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ADMISSION
TO PRACTICE LAW |
Status Active - legal advice
available upon request
Colorado
- all state and
municipal courts - admitted May, 1981
Colorado Attorney
Registration No. 10930
Supreme Court
Search Results
*
Disciplinary History
United
States District Court - District of Colorado
United
States 10th Circuit Court of Appeals
United
States Supreme Court |
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Traffic Cams |
Weather |
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Status Admitted January, 1981
- Inactive 1989 - no
legal advice will be given
Iowa
United
States District Court - Southern District of Iowa
United
States 8th Circuit Court of Appeals |
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Traffic Cams |
Weather |
Member
Colorado
Bar Association &
El
Paso County Bar Association
Sole practitioner in El Paso
County, Colorado since 1983
Continuous Colorado trial
practice since 1981 - formerly western slope
On-line
subscription legal
research |
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EMPLOYMENT
BETWEEN UNDERGRAD DEGREE & LEGAL CAREER |
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Credit and collection manager
with General Electric Credit Corp.
Colorado and Montana 1973 -
1975
Mortgage loan officer -
residential and commercial lending
Federal Savings & Loan -
Iowa 1975 until law school 1978 |
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EDUCATION |
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Drake Law School, Des Moines, Iowa
Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD) - December, 1980
top grade - agency * partnership
trial clinic top award - International Academy of Trial Lawyers Award
deans list honors
Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa
Bachelor of Science in Education (BSE) Degree - December 1973
deans list honors
Valley High School,
West Des Moines, Iowa
national honor society * deans list honors * diploma May 1970 |
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PERSONAL INFORMATION |
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I was raised in a rural Iowa small town, then attended high school in West
Des Moines. Upon completion of undergrad degree in 1973, I migrated
to Colorado and then again upon completion of law school in December,
1980. I flew back to take the Iowa bar exam in January, 1981 and
took the Colorado bar exam in February, 1981. Having passed each
bar, I made my permanent home in Colorado. I'm not a native, but
have lived the majority of my life in this beautiful Rocky Mountain state,
and raised my daughter alone here from infancy through emancipation.
When opportunity
occurs, I enjoy the mountains, skiing once in a while, tennis,
swimming, riding horses and puttering around in the yard or tool man
fix-it projects. |
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ATTORNEY
REPRESENTATION
AND DECLINED MATTERS
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FIRST CONSULTATION - NOTICE |
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Attorney
welcomes representation
inquiries however the
purpose is not to provide free legal advice to the general public.
Unless seeking to retain counsel, please do not email or call.
Attorney does not provide legal opinions, answers or information
in response to questions submitted from non-clients, and attorney
is not the phone company 411 center for telephone number
information. Given the scope of internet accessibility, I
can not be the free "Colorado answer man" and will politely
decline requests of this nature. |
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Family law
cases occur across Colorado -
please refer to travel. |
Travel Policies & Trade Area
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Itemized Expenses
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Colo Map |
common fees have been
quoted and information provided
attorney
is prepared to provide legal representation |
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attorney
comparison is understandable, but before calling
please be prepared to retain if I am counsel of your choice |
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ALTERNATIVES |
FIND
A LAWYER |
if
you are seeking the below
please refer to above links for helpful information |
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sole practitioner
attorney does not accept these matters |
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a. a pro-bono (free) lawyer
b. an attorney who may take
lower fees - economic hardship
c. an attorney who may take installment payments |
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MID-LITIGATION
REPRESENTATION
alternatives and find a
lawyer links provided as a courtesy
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Attorney
Policies
Litigant Pro Se - Attempt to
Prepare or Defend Own Family Law Case |
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1.
Adequate Time. If sufficient time exists to adequately prepare your
family law case or
defense and if prospective client approves this
attorney's fees and costs structure, attorney will
likely accept representation. This shall
not constitute an offer of representation; attorney and
prospective client retain discretion through
first
consultation. |
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2.
Insufficient Time. If you've waited until the eleventh hour and there is not
sufficient time to adequately prepare your case or defense before a contested
court proceeding, please do not call. I decline. |
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3.
Limited Assistance.
Please do not call requesting instruction, directions, legal theory,
forms completion or limited document drafting, partial representation, or an explanation of
applicable law to assist you in preparation or defense of your own case. I decline. |
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Attorney
Policies
Representation
by Previous Attorney
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1.
Current Attorney.
Until an order has entered withdrawing representation by an
attorney, an ethical rule violation exists if counsel
knowingly speaks to another attorney's client without current
attorney's consent. This ethical rule governs all
attorneys. Please do not call until after
you have terminated representation by a former attorney.
After
other counsel's withdrawal it may take significant effort for the the new attorney to "catch up."
Please be aware fees and costs will be associated with procuring the court
file and coming up to speed in the case. |
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2.
Adequate Time.
If prospective client terminates employment of the
former attorney, if sufficient time exists to adequately prepare your
family law case, and if prospective client approves this
attorney's fees and costs structure, attorney will
likely accept representation. This shall
not constitute an offer of representation; attorney and
prospective client retain discretion through
first
consultation. |
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3.
Insufficient Time.
If you've waited until the eleventh hour and there is
not sufficient time to adequately prepare your case or
defense before a contested court proceeding, please do
not call. I decline. |
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4.
Second Opinion.
I will not arm chair quarterback another
attorney's case preparation, trial tactics or theory of
the case. Please do not call for a second
opinion or an opinion regarding the competence
of preparation or defense in your current family
law case. I decline. |
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POST
DECREE MATTERS
alternatives and find a
lawyer links provided as a courtesy
former clients are naturally welcome to call anytime
regarding any legal matter |
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1.
Post Decree Support, Property or Debt Enforcement. I accept most post decree requests
to
enforce a prior court order with respect to child support,
spousal maintenance, property or debt. This shall
not constitute an offer of representation; attorney and
prospective client retain discretion through
first
consultation. |
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2.
Post Decree Modification.
I will consider post decree modification of support,
parental responsibility or parenting time or setting aside a
former property or debt order, however I do consider the amount
of time elapsed since last order, circumstances surrounding the
modification and number of prior attorneys retained by a
prospective client. This shall
not constitute an offer of representation; attorney and
prospective client retain discretion through
first
consultation. |
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3.
Appeals. I
do not accept appellate matters unless I provided
representation at hearing or trial and am familiar with the facts,
testimony and exhibits received into evidence
and meritorious issues for appeal. That's been my policy for
years. Please do not
call or inquire regarding appellate matters if you are not a
former client. |
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ATTORNEY
TRADE AREA & TRAVEL
OUTSIDE EL PASO COUNTY
GEOGRAPHIC
DISTANCE
ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS |
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Colorado is a big state. Ease of internet access, email and toll free
phone doesn't change that fact. Due to frequency of court appearances, it is not economically justifiable for a client to pay travel time or
expenses beyond nearby counties. |
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his trade area due to cost considerations. |
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Attorney is very willing to travel
outside the Colorado Springs area to present or defend a case,
but please be aware travel time, mileage and expense would
apply. If you are from out of state or are unfamiliar with
Colorado geography, refer to the map to determine where
Colorado Springs
is located in relation to the county of your court case or
hearing. |
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| COUNTIES |
CITIES / TOWNS |
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If travel is
necessary, a
trust deposit
would be required to cover anticipated travel time, mileage &
expenses. If it is not economically justifiable to retain
my services with travel, please contact counsel in the locale of
your case. |
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El Paso County |
Colorado Springs / Manitou
Springs / Fountain |
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Arapahoe County |
Littleton / Centennial /
Englewood |
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Douglas County |
Castle Rock |
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Elbert County |
Kiowa / Simla |
I welcome new cases. Intent is not to be harsh
or to discard potential new business, but to be practical. |
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Crowley County |
Ordway |
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Fremont County |
Canon City / Florence / Penrose |
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Pueblo County |
Pueblo |
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Teller County |
Cripple Creek / Woodland Park |
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PRIVATE
ATTORNEY
NOT
A GOVERNMENT SUPPORT UNIT
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I welcome legal representation
inquiries,
but please do not call thinking this is a government
child support enforcement unit.
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Adobe
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Free Download
| please feel free
to call or email if you are a client or are seeking representation |
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FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION
not an offer for free legal advice - refer to link for terms
attorney is a sole practitioner with need to manage his caseload
attorney reserves the right
to decline any legal matter |
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GUSTAFSON LAW OFFICE TOPICAL
WEBSITES |
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Topical Website Copyright © 2003
- All Rights Reserved - Document Revised
December 01, 2008
no copyright claimed to images other than photograph and law office logo
Topical Website Initial Publication Date: February 24, 2004
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