Biographical Information
Robert L. Aldridge

LAW FIRM: Robert L. Aldridge, Chartered

EDUCATION: Juris Doctorate, 1970, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri; BA, 1967, University of Idaho graduated as distinguished Senior; 1964 graduated Salutatorian from Bonners Ferry High school.

LEGAL PRACTICE: Admitted to the Idaho State Bar and the 9th Federal Circuit in 1970. Also admitted to practice in the U.S. Court of Claims.

SPECIALTIES: Estate planning, probate, elder law, first amendment and 501(c)3 religious institutions law.

LEGAL COMMUNITY SERVICE:
Volunteer legislative lobbyist writing and promoting bills that protect the elderly and improve the probate and estate planning laws, performing substantial pro bono activities at the Idaho Legislature on issues relating to tax, conservatorships/guardianships, elder law and probate. Some of those laws include:

  1. Defacto Custodian which gives those raising the child, often grandparents, standing equal to the parents in a Conservator/Guardianship proceeding.
  2. Substantial revising of Conservator/Guardianship laws to give protections to both minors and adults.
  3. Expansion and defining of duties and powers of the Guardian ad Litem and the Court Visitor to increase protection of the incapacitated, and to guarantee independence of both.
  4. Increased reporting and monitoring requirements for appointed Conservator/Guardianship to protect against abuse.
  5. Streamlined and standardization of procedures in Conservatorship and Guardianships.
  6. Increased the Small Estate Affidavit procedure from $10,000 to $100,000 to allow simple and inexpensive passage of assets at death.
  7. Created Community Property with Right of Survivorship Deed (CPWROS) for real estate to avoid first death probates of husband and wife while preserving the stepped up basis aspect of community property.
  8. Passage of the Uniform Power of Attorney Act to greatly expand the protections and the effectiveness of a financial Power of Attorney.
  9. Substantial revising of the Medical Consent and Natural Death Act to clarify and unify procedures and to give adequate protections to the grantors of powers.
  10. Gave power to the Courts to fine, surcharge, and otherwise punish misuse of conservatorship.
  11. Helped add abuse of a Power of Attorney as a violation of the Elder Abuse statute and the Consumer Protection Act, with civil and criminal sanctions.
  12. General streamlining of the probate process to lower costs and shorten time periods.
  13. Helped create both Medical Directives Registry and Will Registry in Idaho.
  14. Gave power to Idaho courts to review reasonableness of fees in Conservator and Guardian procedures.
  15. Wrote, with State Tax Commission and State Assessors, a total revision of the property tax reductions for homeowners and for circuit breaker (low income elderly).
  16. Clarified existing, and created new, methods of signature and notarization of documents where person cannot physically sign.
  17. Helped substantially rewrite statutory law and Idaho Rules for Medicaid, both eligibility and estate recovery.
  18. Create new law to govern transfer of conservatorships/guardianships into or out of Idaho, and to provide for special limited procedures without requiring actual transfer of the conservatorship/guardianship to Idaho.

2003 - testified as an expert witness at the Senate Committee on Aging hearing in Washington DC on guardianship reform and the Elder Justice Act regarding abuses of the elderly and on laws Idaho has passed to protect the elderly.

Co-author of multiple editions of Idaho attorney’s Probate Form Book Manual and the Conservator/Guardianship Form Book Manual book.

Has written a monthly “You and the Law” column for the Idaho Senior Citizen News for nearly two decades.

Featured speaker at many Continuing Legal Education classes for attorneys for the Idaho State Bar.

Author of numerous articles on elder law, taxation, and estate planning issues

Represented the Idaho State Bar on the Idaho Workforce Investment Board (WIB) and was Chairman of the Board and the One Stop Chairman for WIB.

Was long term chairman of Retirement Jobs of Idaho, which provided non-profit training to allow the elderly to re-enter the job market.

2004 - Requested to serve on the Legislative Council Committee studying the guardianship and conservatorship system in Idaho by providing expertise and technical assistance to the Governor, Legislature and/or Supreme Court, which later became the Pilot Project Idaho Legislative Oversight Committee for the elderly. Acted as Co-Chair of the Pilot Project.

2004 - Testified again before the U.S. Senate Committee on Aging as expert witness regarding safeguards for the elderly which were developed in Idaho in Conservatorship and Guardianship procedures.

2004 - Received AARP 2004 Idaho Andrus Award for community service for the State of Idaho, particularly for the work on behalf of grandparent’s rights.

2005 - Speaker at the fall Family Law Conference of the American Bar Association conference on conservatorship/guardianships.

2006 - Chosen by the Southwest Idaho Planned Giving Council to receive the Spirit of Philanthropy Award for Idaho National Philanthropy Day for his work in obtaining rights for the elderly and disabled citizens of Idaho.

2007 - Received the Idaho State Bar Rule 6.1 Challenge Award for pro bono and community service.

2008 - Receiving an Idaho State Bar Service Award in October at the State Bar convention.

MEMBERSHIPS
Boise Estate Planning Council senior member
Taxation, Probate, and Trust Section of the Idaho State Bar, past chairman and current legislative chairman
Idaho Chapter of International Association of Financial Planners co-founder and past chairman
Fiduciary Review Committee - charter member of volunteer board to review conservatorship accountings for the Idaho courts.
Southwest Idaho Planned Giving Council board member
Idaho Disability Task Force member
Idaho State Bar Professionalism and Ethics - current chairman
Idaho Tax Practitioners Liaison IRS Committee - past chairman and current member
Idaho Legislative Oversight Committee for the Elderly - appointed member by the Idaho Legislature, past co-chairman and current member of the Idaho Pilot Project.
Idaho Advisory Committee to the MultiState Tax Commission member
Trust and Estate Professionals of Idaho, Inc. (TEPI) - founder and current chairman. TEPI, a non-profit, proposes, introduces, and supports legislation to improve Idaho law regarding trust and estates.
National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys member

ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY SERVICE:
National Trust for Historic Preservation - advisor emeritus for the State of Idaho, advisor 1984-1993
Boise City Historic Preservation Commission - past member and chairman for 9 years
Ada County Historic Preservation Commission - past member and chairman for 4 years
Idaho Historic Society (statewide non-profit) - past member and past chairman
Historic Idaho, Inc. - co-founder and past chairman of this non-profit publisher of books on history and architecture
Hyde Park Commission - blue ribbon committee member, appointed by Boise City, administering block grant for improvements to historic area
Boise Art Museum - past board member and chairman (1984-1993)
Kiwanis past president and current member of two clubs, past Distinguished Lt. Governor of Division 6 of Utah-Idaho District of Kiwanis International.
Information Technology 2000 - Idaho citizen delegate to conference in Washington DC which gave direction for national policies regarding information technologies, especially as they applied to libraries.
Boise Music Week - past rehearsal and performance pianist

OTHER INTERESTS
Recorded CD of own arrangement of hymns (was top instrumentalist in the Western U.S. Collegiate Talent Show in 1964), Church organist and pianist
Plays ice hockey
Reads, especially history and useless facts
Collects antique books
Collects oriental rugs (appraises and has been expert court witness)
Enjoys traveling