Jenica Cassidy

Interpreting the impact of 2024 Washington State Guardianship & Conservatorship Legislation on Washington Hospitals

Guardianship, Trust and Estate Litigation

Washington hospitals facing the ongoing issue of dealing with “complex discharge” patients may have an even more fraught pathway forward following the 2024 Washington State Legislative Session. The passage of one bill (2SSB 5825[1]) and the failure to pass another (SB 5665[2]) may complicate the options hospitals have in meeting the needs of complex discharge patients who need a court-appointed guardian to help them transition out of the hospital.


Kevin Khong

Important Considerations for Seeking a Vulnerable Adult Protection Order in Washington State

Trust and Estate Litigation, Uncategorized

In Washington State, there are six types of civil protection orders which are aimed at protecting specific classes of individuals in unsafe and particularly susceptible situations. These situations include those involving: Domestic Violence; Sexual Assault; Stalking; Harassment; Extreme Risk with firearms; and Vulnerable adults who face threats of physical/mental/financial harm. These different types of civil […]


Kevin Khong

#FreeBritney and I Care A Lot: How Conservatorships and Guardianships Can Be Used to Protect (and How to Protect Yourself From Needing One).

Guardianship, Trust and Estate Litigation

The New York Times’ new docuseries episode on Britney Spears, “Framing Britney Spears”, the #FreeBritney movement, and the popularity of Netflix movie “I Care a Lot,” have spotlighted conservatorships and guardianships in mainstream media and culture.  Now more than ever, there is a sudden interest in conservatorships and guardianships, how they work, why they were […]


Washington Reinstates Protections for Domestic Violence Victims

Coronavirus / COVID-19, Trust and Estate Litigation

On May 15, 2020, Washington State Legislature renewed Proclamation 20-45 which waives certain statutory requirements for domestic abuse victims seeking emergency protection during COVID quarantine.  Our prior coverage on Proclamation 20-45 details the ways in which victims can seek emergency protection through electronic filing.  On May 9, Senate Republicans denied the extension of these protective […]


Update on Proclamation 20-45 and Protections for Domestic Violence Victims

Coronavirus / COVID-19, Elder Law, Trust and Estate Litigation

On Saturday, May 9th, Senate Republicans blocked the extension of Governor Inslee’s Emergency Proclamation 20-45 Protection Orders and Personal Service.  This Proclamation, issued on April 10th, provided protections for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking by easing the process by which victims can seek emergency protection orders and waiving in-person proceedings.  This includes […]


Kevin Khong

COVID-19 & Trusts, Estates and Vulnerable Adult Litigation

Coronavirus / COVID-19, Trust and Estate Litigation

Covid-19 has disrupted the lives of many individuals and none more so than our vulnerable and elderly friends and family. The majority of proceedings related to litigation involving trusts, estates, guardianships, powers-of-attorney, and vulnerable adult protection orders occur in the Ex-Parte Department of the Superior Court. The Trust and Estate Litigation team at Helsell Fetterman […]


Kevin Khong

The Effect of Lost or Destroyed Wills

Elder Law, Trust and Estate Litigation

A lost or destroyed original will can unravel the best laid plans of a person trying to specifically avoid ambiguity when it comes to his/her testamentary intent. Washington State adopts the common-law presumption of animo revocandi (latin for “with intent to revoke”) that a lost or destroyed will was purposefully revoked. Probating a will when […]