Kris L. Maser was a shareholder for Maser, Amundson & Boggio, P.A.  Since co-founding the firm in 1984, she served as a dedicated advocate for the elderly and their families through assisting in estate planning, medical assistance planning, planning for incapacity, conservatorship and guardianship issues, life care planning and related issues pertaining to wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and health care directives. Kris retired on December 31, 2020.

Her dedication to clients and vigorous representation of their rights has earned her prominent recognition. Maser has been named in statewide surveys to the Minnesota Super Lawyers list and ranked as one of the top Minnesota Women Super Lawyers by Minnesota Law and Politics and Mpls. St. Paul Magazine.

After decades of service to families, Maser says her resolve for her work was strengthened even more when she was diagnosed with cancer. “Nobody stands alone.  Cancer made me realize you can’t go through a long-term illness by yourself.  We all need families and communities to support us.  We also need to remember caregiving can be a long and difficult journey and we need to care for our caregivers.  Supplying resources and helping to keep caregivers healthy is an important part of our planning conversation.” 

Maser is a frequent lecturer, both locally and nationally, on a variety of elder law matters. She co-authored the Minnesota Conservatorship Standards, adopted by the Minnesota Association of Guardianship and Conservatorship.  She has been the recipient of the Mary Alice Gooderl Award for outstanding service and active development of the Minnesota State Bar Association’s (MSBA’s) Elder Law Section.

GET TO KNOW KRIS

Those who know me well say that I’m:

• A driving force and Tenacious – A cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment and side effects have only strengthened my determination to help clients facing serious illness and disability.  I know what you’re going through because I’ve been (and am) in your shoes.
• Direct – I say what I mean and I mean what I say.  Because I am clear in my words and actions, it’s easy for people to understand what I say and to trust me.

I chose to become an attorney because of my early experience helping my father through a 26-year battle with Parkinson’s disease, as well as taking care of my elderly mother as she ages.  I’ve always been a caretaker by nature, and going to law school provided me with the education and ability to help those facing complex and emotionally difficult life situations.

I believe that we all have within us the strength necessary to face even the most harrowing circumstances.  It’s just a matter of mining that strength.

I can change and grow as a person.  I never want to stop learning.

My greatest accomplishment are our two sons.  They are truly fascinating people.  I like to joke that I thought that the best part of being a parent was raising the kids but I find now that I also like hanging around my adult children.

I’m making a difference by helping people with illnesses and disabilities live as fully and vibrantly as they did before their diagnosis.

Quote me… Nobody stands alone.  Cancer made me realize that you can’t go through a long-term illness by yourself.  We all need families and communities to support us.

My next challenge is to develop a life care planning approach that encompasses clients through various stages in life – from healthy/able-bodied to illness/disability to death.

On my bookshelf is  Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One by Dr. Joe Dispenza.

Seven words that describe me are Fighter, survivor, wife, mother, daughter, traveler, compassionate.

One thing most people don’t know about me is I accepted a scholarship from the University of Minnesota to live and study in Hungary.

When I’m not working, I am an avid reader, I enjoy skiing, traveling and spending time with my husband and sons.