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Margaret Madison Phelan

Estate planning Attorney at Vancouver, WA

4.7   14 reviews

also known as Margaret Madison Phelan

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  • State Years
    Washington - WA 30 years
    Oregon - OR 37 years
  • Licensed for 30 years
    State WA
    Acquired 1993
    Status
    Voluntarily Resigned No misconduct found
  • Licensed for 37 years
    State OR
    Acquired 1986
    Status
    Resigned No misconduct found

We have not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer.

Empathetic, caring, and very educational
Terri
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
Hired Attorney
Outstanding attorney in every way
Elizabeth
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
Hired Attorney
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About Margaret

Learn Margaret’s areas of practice.

5
Practice areas
  1. Estate planning
    50%
    Helping clients create effective and thoughtful plans to achieve their wishes and their families' unique needs. Special focus on second marriages, planning for singles, addressing the possibility of long term care, snowbirds and special needs.

    3 years

  2. Elder law
    20%
    Helping clients determine how to pay for a long term care need now, or planning for a possible future long term care need. In limited cases, helping former clients solve life challenges involving 'senior issues'.

    3 years

  3. Probate
    10%
    Assisting in administering decedent's estates and small estates.

    3 years

  4. Trusts
    10%
    Directing former clients in administering trusts.

    3 years

  5. Power of attorney
    5%
    Preparing power powers of attorney that are unique to the needs of seniors facing long term care issues, addressing the unique needs of singles or the challenges of non-cohesive families.

    3 years

  6. Wills and living wills
    5%
    Helping clients prepare wills, living wills and powers of attorney to achieve their wishes, avoid guardianship and ensure their health care desires are met.

    3 years

I've been passionate about helping seniors and their families create estate plans that work for their unique situations since 1992.  I sold my firm in 2016 and in October 2020 opened a small virtual office and am enjoying being able to spend more one-on-one time with clients albeit via Zoom.  I've combined my practice with my newfound love of painting (see me on Instagram @.  As a solo, all calls are generally returned on Thursdays and appointments scheduled for Tuesdays..   Cancel

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Margaret Phelan
3411 NE 97th Ave
Vancouver, WA, 98662
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Reviews

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4.7 / 5.0
  14 customer reviews
5 Star
 
86%
4 Star
 
7%
3 Star
 
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Posted by Terri | January 27, 2016
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Empathetic, caring, and very educational
We were recommended to Margaret by another attorney. We were a little nervous, since we are new in town and had several issues, including a blended family and future health concerns. We have been so blessed by Margaret and her team. She has patiently answered questions (sometimes several times), discussed options, provided excellent education on difficult topics (e.g. long term care insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, special needs trusts, elder care planning, durable medical power of attorney, etc, etc). This puts our minds at ease that plans are laid out and specified in case one or when both of us gets very ill, injured or dies. Margaret has a very laid back, patient style, which puts us at ease and is very approachable, empathetic and caring. Difficult blended family issues are raised and discussed, she facilitates the difficult discussions and navigates the process so that we understand the options and "can think it over." She is very concerned about quality of life issues and family relationships, which we really appreciate.
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Posted by Elizabeth | December 6, 2015
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Outstanding attorney in every way
Margaret has been my trusted lawyer for over 20 years. I have called on her help often during this time, occasionally when I have been a state of crisis and confusion. She has always been available to offer me well reasoned, prudent and thoughtful advice. She has helped me with the winding up of an estate and she continues to advise me regarding ongoing, complex Special Needs Trust matters. She is knowledgeable, experienced, creative and caring. I feel very fortunate to have had Margaret 's help and advice over these many years.
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Posted by Diane | October 25, 2015
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Excellent Education
Attorney Phelan and her entire office were professional, friendly and flexible. She did a remarkably good job of educating me regarding wills, trusts and power of attorney. I completed the process of creating a trust feeling confident that my affairs are in order and my family and I can rely Attorney Phelan's firm when we need them.
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Posted by Jeff | October 23, 2015
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
My go to estate attorney.
Excellent attorney as well as very knowledgeable. She is a joy to work with. I feel her services and information are very well explained. I also find her very personable as well as professional.
Posted by anonymous | October 18, 2015
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Client
Although our estate was small, it was confusing to us. Margaret made the process simple, taking time to answer our questions so everything went smoothly.
Posted by Brian | October 16, 2015
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Elder Care
Having had both parents and an uncle receive assistance from Phelan & Webber, it was time for us to prepare our estate needs. Every meeting with this firm was professional and we were cared for very well. Every aspect of our needs was explained thoroughly and expertly.
Posted by Marcia | October 6, 2015
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
A real advocate
Margaret oversaw a fairly complex life issue and supporting documents for my parents. She was just what you want in counsel. She knew her field, listened well, and provided thoughtful guidance to protect them and suppose their needs. And pricing was fair and transparent. We had met another attorney in this field who was awful so we were delighted with Margarets help.
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Posted by Gene | October 6, 2015
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Very knowledgeable, thorough, and professional
My family contacted Margaret Phelan for information on power of attorney and estate planning. She carefully explained all available options, tradeoffs, and costs. She even brought preliminary documents to my parent’s house for signing when my mother was ill. The firm handled probate after my mother’s death and then drafted a revocable living trust, will, power of attorney, and other documents for my father. All documents were written clearly, which left no room for misinterpretation. She provided detailed information on how to correctly implement the trust. Everything that she told us about the execution and performance of the trust was accurate. I would highly recommend this professional, competent firm to anyone.
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Posted by Ann | October 4, 2015
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Our Experience with Ms. Phelan's Practice
Ms. Phelan and her staff are kind, knowledge- able and professional people who help you make sound judgements on important mat- ters. We also love the fact they are dog lovers and have wonderful senses of humor.
Posted by Jerry | October 2, 2015
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Very Satisfied
We hired Margaret after a consultation, very thorough, walked us thru the process of qualifying our Mother for Medicad, answered all of our questions. Her office made it so easy with timely updates on when we should move assets, etc. I would hire her again in a heartbeat. I have recommended several friends to her.
Posted by Jane | October 2, 2015
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Legal work related to Elder Care and Disabilitie
I had the good fortune of working with Attorney Phelan in 3 different areas. She helped me craft a Revocable Living Trust that will allow me to leave assets to my adult disabled sons while protecting their state and federal benefits. She assisted my mother in putting her affairs in order (power of attorney, advanced directive, and will) after my bother's death. Attorney Phelan was always respectful, compassionate and focused on the legal issues of the case. Additionally, she developed a power of attorney for my younger son whose disabilities require him to have assistance with some of his affairs. Again, she was respectful, honored him as the client, and developed the documents to express his desires for assistance. His case was completed pro bono.
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Posted by David | October 2, 2015
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Knowledgeable and Comfortable
Margaret and her team (after initial meeting usually just saw her staff, including attorneys) provided us with clear explanations and solid information in designing our trust and various medical end of life options. When changes in WA law required some updates, we were notified and modifications were enacted. While this cost more than we expected, it needed to be done. We were more interested in competency than fees, but I would suspect the fees charged were within normal range of SW legal fees. Barbara and I would not hesitate to recommend Margaret Phelan and her team of estate planning and elder care specialists.
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Posted by Monica | December 21, 2015
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Establishing a family trust and will
Our experience with this law firm was well organized and efficient. They have been very helpful in guiding us through the process of preparing our family trust.
Posted by JA | July 19, 2014
Wouldn't recommend
Did the job they were hired to do but I found them to be over-priced and slow to respond. They requested the SAME documents numerous time and yet still made several errors on documents that had to be corrected, leading to delays. They fail to recognize they are still in a customer service based industry and absolutely refuse to utilize technology made available today to expedite matters. I had to deal with too many people (Ms. Phelan, Ms. Phelan's associate attorneys, paralegals/assistants, receptionists) all of whom were never on the same page which added to frustrations and delays in getting even simple answers. As a result, I could not and would not recommend Ms. Phelan or her firm.
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Response from Margaret Phelan December 30, 2015
I am saddened by this posting and wish the client had contacted me directly so that we could have addressed the concerns in a private manner. I think this client was unhappy we would not communicate by email, which we are generally reluctant to do as we do not want to receive private information like Social Security numbers or account numbers via unencrypted email. I also think s/he was unhappy with an hourly bill which this project required. Whenever possible we set our fee at the initial meeting so that the client knows the exact cost. When we do work on an hourly basis we invite inquires to our bills and do not charge to address any billing related concerns.
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AVVO RATING 10.0 (Superb)

Work Experience

  • Attorney at Law
  • Margaret Madison Phelan
  • 2020 - Present
  • Founding Partner
  • Phelan Webber Pettis PS
  • 1996 - 2020
  • Associate Attorney
  • Blair Schaefer Hutchison & Wolfe, LLP
  • 1994 - 1996
  • Associate Attorney
  • Horenstein & Duggan
  • 1992 - 1994
  • Associate Attorney
  • Bittner & Barker
  • 1988 - 1992
  • Judicial Clerk
  • Us District Court (Portland)
  • 1986 - 1988
View all work experience

Education

  • Lewis & Clark Law School
  • JD - Juris Doctor
  • 1986
  • University of Hawaii, Manoa
  • M.B.A.
  • 1983
  • University of Iowa
  • B.B.A.
  • 1981

Associations

  • National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys
  • Member
  • 1992 - Present
  • Clark County Bar Association
  • Member
  • N/A
  • Multnomah Bar Association
  • Member
  • N/A
  • Washington State Bar Association
  • Member
  • N/A
  • Washington Women Lawyers
  • Member
  • N/A
  • Oregon State Bar
  • Member
  • N/A
  • National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Washington Chapter
  • President
  • 2005 - 2006
  • National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, Washington Chapter
  • Board of Directors
  • 2003 - 2007
  • Clark County Bar Association
  • Board of Directors
  • 2000 - 2002
  • Oregon State Bar, Elder Law Section
  • Board of Directors (founding member)
  • 1999 - 2001
  • Washington State Bar Association, Elder Law Section
  • Board of Directors
  • 1998 - 2000
  • Washington Women Lawyers, St Helens Chapter
  • President
  • 1998 - 2000
View all associations

Languages Spoken

  • English

Honors and Awards

  • Pro Bono Publico Service Commendation
  • Washington State Bar Assocation
  • 2012
  • Pro Bono Publico Service Commendation
  • Washington State Bar Association
  • 2009
  • Most Valuable Member
  • National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys,Washington Chapter
  • 2002

Publications

  • Advantage
  • What You Really Need to Know for the Second Half of Life
  • 2015
  • Senior Messenger
  • How to Talk to Someone with Dementia
  • 2015
  • Senior Messenger
  • Getting Good Nursing Home Care
  • 2015
  • Senior Messenger
  • Power of Attorney versus Guardianship
  • 2015
  • Senior Messenger
  • What is the VA Aid & Attendance Pension
  • 2015
  • Senior Messenger
  • 3 Mistakes to Avoid During the Second Half of Life
  • 2014
  • Senior Messenger
  • Forecasting the Costs for Alzheimer's Care
  • 2014
  • Senior Messenger
  • Is It Time for Mom & Dad to Move
  • 2014
  • Senior Messenger
  • When Should You Redo Your Will
  • 2014
  • Senior Messenger
  • 7 Resolutions You Need to Make This Year
  • 2013
  • Senior Messenger
  • Long Term Care Insurance
  • 2013
  • Senior Messenger
  • Never Make a Promise You Can't Keep
  • 2013
  • Senior Messenger
  • What is a Trust?
  • 2013
  • Senior Messenger
  • Helping our Parents
  • 2012
  • Senior Messenger
  • New Years Resolutions & Estate Planning
  • 2012
  • Senior Messenger
  • Options to Avoid Nursing Home Sticker Shock
  • 2011
  • Senior Messenger
  • Reverse Mortgages
  • 2011
  • Senior Messenger
  • VA Benefits
  • 2011
  • Senior Messenger
  • Second Marriages & Blended Families
  • 2011
  • Senior Messenger
  • Does probate mean I have to pay taxes?
  • 2011
  • Senior Messenger
  • New Years Resolutions
  • 2010
  • Senior Messenger
  • Estate Tax Rules
  • 2010
  • Senior Messenger
  • Is Probate Good or Bad?
  • 2010
  • Senior Messenger
  • Avoiding Exploitation
  • 2010
  • Senior Messenger
  • Long Term Care Insurance
  • 2010
View all publications

Speaking Engagements

  • Protecting Seminar held by Phelan Webber & Assocates
  • 7 Ways Our Trusts Can Save You Money and Protect Your Spouse, Your House and Your Family from the Government
  • 2016
  • Planning Seminar held by Phelan Webber & Associates
  • 6 Planning Steps for the Second Half of Life that You Need to Take in 2016 to Protect Yourself, Your Family and Your House
  • 2016
  • CLE
  • Paying for Long Term Care
  • 2010
  • Fall CLE
  • Selected Estate Planning Topics
  • 2009
  • Annual Estate Planning Conference - Fall
  • Developing & Managing an Estate Planning Practice
  • 2008
  • Annual CLE
  • Secrets of Powers of Attorney
  • 2006
  • Continuing Legal Education Program
  • Durable Powers of Attorney
  • 2003
  • LTC Insurance Annual Training
  • Washington Medicaid
  • 2002
View all speaking engagements

Attorney endorsements

Received (8)
Given (15)
Endorse Margaret
Leroy D. Peterson headshot
Leroy Peterson
Elder law Attorney | Oct 12
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I know Margaret from a national organization of elder law attorneys and have found her to be extremely caring, professional, knowledgable and trustworthy. I highly recommend Julie as an Elder Law attorney."
Jackie Wilbur Bedard headshot
Jackie Bedard
Elder law Attorney | Jun 01
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Margaret is not only a skilled professional but one that cares deeply about the services that she provides to her clients. She is incredibly knowledgeable. I recommend Margaret without hesitation."
Elizabeth Elaine Christy headshot
Elizabeth Christy
Estate planning Attorney | Sep 11
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer."
Lynn St. Louis headshot
Lynn St. Louis
Elder law Attorney | Jun 15
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Margaret Madison Phelan has been an Elder Law colleague of mine for many years. She is dedicated to providing her clients excellence in legal services. I highly recommend Margaret to any potential client needing representation in Elder Law matters."
Barbara J Byram headshot
Barbara Byram
Elder law Attorney | Jun 15
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer. Margaret has been a guiding light in the field of Elder Law, and particularly, in the area of efficient office practices. She is knowledgable and compassionate!"
Karen L Webber headshot
Karen Webber
Elder law Attorney | Jun 14
Relationship: Worked for lawyer
"I began working for Margaret while I was in law school. She has been a wonderful mentor and teacher. Her skills with clients and complicated legal matters continue to impress me."
Rajiv Nagaich headshot
Rajiv Nagaich
Estate planning Attorney | Jun 14
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Margaret has been an excellent mentor to me over the years. She is bright, diligent and compassionate. Her skills in all areas are above par. And I refer clients who are in the Clark County area without reservations. Rajiv."
Daniel Orville Kellogg headshot
Daniel Kellogg
Elder law Attorney | Oct 02
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I have known Margaret for many years and have worked with her in our professional association. She is a very well-respected Elder Law attorney in the Vancouver, WA area. I have referred clients to her."
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Vancouver Estate planning Lawyer Margaret Madison Phelan
Margaret Madison Phelan
Estate planning Attorney
Vancouver, WA
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