Legal Care for Elders, Their Families, and People of All Ages
Peace of mind. That's the feeling that comes from knowing that you have the right documents in place in case anything should happen to you. I can help you protect your loved ones and ensure that your wishes are carried out by providing the services described below.
Special precautions during the COVID-19 outbreak. Having our necessary documents in order is more important than ever in uncertain times, but you may be concerned about going out to a lawyer's office and meeting with multiple people. To make you feel more comfortable, I have created ways to do this legal work for you with minimal contact. We can do initial consultations and information gathering by telephone and e-mail, and when necessary we can have a virtual meeting on the easy-to-use Zoom platform. With Zoom, we can see and hear each other on our computer or smartphone screens and go over documents. We only need to have one brief face-to-face meeting to sign and notarize the documents. We can have this meeting in your home or any convenient place, and all recommended safety protocols will be observed.
Special precautions during the COVID-19 outbreak. Having our necessary documents in order is more important than ever in uncertain times, but you may be concerned about going out to a lawyer's office and meeting with multiple people. To make you feel more comfortable, I have created ways to do this legal work for you with minimal contact. We can do initial consultations and information gathering by telephone and e-mail, and when necessary we can have a virtual meeting on the easy-to-use Zoom platform. With Zoom, we can see and hear each other on our computer or smartphone screens and go over documents. We only need to have one brief face-to-face meeting to sign and notarize the documents. We can have this meeting in your home or any convenient place, and all recommended safety protocols will be observed.
Powers of Attorney and Living WillsWell-drafted financial and medical powers of attorney are perhaps the most important life planning documents you can have. They are arguably even more important than a will, because if a person dies without a will, Colorado state law will try to distribute your property as you would have wanted.
But if a person becomes incapacitated by illness or injury and does not have durable powers of attorney allowing a trusted relative or friend to help with medical decisions and financial matters, it may be necessary to go through a lengthy and expensive guardianship or conservatorship proceeding in court. I would be happy to help you avoid this potential problem by preparing good power of attorney documents for you at a very reasonable cost. We can also draft a "living will" (advance medical directive), so you can be sure your wishes will be respected if you ever have a medical condition that makes you unable to communicate your decisions. |
Guardianships and ConservatorshipsIf a loved one has become unable to manage their own affairs or take care of their own personal needs and does not have a valid financial or medical power of attorney, it may be necessary to ask a court to appoint a guardian or conservator.
If you believe you need to become the guardian or conservator to help a loved one, I can help you draft all the legal documents, follow the proper procedures, and represent you in court. ProbateIf a loved one has recently passed away, I can help you with all the details of administering the estate. Whether the person left a will or not, there are many issues to deal with, including:
|
Estate PlanningI specialize in preparing affordable basic estate plans for people of modest to moderate means. A good basic estate plan should include not just a will, but should address many other issues, including:
|
Special Offer: The Peace of Mind Package
The "Peace of Mind Package" includes the basic documents everyone, no matter how old, should have in case they become incapacitated, temporarily or permanently, due to injury or illness:
All of these documents are individually drafted and customized to reflect your wishes and circumstances, for a flat fee of just $125. This fee includes meeting with you at your home or a convenient location to discuss what these documents do and answer any questions you have, signing the documents, and free notarization! The free forms you find online might not be right for Colorado, and they may not cover all the issues you should think about. Be sure you have the right documents in place with the "Peace of Mind Package"!
A simple will can be added to this package for another reasonable flat fee. Please contact me for details.
- General Financial Power of Attorney
- Medical Durable Power of Attorney
- Living Will
- If you have minor children, a Delegation of Parental Authority so a trusted person can take care of them if you are temporarily unable to do so
All of these documents are individually drafted and customized to reflect your wishes and circumstances, for a flat fee of just $125. This fee includes meeting with you at your home or a convenient location to discuss what these documents do and answer any questions you have, signing the documents, and free notarization! The free forms you find online might not be right for Colorado, and they may not cover all the issues you should think about. Be sure you have the right documents in place with the "Peace of Mind Package"!
A simple will can be added to this package for another reasonable flat fee. Please contact me for details.
My approachThese issues are not much fun to think about, especially when they are described as "end-of-life decisions". I prefer a more positive approach. I believe that getting the right plans in place now creates peace of mind that enhances the quality of the life we have ahead, hopefully many years.
My goal is to help you get this planning done as easily and affordably as possible. To do this:
|
News and informationMy volunteer work helping low-income seniors prepare powers of attorney and living wills was recently featured in The Docket, the magazine of the Denver Bar Association. Click here to read the article:
Metro Volunteer Lawyers' Power of Attorney Clinic Interesting article from the New York Times on advance medical directives for dementia, which can be used to ensure a person's wishes are followed at each stage of the disease: www.nytimes.com/2018/01/19/health/dementia-advance-directive.html |