August 2012
www.BeaconSeniorNews.com
23
Now is the time: Vicki Alsin retires By Karen Jones
V
icki Alsin, a successful Grand Junction attorney, plans to retire at the end of the year. “It’s been a very fulfilling career choice,” Alsin said. “I have thoroughly enjoyed what I do. So much that my husband, Harold, is questioning if I really am ready to retire. Now is the time.”
steps. With issues like insurance, Medicare, housing, loans and investments, a senior divorce typically has a whole different set of dynamics. Retirement, I have found, is a postponed mid-life crisis.”
Retirement plans
Alsin’s plan for retirement is to decorate her home. She said her husband has been retired for 12 years Vicki Alsin’s office is filled with Law career mementos she has received from and working with his Alsin relocated to “Honey-do list.” Toclients over the years. Grand Junction from gether, she said they Des Moines, Iowa in will pick up where he has left off. 1980. While in law school, Alsin “My husband is a few years older interned with Polk County Juvethan me and had some health probnile Court. Two years later, she was lems,” Alsin said. “He is in good recruited to be the first attorney/ health now and we would like to do probation officer in the state of Iowa, some fun things while we are both which she was for several years bephysically able to enjoy them.” fore relocating to Colorado with her The Alsins have family out of state husband. that they visit and there are other Alsin joined the Colorado Bar Asplaces they’d like to go. Having lived sociation in 1981 and when opporin the area for 33 years, Alsin said tunity arose at Colorado Rural Legal she hasn’t cracked the surface on the Services in 1983, she started as a staff places within 50 miles to hike. attorney. She was fortunate to come “Not having to get up with an on board just as the Area Agency on alarm or be tied to a calendar every Aging teamed up with Colorado Ruday is a freedom I’m looking forward ral Legal Services to create the nursto,” Alsin said. “I want to go see the ing home ombudsman program. She balloon festival and take my husband worked with the program for nine to Hawaii.” years before transitioning to private Alsin said her practice has been her practice, which she opened in 1992 hobby for the last 30 years. at 340 Grand Ave. “I like to read, but haven’t completLessons learned ed a novel since I started my private Alsin was surprised by how many practice,” Alsin said. “I can see me divorces she handled at first. sitting out on my deck in the swing “What surprised me is the length with a good book. I don’t plan on and duration of marriage that people being bored.” suddenly feel is disposable,” Alsin Alsin said she will probably not put said. “You are walking a person herself on an inactive list of attorneys through a divorce who has been mar- until the end of the first year. ried for 40 years, who has never writ“We’ll see how I feel about it,” she ten a check, and doesn’t know where said. “I rule out practicing full time, the retirement or investments are. but if I miss it too much, I could always You can’t just hand them a divorce search out legal resources, like volundecree and say, ‘Have a nice life.’ You teering a few hours a week to an orgahave to help them through the next nization that could use my help.” ■
We have three shih tzus that let us live in “their house” on Orchard Mesa. Duffy is 12 years old, Dory is 6 years old, and Toby is 3 years old. They enjoy kayaking, canoeing, ATVing, jeeping and camping. - LaDonna and Daniel Ishida