Blog
How much can I charge as a trustee?
The question of reasonable compensation for a trustee or fiduciary often comes up. There is no black and white rule regarding reasonable compensation. Reasonable compensation means it depends--it depends on the surrounding...
How do I remove a trustee or invalidate a trust?
Removing a trustee or invalidating a trust is not easy to do. In fact, it could take sometimes years to resolve. However, there are reasons: the person who executed the trust did not have the capacity to sign it; or, the trustee...
Beneficiary Deeds, am I right?
There was a recent article in the Daily Sentinel that created a lot of buzz with my estate planning clients you can read here. All of sudden, everyone wanted a beneficiary deed. We wrote and recommended such a tool in 2016 It solves everything, am I right? Maybe....
Overview of Colorado Probate Filing Fees
How much does it cost to file estate or trust proceedings? Sometimes the probate process or trust administration can take awhile; sometimes the process is short. But where do you start and how much does the court charge to file a document? The following table presents...
Do You Need a Will? Most Older Americans Do Not Have One
According to a study by Merrill Lynch and Age Wave, published through the TheStreet, "...nearly half of Americans over 55...have no will." The cost is not an issue. Most put it off until it is too late. "It can be arduous in getting clients to address that question...
Estate Taxes? “Rolling in the Deep”
Administering an estate or trust? Were taxes filed before the person died? How would you know? The IRS allows access to previously filed returns with authority. An unpaid income tax bill is common. Hopefully, there is a recorded lien to alert you. But some go...
Auctioning Estate Property has Consequences
Auctioning off a property is quick. It gets the property sold. However, it comes at a cost. When real estate in an estate or trust sits on the market for too long, the heirs may start to get impatient. Even if you listed the property for market value, you may not get...
Tenant, no pets…..what the &$#&% is a service animal?
Service Animal/Emotional Support Animal If you are a landlord, you might have come across this with tenants: the request of a service animal or an emotional support animal in the rental. In many cases, the disability is real; service animals are trained dogs (can also...
Four Estate Planning Questions You Should Answer Before Preparing a Will
Nobody likes to think about their estate plan, because it makes you think about death or disability. It is an uneasy feeling--to brainstorm scenarios of plane crashes or nursing homes. To avoid that, we shelve estate planning for a later date. Procrastinating estate...
6 Things a Tenant Should Consider Before Signing a Lease
Along with probate law, our law firm represents landlords and tenants. Many times I will have a landlord or tenant asking to consult on a lease after something bad has happened. Some of these problems can be averted. And they can be addressed even before the lease...