Peter Falk’s Daughter Urges Change in Colorado Laws regarding guardianship

DENVER — Catherine Falk, the daughter of actor Peter Falk who portrayed Colombo for years on television and died in 2011, was at the Colorado Legislative session Wednesday to push for changes in the state’s probate laws and pass the Peter Falk Act.

When Peter Falk was in his final years battling Alzheimer’s disease, she was banned from seeing him by her estranged stepmother. She took her fight to probate court where the process cost $100,000.

“That’s the problem, we are advocating this bill because people don’t have this kind of money,” Falk said. “I come here today no longer just the daughter of Peter Falk.”

The Falk Act would make it harder for adult children to be banned from seeing or caring for loved ones.

“We have a growing problem of people being isolated from family and friends,” said State Sen. Laura Woods, who proposed the bill.

The Judiciary Committee cleared the bill on Wednesday and sent it to the Appropriations Committee. The Colorado Bar Association has spoken out against the bill.

Representatives said they are willing to work with Woods on future versions of the bill. The Colorado Bar Association said the current system should be able to address the issues that the victims have addressed.

Woods is planning on introducing other probate reform measures this session.