Keep Your Wishes Private – Not Hidden

In our last blog, Keeping Your Will Private While You are Living, we discussed that you have the right to keep your will private while you are living. While this is a good idea for many people, it is also advisable to share certain details of your will with at least one trusted individual.  This

Keeping Your Will Private While You are Living

A will is a legal document that outlines how you want your estate divided or handled after you pass away. It’s a great way to protect what you’ve worked so hard to achieve and protect your loved ones. Unfortunately, wills also have a way of causing family turmoil if certain members do not agree with

What is a Living Will?

What is the difference between a traditional will and a living will?  These documents serve vastly different purposes as explained below: Traditional will: a legal document in which you designate how you want your property (estate) divided after you die. This document can also outline how you want your dependents or pets cared for after

Creating a Living Will in Denver

If you are reading this blog, you deserve kudos. The fact that you are researching living wills or advance directives in Denver means you care enough about your loved ones to protect them from potentially having to make seemingly impossible decisions on your behalf. What is a Living Will? A living will is a legal

Colorado Probate Process

The word probate can be used as a noun or a verb: Noun: the court action of proving a will is valid or invalid. “Mr. Smith’s will is in probate until further notice.” Verb: the action of establishing the legitimacy of a will. “The court will probate Mr. Smith’s will on July 26.” Some level

Estate Planning Basics

Estate planning is more than simply deciding how your property or assets will be divided after you pass away. While creating a will is a large part of estate planning, this process also includes many other steps that you should take to ensure your loved ones are cared for long after you are gone. You

How Special Needs Trusts Protect Loved Ones

If you have a loved one that is mentally or physically disabled, creating a special needs trust in Denver will help protect that person after you are gone. A special needs trust allows for a specifically-named person (the trustee) to manage the property of another person (the beneficiary) on their behalf. A trust can be

Learn the Rules of Inheriting an IRA from a Non-Spouse

Inheriting an IRA from a family member or loved one who is not your spouse has slightly different rules from inheriting an IRA from a spouse. Here are some things to consider if you find yourself with an inherited IRA: You may not roll the IRA into an existing IRA that you own. You can create

4 Ways to Avoid Probate in Denver

Even if you have a will, sometimes your estate will have to go through probate which is a court proceeding that ensures your assets are distributed among your chosen beneficiaries. This can end up being a very lengthy and sometimes expensive process for your loved ones to endure. Luckily there are ways to avoid probate

How Prince’s Death Should Affect Your Denver Estate Plan

Rumors are swirling around the absence – or presence – of a will for the recently deceased singer/songwriter, Prince. Originally it was speculated that he did not have a will, despite having earned millions of dollars over the years. More recently, filmmaker Ian Halperin has stated that he believes that Prince did, indeed, have a