Reviews

I had hired Alison Zinn Sheahen at Lathrop GPM - Denver to contest my stepfather‘s will/trust when I found out upon his death that he had changed it prior to passing away but 22 years after the initial one was written. This was a multi million dollar estate so there was a lot of money involved. I believe he had changed it due to undue influence and lack of testamentary capacity and I needed medical records to prove the latter. Alison had given me hope of at least a settlement and had told me that people settle all the time. I asked her to start the process so that we can get copies of my stepfather‘s medical records. (He was most likely going through cancer treatments and there were some signs that he might have had dementia/Alzheimer’s – he wrote Merry Christmas on the birthday check he had sent to me in the month of May.) She however did not do that. Instead after she had spoken with the other attorney (my Stepfather’s attorney who was handling the estate), Alison did a complete 180 and told me that my stepfather had every right to change his will. If that were the case, then the right to contest a will would not exist. However, the right to contest a will does exist and people are able to contest wills based on undue influence, lack of testamentary capacity, etc.. Also, after Alison Zinn / Sheahen had spoken with the opposing attorney, she told me that the opposing attorney told her that my stepfather was of sound mind when he changed his will. I had asked her to start the process of contesting the will so that we could get my stepfather’s medical records…… not get the opinion of the opposing attorney on the soundness of my stepfather’s mind. He is a lawyer, not a doctor. His word is an opinion, it is not fact. This was a case I believe in which lack of testamentary capacity would’ve been easy to prove if I had been able to obtain my stepfather’s medical records. However, once again, Alison did not start the process of contesting the will for me and she did not start the process of obtaining my stepfather’s medical records like I had asked. She had only proceeded to tell me that my stepfather was of sound mind because the other attorney told her so and that my stepfather had every right to change his will. I had one shot at this and unfortunately I trusted this attorney and this firm to do as I had requested and to help me contest my stepfather’s will/trust and to help me obtain my stepfather’s medical records and they did neither. Alison is a lawyer who was supposed to have fought for me on my behalf and she did not. When I filed a complaint with Lathrop GPM corporate, after telling my side of the story, I was told that I was well represented. I cannot believe that taking the word of the other attorney on medical issues and not doing what I had asked her to do, was being well represented.

My husband and I hired Alison Zinn at a very difficult time in our lives. We needed immediate action and did not know what to do next. Alison outlined an effective plan or us and started execution immediately. Almost two years later we are on the other side of our crisis with all positive outcomes. I hate to think of where we would be today if we hadn’t met Alison. I very highly recommend her.