Senior Law Handbook 2014

508 Pages·2014·9.85 MB·English

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Senior Law Handbook
2014 Edition
CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION IN COLORADO, INC.
COLORADO BAR ASSOCIATION • DENVER BAR ASSOCIATION
S enior Law Handbook 2014 Edition
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Senior Law
Handbook
2014 Edition
A Colorado Legal Information and
Reference Guide for Aging Adults
Sean C. Bell
Managing Editor
A joint project of the Elder Law and Trust and Estate Sections
of the Colorado Bar Association
CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION IN COLORADO, INC.
COLORADO BAR ASSOCIATION • DENVER BAR ASSOCIATION
2014
Senior Law Handbook
2014 Edition
Published by:
CONTINUING LEGAL EDUCATION IN COLORADO, INC. COLORADO BAR ASSOCIATION
1900 Grant Street, Suite 300 1900 Grant Street, Suite 900
Denver, Colorado 80203 Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone] Phone: [phone]
Website: www.seniorlawday.org
Dawn M. McKnight, Esq. Susan Hoyt
Assistant Executive Director/ Legal Editor/Social Media
Publications Director Colorado Bar Association CLE
Colorado Bar Association CLE
Lisa Travis Fischer, J.D.
Acquisitions Editor/Manager
Colorado Bar Association CLE
Cover photograph courtesy John Fielder © 2014, visit johnfielder.com.
Cover design by Trish Wilkinson
COLORADO BAR ASSOCIATION CLE
CLE in Colorado, Inc. is the nonprofit educational arm of the
Colorado Bar Association and the Denver Bar Association
Continuing Legal Education in Colorado, Inc. (CBA-CLE) publications are intended to provide current
and accurate information about the subject matter covered and are designed to help attorneys maintain
their professional competence. Nothing contained in this book is legal advice or other professional
advice. Readers are responsible for obtaining advice from their own lawyers or other professional.
Publications are distributed with the understanding that CBA-CLE does not render any legal, account-
ing, or other professional service. The contents of this book do not necessarily reflect the views of the
Internal Revenue Service or any other regulating governmental entity. The material in this book repre-
sents the opinions and views of the authors, and should not be construed as the views of any of the
authors’ law firms or of Continuing Legal Education in Colorado, Inc. The proper interpretation or appli-
cation of the material in the book is a matter for the considered judgment of the individual legal practi-
tioner, and CBA-CLE disclaims all liability therefor. As with any legal textbook or other secondary author-
ity, attorneys dealing with specific legal matters should also fully research current, primary authorities.
Copyright © 2014 by Continuing Legal Education in Colorado, Inc. and the Colorado Bar Association.
All Rights Reserved.
The Senior Law Handbook — 2014 Edition and any attached or
referenced pages have been written or compiled for general
information purposes only. The information contained in the
Senior Law Handbook is not intended to be, nor is it, legal advice.
The Senior Law Handbook material does not intend to create, nor
does it create, an attorney-client relationship. Legal advice of any
nature should be sought from legal counsel.
iii
How to Cite This Book
As the first full citation, you may cite this book as:
Senior Law Handbook, 2014 Ed. (Sean C. Bell, ed., CLE in Colo., Inc.).
After the first full citation, you may cite this book as:
Senior Law Handbook, supra n. ___, at ___.
Individual chapters of from this handbook are available for free download at
www.seniorlawday.org. Information about the next Senior Law Day is available
there as well.
We extend our special thanks to John Fielder, whose beautiful photographs
have graced the covers of the Senior Law Handbook since 2008. To view his
incredible work, visit www.johnfielder.com.
iv
Publisher’s Note
The Senior Law Handbook is designed to provide aging adults and their caregivers
and families with useful information on myriad subjects pertinent to their legal concerns.
It is compiled due to the gracious donation of time and intellect by our volunteer authors.
We would like to thank all of the authors for their generous contributions of time and their
willingness to share their expertise with Colorado’s older adults. We especially thank
Sean Bell, our managing editor, for his continued dedication. We would also like to thank
John Fielder, who donated the use of his beautiful photo that adorns the front cover of
this Handbook.
Much of the information in the Senior Law Handbook is based on current laws and
practices in Colorado, as well as policies and programs of the federal government. The
information provided in the Senior Law Handbook is not intended to replace the advice
and services of an attorney. We urge you to contact an elder law and/or probate attorney
for advice relating to the particulars of your situation.
Individual chapters are available for free download at www.seniorlawday.org.
Information about Senior Law Day can also be found at www.seniorlawday.org. Several
counties in Colorado offer Senior Law Day on different days during the year, with a variety
of programming and formats. If you have attended Senior Law Day, or you have comments
or suggestions regarding the Senior Law Handbook, please visit www.seniorlawday.org to
give us your feedback. We welcome all comments, and continuously strive to keep the
Senior Law Handbook a helpful and informative resource for Colorado adults.
Dawn M. McKnight, Esq. Susan Hoyt
Assistant Executive Director/ Legal Editor/Social Media
Publications Director Colorado Bar Association CLE
Colorado Bar Association CLE
Lisa C. Travis Fischer, J.D.
Acquisitions Editor/Manager
Colorado Bar Association CLE
If you have questions, comments, or suggestions regarding the
Senior Law Handbook, please submit them in writing to
Lisa Travis Fischer (