Theressa Hollis
Fitzwater Law
I’m a partner with Fitzwater Law and have practiced with this firm for 19 years. My practice emphasizes legal issues unique to the elderly and their families, including guardianship and conservatorship proceedings, probate estates, trust administration, and estate planning. Some of my favorite cases are the emergency (“temporary”) guardianships and conservatorships. I received my J.D. from Willamette University College of Law in 1998.
I value helping people in times of crisis by making the legal system understandable. I pride myself on being reliable and thorough in my work, while striving to take the mystery out of the legal process.
Elder law and estate planning is a perfect fit for me. Since my time as a psychology major at Linfield College I have enjoyed helping people in need. I am a frequent volunteer at the Legal Aid Service’s Senior Law Project providing pro bono legal help to seniors. I also enjoy teaching other attorneys to practice elder law. I am a faculty speaker for the Oregon Law Institute and the Multnomah Bar Association on the issues of probate administration and guardianships. I am currently the Treasurer of the Executive Committee for the Elder Law Section of the Oregon State Bar.
I enjoy applying my knowledge and skills to assist my community. I am the second-term President and founding board member of Guardian Partners, a non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating abuse and neglect for our elderly and disabled populations. I was a Co-Editor of the Oregon State Bar’s Elder Law Handbook (2017). Also in 2017, I was awarded the Oregon State Bar President’s Public Service Award for my volunteer service. I am a member of the following organizations: Oregon Women Lawyers (OWLS), Clackamas County Elder Abuse Coordinated Community Response Team, Guardian/Conservator Association of Oregon, and Oregon Working Interdisciplinary Network of Guardianship Stakeholders (WINGS).
- Willamette University College of Law
- J.D. (1998) | Law
- -
-
- Linfield College
- B.A. (1992) | Psychology & Spanish
- -
-
- Partner
- Fitzwater Law
- - Current
- Associate Attorney
- Scalf & O'Halloran
- -
- Associate attorney in a general practice firm handling probate, guardianship and estate planning cases.
- Elder Law Handbook
- Oregon State Bar
- Health Ed 2019, Portland, Oregon
- PESI, Inc.
- Fitzwater Law attorneys value giving back to Oregon’s social work community. On Friday, May 31 attorneys Wes Fitzwater, Chris Ray and Theressa Hollis will present at Oregon Elderlaw 2019. This all-day Health Ed presentation put on by PESI, Inc. (Professional Education Systems Institute) benefits social workers, nurses, case managers, psychologists and other professionals working with, caring for & advising the elderly & their families. Topics covered will include planning for health and financial decisions, the impact of the Affordable Care Act on Medicare, recent updates on Medicaid eligibility, understanding guardianship and conservatorship, and elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.
- President's Public Service Award
- Oregon State Bar Association
- Public Service Award Criteria: The nominee must have volunteered for the activity involved; must be an active or emeritus member of the Oregon State Bar; and must have made significant contributions to the public through recent efforts in one or more of the following areas: pro bono legal service to individuals or groups, law-related public education, coordination of public service law-related events (such as those associated with Law Day), service with community boards or organizations, or similar activities which benefit the public.
- Oregon State Bar Association # 982626
- Member
- Current
-
- Oregon State Bar Elder Law Section
- President-Elect
- Current
-
- Guardian Partners
- Board President
- Current
-
- Guardian/Conservator Association of Oregon
- Member
- Current
-
- Oregon Working Interdisciplinary Network of Guardian Stakeholders (WINGS)
- Member
- Current
-
- Oregon
- Oregon State Bar
- ID Number: 982626
-
-
Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
We generally bill hourly but some estate planning is handled on a flat fee basis. Please contact me for more information.
- Probate
- Probate Administration, Probate Litigation, Will Contests
- Estate Planning
- Guardianship & Conservatorship Estate Administration, Health Care Directives, Trusts, Wills
- Elder Law
- Guardianship/Conservatorship
- Trust Administration
- Wills
- Trusts
- Powers of Attorney
- English: Spoken, Written
- Q. What's my legal rights in Josephine county Oregon when my landlord sells my house out if spite during pandemic
- A: I recommend you re-post your question in the Landlord Tenant topic. This does not appear to be an estate planning issue. You could also call the Oregon Law Center to see if they can help you: https://oregonlawcenter.org/ Good luck!
- Q. Who takes possession of a deceased's unregistered car with no probate, no heirs, and lots of debt?
- A: If you were not adopted by another family then you might be your father's only heir. However, that does not mean that you are required to handle his estate. If the car was never registered in your father's name then it should still be in the seller's name. I would contact one of his creditors to see if they want to file a probate to collect their debt. If so you could send the keys to them.
- Q. Mother in-law deceased 4.18.2020. All known debts paid. 8 months after Medicare trying to collect debt.can they?
- A: It's likely that you have been contacted by Medicaid (not Medicare) because your mother-in-law was receiving public benefits to pay for her long-term care. I recommend you schedule an appointment with an experienced probate attorney to review the claim and advise you.
2016 Oregon Conference on Aging - Elder Justice