(1) Subject to community property rights, upon the death of an
owner the owner's interest in any nonprobate asset specifically
referred to in the owner's will belongs to the testamentary
beneficiary named to receive the nonprobate asset,
notwithstanding the rights of any beneficiary designated before
the date of the will.
(2) A general residuary gift in an owner's will, or a will
making general disposition of all of the owner's property, does
not entitle the devisees or legatees to receive nonprobate assets
of the owner.
(3) A disposition in a will of the owner's interest in "all
nonprobate assets" or of all of a category of nonprobate asset
under RCW 11.11.010(7), such as "all of my payable on death bank
accounts" or similar language, is deemed to be a disposition of
all the nonprobate assets the beneficiaries of which are
designated before the date of the will.
(4) If the owner designates a beneficiary for a nonprobate
asset after the date of the will, the specific provisions in the
will that attempt to control the disposition of that asset do not
govern the disposition of that nonprobate asset, even if the
subsequent beneficiary designation is later revoked. If the
owner revokes the later beneficiary designation, and there is no
other provision controlling the disposition of the asset, the
asset shall be treated as any other general asset of the owner's
estate, subject to disposition under the other applicable
provisions of the will. A beneficiary designation with respect
to an asset that renews without the signature of the owner is
deemed to have been made on the date on which the account was
first opened.
[2006 c 203 § 1; 1998 c 292 § 105.]