In our last post, we discussed some of the challenges that face family businesses when transitioning between generations. Starting the succession planning process is often the toughest step. But failure to do so can limit the odds of continued success.The information...
More Than 20 Years Of Serving Colorado Families And Businesses In Times Of Need
Year: 2016
Part 1: Keeping a business in the family for generations
Small family-owned businesses, farms and ranches are what give Colorado character. They are a source of jobs for local people, give back to their communities and often pay the taxes that keep schools and public service funded. When you have worked so hard to make a...
How health care directives can become a last gift to family
After a debilitating stroke, the adult children of an 80-year-old woman gathered at the hospital. The doctors wanted to insert a feeding tube. What were their mother’s wishes? The decision was agonizing and emotions were running high. As the siblings started going...
Removing arbitration clauses from nursing home agreements
At some point an aging relative may need more care. Often stubborn elders who have lived on their own for years can hide problems for awhile. It might be a neighbor who reports concerns or loss of money through a tax scam that really brings home the situation.While an...
Religious values and estate planning can go hand-in-hand
Some people may assume that, despite living a life congruent to their values and deeply felt religious beliefs, that their estate plan (being a legal document) cannot incorporate their ethical and moral considerations. Thankfully, that isn't the case. There are ways...
Does a ward have the right to hire a private attorney?
The answer is a qualified yes. This comes after a change in Colorado law that has not received wide news coverage. Too frequently, the right to counsel has been denied to adults the court has deemed incapacitated (legally considered wards or protected persons). The...
Guardian or conservator appointments: What can go wrong?
As more of the baby boom generation enter the so-called “danger age” it is important to discuss what can go wrong after a decision regarding incapacity. For instance, the U.S. Government Accountability Office in a 2010 report found that people in these...
Learn estate planning basics at a free event
Legal resource day – September 30 – is an event that provides free legal education to the public from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm at the Denver District Court. One of our founding attorneys, Marco Chayet, will be teaching about the estate planning and...
Beneficiary designation to estate plan
Ask around and you will find that many people don’t have an estate plan. They may not even know what makes up an estate plan. This was just the case today at a Starbuck’s. A question about an estate plan was met with question of “what is an estate plan?” This was...
3 things to consider before downsizing your home
In desirable parts of the Denver, including the Cherry Creek neighborhood, housing prices have increased over the years. For couples who have lived in a neighborhood for 20 or 30 years, if might be time to consider a change – call is “rightsizing”...