Colorado probate attorneys
Has probate made a hard time harder?
LMB Partners guides personal representatives and families through Colorado probate, from the first filing to closing the estate.
Offices in Denver and Golden, serving families across Colorado.
Common questions
What families ask us first
01
What happens if there is no will?
Colorado law decides who inherits and who has priority to serve as personal representative. We help you get appointed and handle the estate in the order the statute requires.
02
Is probate even necessary?
Not always. Small estates made up only of personal property can often be collected by affidavit without opening a case. Real estate usually needs probate unless it passes another way, such as a beneficiary deed or joint tenancy.
03
Can I avoid piles of paperwork?
Most Colorado estates go through informal probate, with no court hearing. We prepare the filings, creditor notices and inventory and keep the estate on schedule.
04
What if someone contests the will?
Will and trust disputes call for quick action and careful evidence. We represent personal representatives, heirs and beneficiaries in probate litigation across Colorado.
Probate and estate administration
What we handle
A partner works with you from the first filing to the final distribution, and stays with you if a dispute comes up.
- 01Informal and formal probateOpening the estate with the court, with or without a hearing.
- 02The personal representative's appointment and dutiesGetting appointed, and doing the job correctly once you are.
- 03Inventories, creditor notices and closing the estateThe filings, deadlines and accounting that carry an estate to the end.
- 04Small estate affidavitsCollecting a small estate without opening a probate case.
- 05Will contests and trust disputesRepresenting personal representatives, heirs and beneficiaries.
- 06Estates that hold a business or real estateValuing, running, selling or transferring a company or property.
The process
How probate works in Colorado
01
Arrange the funeral
Request burial or cremation, plan a memorial and order death certificates.
02
Become the personal representative
Get appointed by the court if the estate goes through probate.
03
Take inventory
Find and organize the estate's assets and debts.
04
Send notices
Notify family, Social Security, banks, credit card companies and creditors.
05
Manage the estate
Maintain and protect assets and plan how they will be distributed.
06
File taxes
Submit the final income tax returns and any estate income tax returns.
07
Make distributions
Distribute the assets to the heirs and beneficiaries.
08
Wrap things up
Close the estate, including the final accounting.
Most estates take several months to a year or longer, depending on the estate and the court's calendar.
Get help with your next stepYour attorney
Work directly with a partner
LMB Partners is a Colorado law firm with offices in Denver and Golden. Our business and real estate experience helps when an estate holds a company or property, and you get clear next steps from the first call.
- Offices in Denver and Golden, serving families across Colorado
- Experience with estates that hold a business or real estate
- Calls answered around the clock at 720.744.3793
Michael P. Barry
Partner