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Case Law

Cummings v. GSS

"CSS [sic] employs individuals who... provide home care services to clients. [Caregivers] lived in Smith's home and provided round-the-clock services, including housekeeping, purchasing groceries, and preparing meals. These activities are home care services. GSS is therefore a home care agency required to be licensed under chapter 70.127 RCW.17"

In RE: Anderson RCW 71.05.150 prescribes the exclusive procedures and standards for any involuntary detention of a mentally disabled person for evaluation and treatment.
Estate of Katherine M. Treadwell "We conclude that a guardian's attorney owes an incompetent ward a duty to establish the guardianship consistent with the requirements of RCW 11.88.100 and .105."
"Surely, the guardian does not then have the authority to ignore the statutory requirement [to comply with blocking and bonding orders]. Nor may an attorney ignore the statutory requirement."
Guardianship of Stamm The 'eyes and ears of the court' description of the GAL's role is accurate in a rough, colloquial sense. But ... it has great capacity to mislead a jury.
Guardianship of Stamm "In this successive appeal arising from a guardianship proceeding, Loren Stamm appeals the awards of guardian fees, attorney fees, and costs to Guardianship Services of Seattle (GSS). Under both a substantial evidence and a de novo review of the challenged factual findings, the record supports them. There was no breach of any fiduciary duty owed by GSS to Stamm, its former ward. The guardianship statute that Stamm challenges is not unconstitutional. The trial court properly exercised its discretion in awarding fees to GSS and its attorneys. We affirm and award fees and costs on appeal to GSS, subject to its compliance with RAP 18.1."

"The court was well within its discretion in denying fees to Dore
beyond those the court awarded for work done."

In Re Gannon Guardians - Divorce and Dissolution - Incompetent Spouse - Authority To Maintain Action. A superior court has discretion to authorize a guardian of an incompetent to initiate an action to dissolve the incompetent's marriage. The granting of such authority primarily depends on the best interests of the incompetent, not his heirs, together with the necessities and interests of his spouse
ARCWELD MANUFACTURING Co., INC., Respondent v. Rob J. BURNEY, [Irrevocable Powers of Attorney] PRINCIPAL AND AGENT - POWER OF ATTORNEY - REVOCATION. The principal may revoke a power of attorney at any time, either with or without reason, except (1) where the power is coupled with an interest, and (2) where the power is given as part of a security or is necessary to effectuate such a security, in either of which cases the power is irrevocable.
In Re Estate of Larson [1] Attorney and Client - Compensation - Probate Fee - Fiduciary Relationship. An attorney for an estate stands in a fiduciary capacity to the personal representative and to the heirs or distributees of the estate. The reasonableness of the fee for probating the estate must be determined in the light of the fiduciary obligations.

[2] Attorney and Client - Compensation - Probate Fee - Reasonableness - Burden of Proof. Upon objection to a probate attorney fee based on the number of hours worked multiplied by an hourly rate, the attorney has the burden of proving that the hours charged to the estate were necessary. Attorney time is not necessary when it is duplicative of work by other attorneys or staff, is spent on tasks properly performed by staff, or is used to educate the attorney in matters that would be routine for an attorney experienced in that field.