Superior Court Statistical Reporting Manual

CAUSE-OF-ACTION REPORTING CATEGORIES

PROBATE

Cases that include: (1) the registering of a will with the court, (2) the determination of whether a will is a valid instrument, (3) the statutory method of establishing its proper execution, and (4) in cases where the decedent did not make a will, the determination of the disposition of the decedent's estate.

Absentee (ABS) - Petition to determine the whereabouts of the absent owner of real or personal property (RCW 11.80.010).

Disclaimer (DSC) - A written instrument which declines, refuses, releases, renounces, or disclaims an interest which would otherwise be succeeded to by beneficiaries (RCW 11.86.010).

Estate (EST) - The formal process by which the court oversees the settlement of a deceased person's property.

Foreign Will (FNW) - The filing of a will for probate that has been proven in any other U.S. state, territory, or a foreign country.

Non-Probate Notice to Creditors (NNC) - The filing of a non-probate notice to creditors in a case in which no probate action is expected (e.g., an estate with a living trust which does not require probate, providing the heirs with an opportunity to start the time period for creditor filing of claims).

Sealed Will Repository (SWR) – Filing a will under seal before a testator’s death, as authorized by RCW 11.12.265.

Trust/Estate Dispute Resolution (TDR) – The filing of a dispute in any estate, guardianship, or trust.

Trust (TRS) - A case filed, by order, separately from a guardianship or probate case.

Will Only (WLL) - The filing of a will when no further action shall be taken.

Miscellaneous (MSC) - Any other petition not specified by other codes.

GUARDIANSHIP

Cases involving the relationship between a person (guardian) lawfully invested with the power and charged with the duty of taking care of the rights of another person (ward) who is considered by the court to be incapable of caring for himself or herself.

Guardianship (GDN) - Petition to appoint a guardian to manage the affairs of an incompetent or non-resident person.

Guardianship/Estate (G/E) - If a person for whom a guardianship has been established dies, and the probate will be the same case, the cause code should be changed to G/E. (See Cause Code Migration, page 4-5.)

Guardianship of the Estate (GDE) - Petition to appoint a guardian over the estate to manage the affairs of an incompetent or non-resident person.

Guardianship of the Person (GDP) – Petition to appoint a guardian over a person to manage the affairs of an incompetent or non-resident person.

Limited Guardianship (LGD) - Petition to appoint a limited guardian with only partial responsibility for the ward's person and property, where the ward is not fully incompetent.

Limited Guardianship of the Estate (LGE) - Petition to appoint a limited guardian with only partial responsibility for the person’s property, where the ward is not fully incompetent.

Limited Guardianship of the Person (LGP) - Petition to appoint a limited guardian with only partial responsibility for the person, where the ward is not fully incompetent.

Minor Guardianship (MGD) - Petition is based solely on the underage status of the Ward/Minor.

Minor Settlement (MST) - Petition for a court decision that an award to a minor is appropriate when letters of guardianship are required (e.g., net settlement value is greater than $25,000).