Joan Lanzner signed her Will in 2012. When she died in 2022, her
original Will could not be located. The court admitted an
authenticated copy of the Will to probate. That Will left her
estate to her biological son and two of her stepsons, Edward and
Robert. It excluded her other stepson, Richard, and her biological
daughter, Joni. Richard and Joni filed a challenge under
Washington's Trust and Estate Dispute Resolution Act (TEDRA),
RCW 11.96A. They argued that the missing original Will meant Joan
had revoked it under the common law presumption of revocation.
After a three-day trial, the court found clear, cogent, and
convincing evidence that Joan did not intend to revoke the Will.
The Court of Appeals affirmed the decision in January 2026 and
ordered Richard and Joni to pay the other family members' legal
fees.
