Probate and Estate Administration in Denver
Probate, also known as estate administration, is the legal process that determines how a deceased person’s assets are distributed. For Denver families, that process typically moves through the Denver Probate Court or the applicable Colorado district court, depending on where the decedent lived.
A deceased person’s assets generally fall into three categories: assets titled as joint tenants with someone else, assets with a beneficiary or payable on death designation, and assets titled only in the name of the deceased person. Only assets titled solely in the deceased person’s name, or that name the estate as beneficiary, are subject to probate.
If the deceased person had a will, their probate assets are distributed to the beneficiaries named in it. If there was no will, probate assets pass to the person’s heirs under Colorado’s intestate succession laws.
When a probate proceeding is needed, the court appoints a personal representative, also called an executor, to administer the estate. That person gathers the probate assets, pays debts, final expenses and taxes, and distributes what remains to the beneficiaries or heirs. A personal representative can open the estate either formally or informally, and our Denver probate attorneys can advise on which approach fits your family’s circumstances.
Our Denver probate and estate administration lawyers have extensive experience guiding local families through this process when a loved one dies. We regularly appear before the Denver Probate Court and handle matters throughout the greater Denver metro area, from straightforward estates to large, complex or taxable ones.
If you need help with a Denver probate or estate administration matter, contact us today. Our office at 5690 DTC Blvd, Suite 230E is easily accessible from Denver, Greenwood Village and the surrounding communities.
