A will is the document that speaks for you when you cannot. It names who gets what, who raises your children, and who is responsible for carrying out your wishes. Hoog Law drafts wills and complete estate plans for individuals and families throughout Longmont and Boulder County.
Schedule a ConsultationA will directs the distribution of your assets after death, names a personal representative to administer your estate, and, for parents of minor children, designates a guardian. Without one, Colorado's intestacy statutes decide who gets your property, and a court decides who raises your children.
A will does not avoid probate. Assets that pass under a will go through the Colorado probate process before reaching your beneficiaries. It also does not control assets with their own beneficiary designations, like life insurance, retirement accounts, and payable-on-death accounts. Those pass by contract regardless of what your will says.
A will signed in another state is generally valid in Colorado, but if yours predates Colorado's 2009 statutory revision or was drafted elsewhere, it is worth having someone review it.
For some families, a will is the right primary document. A revocable living trust makes more sense if you own real property in more than one state, want to avoid probate entirely, or have minor children who need ongoing management of their inheritance. Neither is universally better. The right answer depends on your assets and your family.
A will works best as part of a complete estate plan: combined with a durable financial power of attorney, a healthcare power of attorney, and a healthcare directive, it addresses both what happens after death and what happens during incapacity.
Hoog Law works with Longmont and Boulder County families on wills and complete estate plans that reflect their intentions and protect the people they care about.
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