While a professionally drafted will is ideal, Colorado law recognizes the validity of handwritten wills, also called holographic wills, provided they meet certain requirements. A last will and testament is an important document for just about anyone in Colorado. If you do not have a valid will, the state – not you – … Continue reading
Making a will allows you to specify who will receive your assets after you die. It takes effect only after you die, at which point the will must go through probate, where a court oversees the process of distributing your assets. Estate planning includes the process of making a will, but a comprehensive … Continue reading
The trust battle between factions of the Murdoch family is a reminder of how important it is to have a comprehensive succession and estate plan in place to avoid family trust disputes. Succession planning for wealthy families often involves the creation of revocable and irrevocable trusts to manage the family’s assets. However, a … Continue reading
Have you recently lost your spouse? If so, you should know your rights to inherit from their estate under Colorado law. Legal Rights of Surviving Spouses in Colorado Under Colorado inheritance laws, you may inherit from your spouse’s estate in the following manners. Intestate Rights Colorado intestate succession laws determine a surviving spouse’s … Continue reading
Oftentimes, in the aftermath of someone’s passing, the decedent’s estate must go through the probate process to ensure all assets are distributed appropriately. Probate can often be a lengthy and expensive process, no matter how large or small the estate may be. That said, there are some ways to minimize the costs your beneficiaries may … Continue reading
After the death of an individual, their estate must be administered through the probate courts. During this process, the designated personal representative (as it’s called in Colorado) or executor (as it is called in many other states) will act as the estate administrator and have specific legal and fiduciary duties, both to the … Continue reading
Sadly, someone close to you has died. Perhaps they had a formal attorney-drafted will everyone was aware of. Perhaps they didn’t. Regardless, in going through the loved one’s things you find a document where the decedent appears to say what he wanted done with all, or part, of his estate. But it doesn’t … Continue reading
If you have just lost a loved one, you have a lot on your mind. On top of the grief and sadness that comes with a loss of someone close to you, it seems that there are a thousand things that need to be taken care of. Notifying family and friends, contacting a … Continue reading