Estate Administration & Probate

When you’ve worked so hard your entire life, you want to leave as much inheritance as possible to the people you love and care about. And this underpins the essence of estate planning.  However, the process of probating estate upon your demise can be quite costly. If...

In Colorado, a person who manages the probate process for someone else's estate is referred to as a personal representative of that estate. Other jurisdictions may refer to that person as an executor. The responsibilities are effectively the same regardless of one’s...

Successful adults often make their most financially valuable assets the main focus of the estate planning process. They may use investment accounts and real property to fund a trust. They may address their most valuable personal holdings by name in their wills. They...

Estate planning is a crucial move in life for both younger and older adults. It is beneficial in different ways, from leaving inheritances for your loved ones to stating your medical wishes should you become incapacitated. However, the significance of your plan may...

If you feel cheated when the contents of someone’s will are revealed, your first instinct might be to contest it. If you wish to do so and are one of the people eligible to do so (typically beneficiaries or those who would benefit if there were no will), rather than...

Probate litigation is sometimes necessary despite the best-laid plans of the testator. When beneficiaries believe that an executor has embezzled or made terrible decisions, they could challenge their position or ask the courts to stop them from transferring certain...

When an estate is going through probate, the executor administers everything, from consolidating assets to paying off debts. Essentially, the estate is under their control. However, an executor cannot do as they please with the estate. The law requires them to act in...

Probate is the process of authenticating a person’s will after they have passed away. The process is done through the court. It includes paying the deceased’s final taxes and bills, confirming the value of assets, and distributing anything that remains to their loved...

While many people have a general idea that a will has to be filed with the probate court after someone's passing, they typically don't understand what happens after that. That's when the bulk of a personal representative's responsibilities begin. A personal...

Many Americans spend their entire working lives paying off the principal balance of their mortgage and accruing equity in their homes. When people die, they frequently leave the home where they lived to their children or other heirs. If no one intends to live in the...