<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Hi Eric,<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I have dealt with a bit of this, but I am very interested in other people’s comments, because as you say, the law on it is very vague. My understanding is that it depends how the damages/settlement are characterized. The estate would receive a portion of the settlement primarily for (and someone can correct me if I have the specifics wrong) pain and suffering suffered by the decedent preceding death, and lost wages of decedent, because these would have been his had he lived. The statutory beneficiaries receive basically everything else - any loss of consortium, and pain & suffering of the statutory beneficiaries. I’m not sure whether they can have economic loss based on parent’s death - maybe if they are minors supported by parent? If decedent died immediately (no pain & suffering) and was retired (no economic loss), then I think basically everything would go to statutory beneficiaries. If there was suffering prior to death, then the estate would receive that. However, often the settlement is negotiated in bulk with no real distinction made about what it is for. I have done a TEDRA agreement among surviving spouse and kids before clarifying what portion of the settlement was deemed the kids’ share versus the surviving spouse. In the case where statutory Bs are adults and maybe had little contact with decedent in the last few years because they were off living their own lives, then surviving spouse should probably receive the bulk of the settlement, and I think it can be negotiated if everyone is agreeable. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Please share if you receive more info, I would love to learn more on this.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Krista</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Krista J. MacLaren<br class="">Attorney at Law<br class="">Northgate Executive Center II<br class="">9725 3rd Ave NE, Suite 600<br class="">Seattle WA 98115<br class="">(206) 523-6116<br class=""><a href="mailto:kjm.inc@icloud.com" class="">kjm.inc@icloud.com</a><br class=""><br class="">Please note, as with most email providers, Mac does not encrypt email messages. Accordingly, the confidentiality of messages sent to this address cannot be assured. This e-mail is intended for viewing only by the individual or entity to whom its content is addressed, and it may contain confidential or privileged information. If you received this email in error, please honor the privacy of the intended recipient: reply to the sender regarding the error and delete the message.<br class=""><div><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On Nov 14, 2018, at 2:02 PM, Eric Lanza <eric@jaglaw.net> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><div class="WordSection1" style="page: WordSection1; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">Listserv--<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">Decedent passed away without a will. He had a surviving spouse, and 4 step-children (none of them adopted by decedent).<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">Under intestate succession statute, surviving spouse gets everything (decedent had no biological children), and stepchildren receive nothing.<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">Only asset of the estate is a large monetary judgment in wrongful death action. Wrongful death action was prosecuted by the personal representative in the name of the estate.<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">RCW 4.20.020 says the beneficiaries of the wrongful death action are the surviving spouse…and children,<u class="">including stepchildren</u>.<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">Under RCW 4.20.020, it seems that stepchildren are entitled to a portion (?) of the wrongful death award. However, under the intestate succession statute, they aren’t entitled to any property of the estate.<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">How are these statutes reconciled? I can’t seem to find any case law on it.<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">Any thoughts would be appreciated!<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">Thanks,<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);" class="">Eric J. Lanza, J.D.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: "Century Gothic", sans-serif; color: rgb(227, 108, 10);" class=""><span id="cid:image002.jpg@01D47C22.A445D800"><image002.jpg></span></span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(64, 64, 64);" class="">1800 Cooper Point RD SW NO. 8</span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(93, 111, 33);" class=""> </span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(76, 76, 76);" class=""> </span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(92, 109, 44);" class="">|</span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(93, 111, 33);" class=""> </span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(76, 76, 76);" class=""> Olympia, WA 98502</span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(93, 111, 33);" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(76, 76, 76);" class="">Telephone<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="tel:360.352.1970" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114); text-decoration: underline;" class="">360.352.1970</a> </span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);" class=""> </span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(92, 109, 44);" class="">| </span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(76, 76, 76);" class=""> Fax<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="tel:360.357.0844" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114); text-decoration: underline;" class="">360.357.0844</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(92, 109, 44);" class="">|</span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(93, 111, 33);" class=""> </span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(76, 76, 76);" class=""> <a href="http://www.jaglaw.net/" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114); text-decoration: underline;" class=""><span style="color: blue;" class="">www.jaglaw.net</span></a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);" class=""> <o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><u class=""><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(23, 54, 93);" class=""><a href="mailto:eric@jaglaw.net" style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114); text-decoration: underline;" class=""><span style="color: blue;" class="">eric@jaglaw.net</span></a><o:p class=""></o:p></span></u></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; color: rgb(23, 54, 93);" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="">Nothing contained herein should be construed as legal advice.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="">The purpose of this email is to transmit a message or document.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="">Should you not be the intended recipient of this email message,<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="">please reply advising of the mistake and then delete this message<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" class="">from your computer. 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