Denver estate planning & probate
A plan your family can actually follow.
Most Colorado plans come down to four documents. We’ll help you choose the ones you need, and explain each one in plain language.
Will
Who inherits, who settles your estate, and who raises your children.
Living trust
Holds your home and accounts, so they can pass on without probate.
Power of attorney
Someone you trust can pay bills and manage money if you can’t.
Health care directive
Who speaks for you with doctors, and the care you do or don’t want.
Where are you starting?
Four places families begin.
Pick the one that sounds like you. We’ll take it from there.
Planning ahead
So your family is never left guessing
A clear plan names who you trust, protects the people you love, and spells out your wishes in plain language.
After a loss
Steady guidance through probate
Named personal representative? We explain the role and walk with you through each step of the Colorado process.
Long-term care
Protect what you’ve built
Plan ahead for the cost of care, and understand Colorado’s five-year look-back before a crisis.
Starting a business
Set it up with care from day one
Starting or organizing a business in Colorado? We help you form it properly and fit it into your estate plan.
Who does what
You choose the people. Your plan gives them the job.
Naming the right people is often the hardest part. We’ll talk through each role, and who would be a good fit, before anything is signed.
You
Decide who, and what
Personal representative
Settles your estate and pays final bills.
Guardian
Raises your minor children if you can’t.
Trustee
Manages what’s in your trust, as you directed.
Beneficiaries
The people and causes who receive what you leave.
Will or trust?
Two roads to the same place.
Both get your property to your family. A will usually goes through probate court first. A living trust usually doesn’t.
With a will
Court-supervised
Probate court
Often 6–12 months · public record
Your family
With a trust
Handled privately
Successor trustee
Often weeks · private
Your family
Timelines vary. Many Colorado probates are informal and straightforward, and property left outside a trust may still need probate.
The five-year clock
60 months
- Trust funded
- Look-back months
- Generally protected
Long-term care
Start the clock while care is still years away.
Colorado Medicaid looks back 60 months at gifts and transfers. Assets moved into a properly drafted trust generally stop counting once that time has passed.
General information, not legal advice.
How it works
Three steps, no surprises.
Fees are discussed up front, before any work begins.
A free 30-minute call
Tell us about your family. We’ll explain your options in plain language.
Review your draft
We prepare your documents and walk through every page with you.
Sign, and you’re set
Sign with witnesses and a notary, and leave knowing what comes next.
Your attorney · 20 years in Colorado
Personal attention, from first call to final signature.
You’ll work directly with Brian, who takes time to understand your family, explains each option in plain language, and lets you decide at your own pace.
What you can expect
- Direct accessYou work with an attorney throughout
- Clear explanationsPlain language, practical options
- Flat-fee pricingNo surprise fees or costs
In our clients’ words
From my initial reach-out to my final meeting, everything about Colorado Wills & Estates was on point. Brian was very thorough, professional, and organized throughout, and even stayed into an…From my initial reach-out to my final meeting, everything about Colorado Wills & Estates was on point. Brian was very thorough, professional, and organized throughout, and even stayed into an evening to accommodate a scheduling conflict on my end. I never felt rushed or pressured, and all my questions were answered. I’ve already referred a few of my personal friends & family members and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him/them to anyone in the market for such things.
Having to deal with a will while you are grieving the loss of your Mom is stress overload. I talked to several attorneys before I found Brian on the Colorado…Having to deal with a will while you are grieving the loss of your Mom is stress overload. I talked to several attorneys before I found Brian on the Colorado Bar website. Talking with him was the first time I’d felt better since my Mom died. Brian is both professional and respectful and I was finally able to get peace of mind.
Brian did an outstanding job for us with creating our will and all that goes with that. His process is outstanding in walking us through all of the necessary elements…Brian did an outstanding job for us with creating our will and all that goes with that. His process is outstanding in walking us through all of the necessary elements to be included. He offered helpful insights to our many questions specific to our family situation. He arranged the signing along with a notary, found a location that was very convenient to us. It felt so good to get this done by a very knowledgeable and trusted adviser. Brian is a wonderful man!
Free 30-minute consultation