Whether you’re administering an estate or fighting over one, Flatiron’s Colorado probate team brings the experience to keep things moving and the resolve to handle disputes when they arise.
When someone passes away, what they leave behind doesn’t transfer itself. Bank accounts, real estate, investment accounts, personal property—all of it has to be inventoried, valued, debts paid, taxes addressed, and finally distributed. In Colorado, that process is called probate, and it’s governed by a detailed statutory framework that can feel overwhelming if you’ve just lost someone.
At Flatiron Legal Advisors, our Colorado probate attorneys help families through this process with the practical, patient counsel that grief makes hard to navigate on your own. From routine estate administration to contested will challenges to complex trust litigation, we handle the full range of Colorado probate matters.
Colorado offers three main probate paths: small estate affidavit (for estates under $84,000 with no real property), informal probate (the most common, used when there’s no significant dispute), and formal probate (used when issues require judicial supervision—will contests, creditor disputes, complex estates). We assess your specific situation and recommend the right path.
Most Colorado informal probates take 6-12 months from opening to closing. Formal probate or contested cases often run 18-24 months or longer. The mandatory creditor claim period alone is 4 months from publication of notice, which sets the floor on how fast even a clean estate can close.
Whoever opens probate is appointed Personal Representative (called “executor” in some other states). The PR has real legal duties: gathering and inventorying assets, notifying creditors, paying debts and taxes, filing required court documents, and making distributions. We guide PRs through each step and step in as counsel when issues arise.
When someone dies without a will (intestate), Colorado law determines who inherits—usually a surviving spouse and children, but the specifics depend on family structure. We handle intestate probate, including paternity issues, half-blood relatives, and other complexities that affect distribution.
Colorado will contests typically allege one of: lack of capacity, undue influence, fraud, improper execution, or revocation. These claims have specific procedural requirements and shorter statutes of limitations than people often realize. We litigate both for and against will challenges.
Disputes over trust administration, trustee removal, accounting demands, and beneficiary rights are common when there’s family conflict or a problematic trustee. Colorado has a robust statutory framework for these proceedings.
Estates face creditor claims with strict timelines. We defend estates against improper claims and pursue legitimate claims on behalf of creditor clients.
When a PR breaches duty, has conflicts of interest, or simply isn’t doing the job, beneficiaries can petition for removal. We handle removal petitions and defend PRs against unwarranted attacks.
Substantive probate experience. Probate has its own procedural language—petitions, notices, accountings, distributions. We work in this system every week.
Care for grieving families. Probate often happens at the worst time. We move at the right pace—efficient when efficiency helps, careful when care matters more.
Multi-disciplinary support. Probate often touches estate planning issues (revisiting trust structures), real estate (transferring titled property), and family law (when blended families create disputes). Our team coordinates across these.
Whether you’ve just been named Personal Representative, you’re concerned about a will or trust, or you’re not sure if probate is even necessary—we’d be glad to help. Schedule a confidential consultation with a Colorado probate attorney today.
No. Estates under $84,000 with no real property can use a Small Estate Affidavit instead. Assets in trust, with beneficiary designations, or jointly owned often pass outside probate too. We assess what each specific estate requires.
Adults of sound mind generally qualify. Colorado law has a priority order — typically a named PR in the will, then a surviving spouse, then adult children, then other heirs. Banks and professional fiduciaries also qualify.
Most informal probates run 6-12 months. The 4-month creditor claim period sets the floor. Contested or formal probate often runs 18-24 months or longer.
Yes — typically on grounds of lack of capacity, undue influence, fraud, improper execution, or revocation. Colorado has strict deadlines, often within months of probate opening, so don’t delay if you have concerns.
Court filing fees, publication, bond (if required), and attorney fees. Most uncontested informal probates run a few thousand to mid five figures depending on complexity. We provide upfront estimates.
