Denver Elder Law Attorneys
At TNS Associates, our elder law attorneys bring deep experience to one of the most personal areas of legal practice. Elder law encompasses a broad range of issues focused on the needs of seniors and their families, including estate planning, healthcare decision-making, and planning for incapacity. Common elder law matters include guardianships and conservatorships, Medicaid planning and eligibility, advance directives for medical and surgical treatment, and durable powers of attorney.
Our objective is to use our knowledge and expertise to guide you and your family through the complex, interrelated issues specific to the elder law arena. Whether you are planning ahead or responding to an urgent need, TNS Associates provides trusted, compassionate counsel every step of the way. Contact us today to set up a consultation with one of our elder law attorneys.
Key Elder Law Services
Guardianships and Conservatorships
When a loved one can no longer manage their personal or financial affairs, a guardianship or conservatorship may be necessary to protect them. Our attorneys assist families in establishing these protective arrangements through the Colorado courts and advise on less restrictive alternatives where appropriate.
Special Needs Planning
Families caring for a child or loved one with disabilities face unique long-term planning challenges. Our elder law attorneys work alongside our special needs planning practice to help families create special needs trusts and explore other strategies that protect eligibility for public benefits while providing for quality of life.
Advance Directives and Healthcare Planning
An advance directive, also known as a living will, documents your wishes for medical treatment if you become unable to communicate them yourself. Combined with a medical durable power of attorney, these documents ensure your healthcare preferences are honored and that a trusted person can act on your behalf.
Powers of Attorney
A durable power of attorney allows you to designate a trusted agent to manage your financial and legal affairs if you become incapacitated. Our attorneys draft tailored POA documents that reflect your specific intentions and ensure your agent has the authority needed to act effectively on your behalf.
Long-Term Care Planning
Planning for long-term care involves understanding the costs and options associated with in-home care, assisted living, and nursing facility care, and structuring your finances to cover those needs. Our attorneys help families develop realistic, legally sound plans that account for both public benefit programs and private resources.
Why Elder Law Planning Matters
The decisions made during the aging process have lasting consequences for seniors and the families who support them. Without proper legal planning, families can find themselves navigating a crisis, whether a sudden incapacity, an unplanned nursing home admission, or a disputed estate, without the legal protections that could have been put in place in advance. TNS Associates has been serving Colorado seniors and their families since 1984, providing personalized elder law counsel that addresses the full scope of their needs with care and precision.
Planning Ahead Protects Your Options
Legal tools like powers of attorney and advance directives are only available before a crisis. Once incapacity occurs, the path to protection becomes significantly more difficult and costly. Early planning preserves your choices.
Asset Protection for Future Care Costs
Long-term care is one of the most significant financial risks facing seniors today. Thoughtful Medicaid planning and asset protection strategies can help ensure that a lifetime of savings is not consumed entirely by care costs.
Protecting Vulnerable Loved Ones
Seniors are disproportionately targeted by financial exploitation and fraud. Guardianships, conservatorships, and properly drafted legal documents create a legal framework that protects vulnerable individuals from those who may seek to take advantage of them.
Coordinated Family Guidance
Elder law matters rarely affect only the senior. Our attorneys work with the entire family unit to ensure that everyone understands the plan, roles are clearly defined, and potential conflicts are addressed before they arise.
Personalized, Compassionate Counsel
At TNS Associates, we understand that elder law matters are deeply personal. Our attorneys take the time to understand each client’s unique circumstances and family dynamics, providing counsel that is both legally sound and genuinely compassionate.
Ready to plan for the future with confidence?
Our experienced Colorado elder law attorneys are here to help you and your family navigate every stage of the aging process with clarity and peace of mind.
William G. Dornan
Attorney at Law
William G. Dornan is an attorney in the Estate Planning and Probate Practice Group at Thomas N. Scheffel & Associates, P.C., with over 25 years of legal experience. He focuses on estate and trust administration and litigation, estate planning, elder law and Medicaid, and also advises clients on real estate and corporate law matters. Dornan is admitted in Colorado and Ohio, including practice in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.
Michael J. McNally
Attorney at Law
Michael J. McNally is a litigation attorney with more than 30 years of experience representing clients in high stakes civil matters, including malpractice, products liability, probate litigation, employment disputes, and insurance bad faith. Licensed in Colorado and Arizona, he has handled cases in state and federal courts across more than a dozen states and is admitted to the U.S. District Court and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. McNally is AV rated by Martindale Hubbell, has been recognized as a Super Lawyer in 5280 Magazine’s Colorado’s Top Lawyers edition, and is a frequent speaker on risk management and automotive products liability.
Timothy “Tim” Kenczewicz
Attorney at Law
Timothy “Tim” Kenczewicz is an attorney in the Estate Planning and Probate Practice Group at Thomas N. Scheffel & Associates, P.C., focusing on taxation, estate planning, elder law, and probate. He brings more than 40 years of management experience in financial services, including leading trust and wealth management divisions for large regional banks and launching two trust companies, one nationally chartered. Kenczewicz has served as president of five trust organizations and is admitted to practice in Ohio.