(1) The protection accorded to financial institutions and other third parties under RCW 11.11.040 has no bearing on the actual rights of ownership to nonprobate assets as between beneficiaries and testamentary beneficiaries, and their heirs, successors, personal representatives, and assigns.

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Terms Used In Washington Code 11.11.070

  • Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
  • Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Personal representative: includes executor, administrator, special administrator, and conservator or limited conservator and special representative. See Washington Code 11.02.005
  • Probate: Proving a will
(2) A testamentary beneficiary entitled to a nonprobate asset otherwise transferred to a beneficiary not so entitled, and a personal representative of the owner’s estate on behalf of the testamentary beneficiary, may petition the superior court having jurisdiction over the owner’s estate for an order declaring that the testamentary beneficiary is so entitled, the hearing of the petition to be held in accordance with *chapter 11.96 RCW.
(3) A testamentary beneficiary claiming a nonprobate asset who has not filed such a petition within the earlier of: (a) Six months from the date of admission of the will to probate; and (b) one year from the date of the owner’s death, shall be forever barred from making such a claim or commencing such an action.

NOTES:

*Reviser’s note: Chapter 11.96 RCW was repealed by 1999 c 42 § 637, effective January 1, 2000.