Zumalt Law llc

Kris Zumalt is the founder of Zumalt Law LLC. She is a skilled litigator who has been practicing law in Colorado since 2002. Kris's practice focuses primarily on legal issues involving our elder citizens and their families, including guardianships and conservatorships, estate planning, estate administration, probate litigation, will contests, elder exploitation, and the representation of fiduciaries (guardians, conservators, trustees, and agents under powers of attorney) in both criminal and civil investigations, as well as in the defense of criminal charges or civil claims filed against them. Kris's practice additionally includes petitioning for the appointment of guardians and/or conservators for infants, minors, and disabled adults of any age, as well as the modification of the terms of such appointments, and the termination of guardianships and conservatorships that are no longer necessary or appropriate.

BACKGROUND AND PHILOSOPHY

Prior to founding Zumalt Law LLC, Kris began her legal career as a Law Clerk to the Honorable Henry A. Politz, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Following the completion of her judicial clerkship, Kris joined the law firm of Holland & Hart, LLP. At Holland & Hart, Kris practiced in the areas of environmental law, products liability defense, and commercial and civil litigation. As part of an intense litigation training program, Kris served for nine weeks at the Denver City Attorney’s Office as a special prosecutor for City and County of Denver in the Prosecution and Code Enforcement Section, conducting multiple jury trials and trials to the Court.

Following Holland & Hart, Kris served for six-and-a-half years as a Deputy District Attorney for the First Judicial District which is composed of Jefferson and Gilpin Counties. As a deputy district attorney, Kris zealously conducted over 50 jury trials and trials to the court with charges ranging across all level of misdemeanors and felonies, with single and multiple defendants, first-time and habitual offenders. As a deputy district attorney, Kris prosecuted well over 1000 cases involving various crimes including homicide, physical assaults, sexual assaults, domestic violence, stalking, harassment, child abuse, kidnapping, DUI/DWAI, vehicular assaults, traffic offenses and infractions, drug offenses (possession and distribution), thefts, forgery, identity theft, perjury, computer crimes, internet luring, aggravated and simple robbery, burglary, weapon offenses, contributing to the delinquency of minors, and various personal and property crimes against the elderly.

As a prosecutor, Kris’s practice emphasized justice for victims as well as fair and just dispositions for defendants. Professionalism and respect to all parties – including opposing parties and all counsel and interested persons – remains central to Kris’s handling of every case. Upon leaving the district attorney’s office, Kris received special recognition for her dedicated service to law enforcement and criminal prosecution in the First Judicial District.

In 2013, Kris returned to private practice and founded the firm Zumalt Law Firm, LLC where her practice emphasized general criminal defense, civil litigation, and estate planning. In 2014, Kris joined the law firm of Glatstein & O'Brien LLP where she expanded her practice into the areas of elder law, probate litigation and estate administration under the guidance and tutelage of named partner M. Carl Glatstein. In 2017, Kris and her colleagues at Glatstein & O'Brien successfully achieved justice for an elder client who was the victim of an unprecedented $1.3 million case of financial exploitation resulting in the criminal prosecution, conviction and prison sentence for the family-member perpetrator.

In the summer of 2017, Kris Zumalt co-founded the law practice Zumalt & Sigler LLC where she continued her elder law practice.

In February 2020, Kris founded Zumalt Law LLC where she focuses her practice in the areas of elder law, probate litigation, fidiciary representation, estate planning and estate administration, and criminal matters. Kris regularly gives presentations in the community on various topics of interest to elders and their families. Kris is a member of the planning and programming committees for the annual Jefferson County Senior Law Day events and a frequent speaker. She also presents continuing legal education programs for her colleagues in the areas of domestic violence and the elderly and the intersection of criminal law and elder law. She is a member of the Colorado Guardianship Association, the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, the Colorado Bar Association, the First Judicial District Bar Association, the Colorado Bar Foundation, and the Elder Law, Trusts & Estates, and Criminal Law sections of the Colorado Bar.

Kris is a zealous advocate and experienced counselor. Kris is also straightforward and frank with her clients. She does not sugar-coat the unpleasant aspects of litigation. Litigation is typically an uncertain, expensive, time-consuming, and emotionally taxing proposition. Kris works diligently with her clients to understand their concerns, determine their goals, evaluate and communicate the achievability of those goals, and to develop cooperatively with her clients strategies to achieve the desired outcomes in the most professional and cost-effective manner.

Bar Admissions

• Colorado State Courts, 2001

Professional Associations and Memberships

• Colorado Guardianship Association
• Colorado Bar Association, Member (Elder Law, Trusts & Estates, and Criminal Law Sections)
• Colorado Bar Foundation Fellow
• First Judicial District Bar Association, Member
• Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, Member

Education

University of Denver, College of Law, JD, Order of St. Ives, 2001

• Water Law Review, Editor-in-Chief
• Recipient: American Jurisprudence Awards in Criminal Trial Practice, Evidence, and Alternative Dispute Resolution

Colorado School of Mines, MS, Environmental Science & Engineering, 1996

University of Central Florida, BS, Computer Science, magna cum laude, 1988

Other Employment

          Intergraph Corporation, Software Engineer, 1988 - 1994

Community Service Activities

• Junior Great Books Leader, 2003-2006
• Meals-on-Wheels Volunteer Driver, 2005-2006
• Colorado Order of DeMolay, Broomfield Chapter, Advisor and Member of the Advisory Council, since 2009

Community Service Recognition

• 2011, 2015 Colorado DeMolay Advisor-of-the-Year Award - Co-Recipient
• 2013 Cryptic Masons Humanitarian Service Award for outstanding service in work with youth.
• 2013 International Order of DeMolay Cross of Honor