Helpful articles on wills and succession law.
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You can keep most or all of your Colorado estate out of probate with a revocable living trust, a beneficiary deed for real estate, payable-on-death and transfer-on-death accounts, joint tenancy, and the small estate affidavit. Here is how each tool works and when to use it.
09.07.2026A revocable living trust can help a Colorado estate skip probate and stay private, but because Colorado informal probate is relatively inexpensive, a trust is optional for many people. This guide explains what a living trust does, how to fund it, the role of a pour-over will, and when a Coloradan actually needs one.
09.07.2026Colorado has no state estate tax and no state inheritance tax, so heirs owe nothing to the state on what they inherit. Only the federal estate tax applies, and only to estates above a very high exemption. Here is what Colorado residents actually need to know for 2026.
09.07.2026A durable power of attorney lets someone you trust manage your finances if you cannot, and a medical durable power of attorney lets an agent make health decisions for you. This guide explains both under Colorado's Uniform Power of Attorney Act, how to create one, and how to revoke it.
09.07.2026Colorado advance directives let you control your medical care if you cannot speak for yourself: a Medical Durable Power of Attorney names a decision-maker, a Living Will states your wishes on life support, and a CPR Directive addresses resuscitation. Here is what each document covers and how they work together.
09.07.2026A Colorado beneficiary deed lets you pass real estate directly to a named person at your death, with no probate, while keeping full control during your life. This guide covers how it works under C.R.S. 15-15-401, the recording and revocation rules, and how it compares to a living trust.
09.07.2026If a Colorado estate's personal property is worth $88,000 or less in 2026, heirs can collect it with a sworn small estate affidavit and skip probate entirely, after a 10-day wait. This guide explains the current threshold, what qualifies, and the limits, including that real estate does not count.
09.07.2026Colorado is a Uniform Probate Code state, so most estates go through streamlined informal probate rather than a courtroom. This guide explains informal versus formal probate, the personal representative's job, the typical timeline, and what probate actually costs in Colorado.
09.07.2026A handwritten (holographic) will is legally valid in Colorado without witnesses, as long as your signature and the material portions are in your own hand. This guide covers the exact statute, C.R.S. 15-11-502(2), the requirements, the spouse elective share, and the mistakes that void a handwritten will.
03.07.2026A free Colorado will template you copy out in your own handwriting to create a valid holographic will. Includes two ready-to-copy sample wills (single and married-with-children), the handwriting and signature rules under C.R.S. 15-11-502, and the one limit on cutting out a spouse.
03.07.2026Colorado has no forced heirship, so you can leave adult children out of your will. But a surviving spouse holds an elective-share right you cannot fully override, and premarital or afterborn family members may claim a share. Here is exactly who you can and cannot disinherit under Colorado law.
03.07.2026If you die without a will in Colorado, state intestacy law decides who inherits, and in blended families a spouse may share the estate with children from a prior relationship. Here is exactly who gets what under Colorado law, why you cannot fully disinherit a spouse, and how a simple handwritten will puts you back in control.
03.07.2026A practical, step-by-step guide to writing a valid will in Colorado, focused on the handwritten (holographic) route that needs no witnesses or notary under C.R.S. 15-11-502. Includes a numbered steps list, a sample specimen, a checklist, and a note on the witnessed alternative and spousal rights.
03.07.2026No. Colorado law lets you write a valid handwritten (holographic) will with no lawyer and no witnesses. Learn when a DIY will is fine for a simple estate and when a blended family, business, trust, or out-of-state property means you should see an estate attorney.
03.07.2026How many Coloradans have a will, how many die each year, estate sizes, net worth, the $84 trillion wealth transfer, and what happens with no will. 25+ cited facts.
03.07.2026How much do people in Colorado actually inherit? Median vs mean gap, who ever receives a bequest, amounts by age and wealth, and Colorado's zero estate tax, with sources.
03.07.2026A cited 2026 breakdown of what a funeral really costs in Colorado: burial vs cremation, itemised casket, vault and plot prices, and how the state compares to the US median.
03.07.2026Median and mean household net worth by age band, the mean-vs-median gap, homeownership's role, and how Colorado income and home values compare to the US.
03.07.2026Only about a third of US adults have a will, and the share is falling. Here is what the data says by age, income, race, plus what it means for Colorado in 2026.
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