Does Probate Require a Lawyer in Colorado?
The short answer to this question is: No.
In the state of Colorado, you are not required to hire an attorney to help you with the probate process. In fact, executors of a will have the option to handle this process on their own.
However, if you are not fully informed about the steps to take, the probate process can turn from quick and simple into a lengthy, complicated and expensive process – especially if litigation ensues. The longer the probate process takes, there is a greater cost to the estate related to its administrative expenses.
Paperwork and attention to detail are the name of the game when it comes to probate. The courts will require that the executor perform these duties:
- Notify beneficiaries, heirs and creditors of the death
- Pay income and estate taxes
- Distribute assets to the beneficiaries
- Settle creditor claims
- Pay all outstanding and incoming bills and debts
The executor has a duty to act in the best interests of the estate and to complete the estate administration process in a timely fashion . As the executor, if you have a full-time job and family duties to attend to, carrying out these requirements in a timely and well-organized, well-documented fashion may be too overwhelming – even intimidating. In addition to dealing with your own grief over the person’s passing, these extra burdens may prove to be too much.
Lawyers are the Good Guys in Probate
You should never feel that you have failed as an executor if you choose to get help from a probate attorney in Denver. These individuals devote their careers to helping people navigate through probate, by handling the entire process or directing you in the right steps to take on your own. The reputable lawyers are not out to steal your family’s fortune, they are genuinely concerned for the welfare of the beneficiaries. The probate lawyer’s services are paid for by the decedent’s estate, not by the executor personally.
The Denver estate administration lawyers at The Brown Law Firm, LLC have a common goal: to help streamline the probate during this very difficult and emotional time and also to ensure that your loved one’s estate is protected as much as possible. Contact The Brown Law Firm, LLC at (303) 339-3750 or send us a message online to learn more about how we can help.