Jones v. Jones

The superior court has broad authority to oversee the administration of a probated estate, subject only to review for abuse of discretion. But a court does not have this broad discretion when the will confers nonintervention powers on the personal representative. To assert superior court jurisdiction over an estate once its nonintervention status is established, the court must find that the personal representative has mismanaged the estate or otherwise failed to faithfully execute his trust. RCW 11.68.070. Under the probate statutes in effect at the relevant times here, a nonintervention…