My mother-in-law passed away August 26, 2023 when can my wife release the beneficiaries money to the trust? She was in long-term care for the last 26 months.
answered on Sep 4, 2023
That depends on the language of the trust instrument. Some living trusts authorize a distribution upon the death of the settlor, some allow the distribution upon settlement of the settlor’s probate estate, some provide for distribution at a fixed date or period of time.
Am i entitled to the car because i was still on it? How did someone else get it?
answered on Aug 4, 2023
If a court does not apportion property in a divorce, the division of assets may be left unresolved or handled informally by the parties, leading to potential disputes. Lack of legal guidance can result in an inequitable distribution, possibly favoring one party over the other. This can create... View More 
I have her last will and testament naming me as her attorney-in-fact (agent). Her will was never lodged with the county because she died March 20, 2020, ten days after governor Polis declared state of emergency due to the pandemic, closing most govt offices. My mother had no probable assets at the... View More
answered on Jun 23, 2023
Getting the Court document naming you as Personal Representative is usually a pretty straight forward process. You will need to go to the court and file a probate case. You can get the forms for a small fee at the courthouse or for free online at the state judicial website,... View More
My mother who had ALzheimer gave my sister POA and 14 months before she died, my sister made herself beneficiary on my mother bank accounts.. They lived in Ohio and I live in Colorado. Bank accounts are not part of the probate. Bank will not give me my mother's account history because, pretty... View More
answered on May 20, 2023
It sounds like you will need to pursue this in Ohio. Jurisdiction attaches where the person who passed away lived when they died. Since your mother did not live in Colorado when she died, Colorado would not have jurisdiction over this matter, so you could not purse this here.
Generally... View More
answered on May 20, 2023
As a process, it is not inherently difficult, though you definitely need to obtain the assistance of an experienced estate planning attorney to accomplish it.
That said, Trusts can range from relatively simple to extremely complex. It will depend on what you want to accomplish with the... View More
My dad was named as an heir in my grandmother's will. He preceded her in death, but the will was never updated. Am I eligible for his share? I am his only child, and he was never married. The Colorado code that governs it I believe is § 15-11-603, but I don't quite understand the legal... View More
answered on May 18, 2023
This response is generalized information related to Colorado inheritance, and is not legal advice specific to your situation.
Gifts made in a Will are sometimes given special attributes, conditions, or rules. A gift that fails to meet the conditions required in the Will can... View More
answered on May 18, 2023
I'm sorry to hear of your husband's passing. In Colorado, no attorney is needed to be appointed as the personal representative of an estate. A personal representative is given several responsibilities, such as collecting all the deceased person's possessions, making gifts of the... View More
answered on May 18, 2023
This is kind of like rebuilding the engine of a car. You can rebuild a car engine yourself; there is no law that requires you to hire a certified mechanic.
But you may not know how to rebuild a car engine because you lack the training and experience.
Similarly, unless you are... View More
The value of the property is $395,000 In the amount owed is $330,000 and the net value equity is $65,000 and the outstanding debt is 20000 and the down payment was 12,000 which was paid in full by my wife and they are offering me 5,000 for to buy me out and they offering me a chance for me to not... View More
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answered on Apr 21, 2023
Good morning,
I think this is better posed as a math question. There are allot of factors to this question that are not shown here including your risk tolerance, the cost to sell the house, the real FMV. I would think 1st you would need to establish if there is a presumption that you are... View More
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answered on Apr 20, 2023
Thats a hard one because people store their wills in different locations.
I would start by digging through the house, safes, deposit boxes, and so on. If you can't find it, then you need to broaden your search.
You may wish to start checking with public sources where your... View More
Or is the property subject to the tax break the irrevocable trust receives?
answered on Mar 29, 2023
Is the real estate taxable by the government? Yes.
Or is the property subject to the tax break the irrevocable trust receives?
It also would receive any tax breaks as well as being taxable.
It's still taxable when the tax assessed is $0.
That's going to... View More
Or is the property subject to the tax break the irrevocable trust receives?
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answered on Mar 29, 2023
Irrevocable trusts must distribute all income to beneficiaries each year, which makes the trust a pass-through entity. Those beneficiaries pay the taxes on income. However, capital gains are not considered income to irrevocable trusts. Instead, capital gains count as contributions to principle in... View More
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answered on Mar 28, 2023
“Heir”: An heir is someone who’s legally entitled to inherit your assets if you die intestate, meaning you pass away without a valid will or trust. Your heirs are people related to you by blood or marriage, like your spouse or children. If you die without an estate plan, your heirs will be... View More
To hear from someone since 2015. 4-3-2015 was when he deceased. Last spoken to anyone was 11-12-2014.
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answered on Mar 13, 2023
Obviously you have waited too long to look for a legacy. If a devise was made with other devisees, then some of them might have paid taxes. Look in the property records where you think the decedent's lands might have been, and see if there might be property where you were one of the... View More
She just got her drafted will from whoever drafted it in Colorado, but she currently lives in Texas. Can she get it signed/notarized in Texas? Would it still be considered legal since it was drafted in one state and notarized in another?
answered on Mar 8, 2023
Generally, Wills are made under the laws of the state where a person lives. A complete, valid, signed, notarized, and witnessed Will made in any state is usually good in other states, meaning a person with a completely formed Will can move to a new state and the Will is still valid. Unfortunately,... View More
answered on Mar 6, 2023
For answering your question, I presume you mean that you signed the will as a witness. Generally speaking, a will is still valid on its face when signed by the testator (creator of the will), signed by two witnesses, and notarized. Here are some points to consider:
Under Colorado law, a... View More
answered on Feb 20, 2023
Your goal to create an anonymous beneficiary is more common that you might think. This is not legal advice specific to your situation, but is instead a general answer to your question and point you may wish to consider with your attorney. One way to keep a gift private is to use a Trust, and... View More
My child’s paternal grandmother is a addict and a child abuser and is not allowed around or alone with my child until he turns 18 preferably 21 years old
answered on Jan 25, 2023
The answer to this is essentially a 2 part answer.
First, yes, you absolutely have the right to express that in your Will. There is broad freedom to include things in your Will. That includes statements about who you prefer to finish raising your minor child, conditions around any... View More
How can I protect my separate assets (cash, savings, car) from my spouse’s potential future debt claims (IRS seizure, collection lawsuits from business and credit card creditors)? Divorce is not anticipated. This is in Colorado.
answered on Jan 25, 2023
This can be a tricky question, and it is my understanding that the answer may vary for different purposes, so it would be wise to also get opinions from a bankruptcy attorney and a tax attorney as well. This answer is going to be from an estate planning and family/divorce perspective. I do not... View More
My father passed away and most of his debt is in his name only. There was no will and the only evidence I have is my mom listed as the beneficiary for both his life insurance and retirement plan. Is that money safe or can creditors take from there? What about their house, is that at stake with... View More
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answered on Jan 16, 2023
Allot of this really depends. If I recall, If the debt is solely in your father’s name, I would think his estate would be liable for the debt. If the debt was in both your mother and father’s name, then you mother could be jointly liable. If the debt was attached to a security interest such as... View More
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