98003</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:red">Mailing Address:</span></b><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> PO BOX 3319; Federal Way, WA 98063 </span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Office/Scheduling Phone:<span style="color:#004080"> </span><span style="color:red">(253) 285-7751</span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:red">For All Meetings & Scheduling:
<a href="mailto:info@williams-ruthlaw.com" target="_blank">info@williams-ruthlaw.com</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="mailto:Brent@Williams-RuthLaw.com" target="_blank">e-mail</a> / <a href="http://www.williams-ruthlaw.com/" target="_blank">website</a> /</span><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/bwrlaw" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:9.5pt">facebook</span></a></span><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> / </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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