Retirement accounts, life insurance and annuities are probably not controlled by provisions in your will. Why is this? These types of accounts and any other designated “payable on death” or “transfer on death” automatically pass to a named...
This question involves two separate legal practice areas: family law and probate law. In September, the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that in most situations spousal support/maintenance payments end when the obligor (spouse ordered to pay it) dies.In cases where the...
This Thanksgiving season spend a little time telling those around you how much you appreciate them – here is the guidance from Debi Barger, “Write a letter to someone and tell them how they have had a positive effect on your life.”Several weeks ago,...
In a recent post, we promised a follow up on Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts. These savings accounts allow those with disabilities to better plan for future needs without affecting disability benefit eligibility.As of our February update, it was...
A comment from a recent press conference caught our attention. In discussing new grants designed to foster innovative ideas to improve life past 50, Governor John Hickelooper shared this line, "Some say, 'young people, they've cornered the market on innovation.'...
One of our founding attorneys was recently recognized as the "Barrister's Choice" for best trusts/estate lawyer. Law Week Colorado publishes an annual list to track the highest performing attorneys in various practice areas with input from readers. As the only...
Why couldn't mentally capable, but disabled individuals set up a special needs trust (SNT) for themselves in the past? A legislative oversight from over 25 years ago is the basic answer.The 21st Century Cares Act corrected the issue in December 2016. The legislation...
At & , LLC, our elder law practice includes legal counsel for people across Colorado about long-term care. Placement counseling includes review of facility admission agreements to advise clients about the...
This saying of former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld aptly describes an inherent challenge in the estate planning process. Some of the events categorized into the ‘known unknowns’ bucket might be a heart attack, early onset Alzheimer’s or serious...
Talking about end-of-life issues is not a popular pastime, so it might not come as a surprise that many adults do not have advance directives expressing their end-of-life wishes. The scale is staggering however. A recent analysis by a researcher at the University of...
