The Care Compass Elder Law, Estate Planning, and Protecting Aging
Parents from Scams with Paul Schlegel Dame Nicole Brandon sits down
with Prescott, Arizona attorney Paul Schlegel of Burnham Law to
talk through elder law, estate planning, grandparent guardianship,
and the scams that target aging parents. Walking Into Care Compass
With A Hero Dame Nicole Brandon opens The Care Compass by welcoming
listeners back and thanking them for journeying with her through
the hardest parts of caregiving. She reports on an extraordinary
week in Prescott, Arizona, where the city hosted the Walk to End
Alzheimer's and a Senior Health Fair, events she says show families
rallying around each other with love and support. Nicole tells
listeners she rarely calls anyone a hero, but today's guest is one
of the few she does. She introduces Paul Schlegel, an attorney with
Burnham Law, and explains why families so often avoid thinking
about the law even though life inevitably brings legal
circumstances into the picture. Nicole recalls her own most
vulnerable moment, saying Paul never made her feel wrong for her
fears, and that his ability to listen and then translate her
circumstances into real legal solutions is what convinces her he
belongs on the show today. Why Families Must Plan Ahead Paul
Schlegel explains that families practicing elder law rarely plan
ahead, and that he has personally witnessed siblings fight bitterly
after parents pass away without estate planning documents in place,
disputes that can poison relationships for the rest of their lives.
He shares that his own mother is ninety and his father
ninety-three, both still living independently in Colorado, and that
he and his siblings sat down together to plan their parents' estate
so everyone already understands what will happen and there is no
tension waiting ahead. Paul then recalls acting as personal
representative and power of attorney for an elderly couple living
in an RV with no children nearby. When the husband broke his hip
during the early days of COVID and never recovered, Paul found
himself arranging around-the-clock care for the widow, who had
dementia, and sometimes spending the night with her himself when no
caretaker was available, an experience that deepened his
appreciation for people living with dementia and Alzheimer's.
Guardianship, Scams, And A Family's Close Call Nicole asks about
grandparents who suddenly become guardians for grandchildren, and
Paul explains that courts typically grant permanent guardianship,
or sometimes adoption, and he urges grandparents in that position
to put estate planning documents in place naming a future guardian
for the children. He describes his own contract doing dependency
work for the county, representing both parents and children in
abuse and neglect cases, visiting foster placements, and growing
genuinely attached to the children he represents over cases that
can stretch for years. Nicole shares that her mother's RAZ Mobility
Phone, which only dials pre-programmed family members, protects her
from scammers targeting people with Alzheimer's. Paul then tells
his own story: a caller claiming to be an attorney convinced his
parents that their grandson had been in an accident and needed
thirteen thousand dollars in cash to avoid jail. His parents
withdrew the money before calling Paul, who confirmed his son was
safe at home, and his parents returned the cash and reported the
attempted scam to police. A Career From Classrooms To Courtrooms
Paul describes family law as a broad umbrella covering divorce,
modification of parenting plans, and enforcement of child support
and spousal support, distinct from probate law, which handles wills
and powers of attorney. He explains that Arizona requires a
parenting class for anyone going through a divorce involving
children, a class he taught for the county for about ten years,
always stressing that courts decide custody based on the best
interests of the child rather than either parent. Nicole asks about
grandparents during divorce, and Paul notes Arizona has a
grandparent's rights statute allowing petitions for visitation
time. He traces his own path from teaching middle school and
working summers as a wrangler leading horse pack trips, into a
master's degree and an unfinished doctorate in Latin American
history at Northern Arizona University, and finally into law school
after his own difficult divorce left him determined to understand
the legal system. He later served as a city court judge for eleven
and a half years. Finding The Right Attorney And Cherishing Time
Paul offers practical advice for anyone nervous about calling a
lawyer: ask around, since attorneys live and die by reputation, and
look for someone compassionate rather than someone chasing money.
He clarifies that probate attorneys, not family lawyers, handle
wills, living wills, and powers of attorney, so families should
match the right specialist to the right need. Nicole shares that
her own parents have been married sixty-seven years, and Paul
answers that his parents will celebrate their seventy-second
anniversary on November fourth, with the whole family traveling to
Colorado for Thanksgiving. He admits his father now repeats old
stories, but says he enjoys hearing them anyway, because the time
together is teaching him things about his parents' lives he never
fully understood before. His advice to listeners is simple: spend
as much time with loved ones as possible, because life is short,
and he says he is grateful his own parents involved their children
in estate planning so nothing is left uncertain. Closing Thoughts
On Fraud And Family Reunion Nearing the close of the hour, Paul
returns to the subject of elder fraud, saying it troubles him
deeply how often isolated elderly people are financially exploited
by someone who slowly works into their lives, and he urges
listeners to stay close to aging relatives and treat new,
too-helpful acquaintances as a warning sign. Nicole shares a
personal update, telling listeners her parents have been reunited
after time apart, describing her father's arm wrapped around her
mother and his wish, if reincarnation exists, to come back as his
own father. She reminds listeners that caregiving requires caring
for themselves too, resting, laughing, and leaving the house, and
promises that any question they send in will be answered, with Paul
invited back if needed. Paul closes by giving his contact
information once more, Burnham Law at 136 Grove Avenue in Prescott,
Arizona, and Nicole thanks him warmly for his wisdom, his
compassion, and his willingness to walk alongside families through
difficult legal and emotional terrain.
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