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I answer a lot of phone calls. Many of the calls are for people who want my help with their will, trust, or estate planning, but other calls are not about that. Because I have the word “estate” in the description of what area of law I practice, I also get a lot of calls for real estate law. The word “estate” in common between these two areas of … [Read more...]
Will I Go To Jail If I Don’t Handle My Mom or Dad’s Estate Plan The Right Way?
The short answer is probably not. I know people get really concerned about doing everything the right way, and I fully understand how people want to do things the right way, especially when it comes to legal matters, but jail usually isn’t the punishment if you happen to make some missteps in handling your Mom or Dad’s estate plan. There are a … [Read more...]
How Do You Execute a Living Trust In Colorado After A Death?
A trust is a very useful and helpful estate planning document. The trust itself contains the instructions for what to do with assets owned by the trust, usually in the form of a written trust agreement. The written trust agreement should have the names of beneficiaries who are to receive the assets of the trust, whether the named beneficiaries … [Read more...]
Does a Trust Avoid Probate in Colorado?
The short answer to this question is: YES. If I could just leave the answer at that, this would be the shortest blog post ever, but unfortunately, things aren’t quite that simple. I do wish it were that simple, but alas, it is not. One of the main reasons people establish trusts is to avoid probate. Trusts are private documents and if … [Read more...]
Estate Planning in a Second Marriage: What You Need to Know
I recently had a client call me and request that I set up a trust for their brother. The brother is getting married in about 6 weeks, and the brother wanted to set up a trust to protect his assets from being claimed by his new wife. This was going to be a second marriage for the brother, and the brother wanted to keep the assets he earned during … [Read more...]
Just Get Started! Overcoming Procrastination and Fear In Setting Up Your Estate Plan
As I was growing up, my parents subscribed to the daily newspaper, the Fort Collins Coloradoan. I still have some articles clipped from the newspaper that reported on high school basketball games in which I participated. I always read the sports section of the newspaper first, but the comics were the second thing I read. I always liked the “Far … [Read more...]
Estate Planning For the Average Joe: Simple Strategies to Protect Your Assets
Most people I meet are not rich. Instead, they are normal, hard-working people who have spent a lifetime working to pay off a house, build up some savings, and take care of their family along the way. Some people have been able to save a little more than others along the way, while some have not been able to save much at all, but they got their … [Read more...]
Can I Leave Money to My Church When I Die?
The simple answer to this question is: Yes, you can. However, not all gifts to a church, or any charity for that matter, are the same. You can choose to give money to a charity as an outright gift, or as a gift inside of of your estate planning documents like a trust. You can choose to leave money to a charity, or leave property in kind to a … [Read more...]
How Do I Leave My Car to My Family After I Die?
I have several clients who restore old cars, usually classic cars, and then either keep them, or sell them to other collectors. They often want to leave the car to their family and ask me, “How do I leave my car to my family after I die?” These really are some neat cars, so I understand wanting to keep the cars in the family. I have seen some … [Read more...]
Three Important Questions You Should Consider Before Meeting With An Estate Planning Attorney
I often sit down to meet with people who want me to do absolutely everything for them, and they are somewhat shocked that I do not tell them everything to do with their estate plan. Sometimes I have to explain that I cannot decide who should get their assets, as I do not know their family situation, nor do I know who they think deserves assets, or … [Read more...]
