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July 5, 2000 Lynda Godkin, Senior Vice
President, General Counsel
Corporate Secretary
Board of Directors
Hartford Life and Annuity Insurance Company
200 Hopmeadow Street
Simsbury, CT 06089
RE: HARTFORD LIFE AND ANNUITY INSURANCE COMPANY
SEPARATE ACCOUNT THREE
FILE NO. 333-34998
Dear Sir/Madam:
I have acted as General Counsel to Hartford Life and Annuity Insurance Company
(the "Company"), a Connecticut insurance company, and Hartford Life and Annuity
Insurance Company Separate Account Three (the "Account") in connection with the
registration of an indefinite amount of securities in the form of variable
annuity contracts (the "Contracts") with the Securities and Exchange Commission
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. I have examined such documents
(including the Form N-4 Registration Statement) and reviewed such questions of
law as I considered necessary and appropriate, and on the basis of such
examination and review, it is my opinion that:
1. The Company is a corporation duly organized and validly existing as a
stock life insurance company under the laws of the State of Connecticut
and is duly authorized by the Insurance Department of the State of
Connecticut to issue the Contracts.
2. The Account is a duly authorized and validly existing separate account
established pursuant to the provisions of Section 38a-433 of the
Connecticut Statutes.
3. To the extent so provided under the Contracts, that portion of the
assets of the Account equal to the reserves and other contract
liabilities with respect to the Account will not be chargeable with
liabilities arising out of any other business that the Company may
conduct.
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Board of Directors
Hartford Life and Annuity Insurance Company
July 5, 2000
Page 2
4. The Contracts, when issued as contemplated by the Form N-4 Registration
Statement, will constitute legal, validly issued and binding
obligations of the Company.
I hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Form N-4
Registration Statement for the Contracts and the Account.
Sincerely,
/s/ Lynda Godkin
Lynda Godkin
