S-502                 _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 3025

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Senators Barr and Rasmussen

Prefiled with Secretary of the Senate 1/3/85.  Read first time 1/15/85 and referred to Committee on Judiciary.

AN ACT Relating to probate; adding new sections to chapter 11.02 RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The purpose of sections 2 and 3 of this act is to make instructions available to the public, in easily understood language, on how to probate a will or administer an estate and to make available the forms necessary for this purpose.  Not all probates or administrations require extensive legal expertise, and sections 2 and 3 of this act are intended to provide for assistance to personal representatives of those estates not involving significant legal aspects and which are capable of being settled with a minimal amount of expertise.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     The attorney general shall prepare general instructions, in easily understood language, on how to probate a will and administer an estate.  The attorney general shall also prepare forms for the documents that are generally necessary in the administration of an estate. The attorney general shall review and revise the instructions and forms to insure that they are consistent with changing statutory provisions.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     The attorney general shall distribute the probate and administration instructions and forms to the clerk of the district court in each county.  The clerk of the district court shall make the instructions and forms available to the public at no charge.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     The cost incurred by the attorney general in preparation, publication, and distribution of the instructions and forms provided for in sections 2 and 3 of this act shall be reimbursed from the proceeds of state estate taxes, subject to appropriation.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.     Sections 2 through 4 of this act are each added to chapter 11.02 RCW.