Will Attorney in Longmont, Colorado

A will puts your wishes in writing — who inherits your property, who raises your children if something happens to you, and who's responsible for settling your estate. We make sure yours covers all of it.

Unchecked checkbox icon with a check mark inside a rounded square

Last Will and Testament

Checked checkbox icon in a black outline square

Guardianship Designations for Minor Children

Unchecked checkbox icon with a checkmark inside a rounded square

Executor Appointment

Black outlined checkbox with a check mark inside

Colorado-Specific Drafting

Checked checkbox icon in black outline on white background

Flat-Fee Pricing, Explained Upfront

Checked checkbox icon in black outline on white background

Free 30-Minute Consultations

Two women review papers at a desk in a bright office with a file organizer and shelves behind them.

What a Will Actually Controls — and What It Doesn't

A last will and testament is a legal document that takes effect when you die. It answers three questions: who inherits your property, who settles your estate, and — if you have children under 18 — who you've chosen to raise them.


What a will doesn't control is just as important to understand. Life insurance proceeds, retirement accounts, and any account with a named beneficiary pass directly to that person, regardless of what your will says. How your home is titled also affects whether it flows through your will or transfers outside of it entirely. A complete estate plan accounts for all of these — the will is one piece of the picture, not the whole thing.


If you have a trust, you still need a will. A trust only governs the assets formally transferred into it. A will acts as a backstop for anything that wasn't funded into the trust, or assets you acquired after the trust was created.

Why Colorado Law Makes an Attorney-Drafted Will Worth It

Colorado's intestacy laws — the rules that apply when someone dies without a valid will — follow a statutory formula. For a married person with children from a prior relationship, that formula can produce outcomes that surprise families. For unmarried couples, the results can be even more stark: a partner you've lived with for years may have no legal right to anything you leave behind.


Colorado does recognize handwritten wills, called holographic wills, under certain conditions. The entire document must be in your own handwriting and signed. No witnesses are required — but the risks are real. Courts scrutinize holographic wills carefully, and a document that's unclear or incomplete can create exactly the kind of conflict a will is supposed to prevent.



Generic online will forms present a different problem. They're built for the most common scenarios and aren't drafted with Colorado's specific requirements in mind. We regularly review wills clients created online and find gaps: missing contingency beneficiaries, improper execution, provisions Colorado courts won't enforce. Catching those problems before you need the document is considerably less expensive than sorting them out after.

Two people in business attire reviewing a document at a wooden table with a glass of water

If You Have Children, This Is the Most Important Reason to Have a Will

If you have children under 18, a will is how you name who raises them if something happens to you and your spouse at the same time.


Without that designation in writing, a Colorado court makes that decision. The judge won't know your family, won't know who you trust, and won't know what you would have wanted. The court will do its best — but "its best" and "your choice" are not the same thing.


A guardianship designation in a will gives your wishes legal weight. Courts take a named guardian seriously. It doesn't prevent other family members from petitioning, but it's as close to a guarantee as the law allows.



If you have concerns about who would manage an inheritance on your children's behalf, a trust can address those questions alongside the will. Nicole will explain how the two documents work together for your situation.

What Happens to Your Estate Without a Will in Colorado

Dying without a will is called dying intestate. When that happens, Colorado's intestacy statute — not your wishes — determines who inherits everything that passes through your estate.


For a married person without children, assets typically pass to the spouse. Add children from a prior relationship, an unmarried partner, a sibling you were close to, or a charity you cared about — and Colorado's default rules may produce an outcome nobody in your family would have chosen.



Dying intestate also means probate. Your estate goes through the court system before anything is distributed, which takes time, costs money, and becomes public record. A will gives the court a roadmap. A trust goes further and often avoids probate entirely. The right choice depends on your situation, and that's what the initial consultation is for.

A Will Is Part of a Complete Estate Plan — Not the Whole Thing

Most complete estate plans include four documents. A will handles asset distribution and guardianship. The other three govern what happens while you're still alive: who manages your finances if you're incapacitated, who speaks to your doctors, and what medical treatment you do or don't want.

Powers of attorney

financial and medical

Living will (advance healthcare directive)

 financial and medical authority

Trusts

for avoiding probate and protecting beneficiaries

Nicole will explain which combination makes sense for your situation in your free consultation.

WILLS & ESTATE PLANNING

Thoughtful Planning That Covers What You Might Not Think to Ask

Nicole did a great job preparing our will, power-of-attorney, medical power-of-attorney and a couple other documents. She quizzed us on every possible option that we were concerned about and a few we had no idea about but were important to us. Highly recommend, easy 5 Stars!


— Charlie H

Three people in a meeting reviewing documents at a table, with one man speaking and others listening.

Frequently Asked Questions About Wills in Colorado

  • What happens if I die without a will in Colorado?

    Colorado's intestacy laws determine how your estate is distributed, following a statutory formula based on your family structure. In many cases the result doesn't match what the person would have chosen — particularly in blended families or for unmarried partners. Your estate also goes through probate, and without a will naming a guardian, a court decides who raises your minor children.

  • Do I need a will or a trust in Colorado?

    Both serve different purposes — which is why most complete estate plans include both. A will directs who inherits your assets and names guardians for minor children. A trust transfers assets without probate, provides for incapacity planning during your lifetime, and gives you more control over distributions. Whether you need one or both depends on your assets, family structure, and goals. We cover the full comparison here.

  • How do I make a will that names a guardian for my children?

    A guardianship designation is written directly into the will. It names the person — or people — you want to raise your children if you and your spouse are both unable to. Nicole drafts this language as part of the will and walks you through the practical questions: who to name, what happens if that person can't serve, and whether a backup designation makes sense.

  • Do I need a lawyer to write a will in Longmont?

    Colorado doesn't require one. What an attorney provides is a will drafted with Colorado's statutory requirements in mind, reviewed for gaps, and executed correctly. The cost of a professionally drafted will is typically small compared to the cost of correcting one that doesn't hold up — or the legal fees your family might face if it's challenged.

  • Can my spouse automatically inherit everything if I die?

    Not necessarily. Colorado's intestacy laws divide the estate based on your family structure. If you have children from a prior relationship, your spouse may not inherit everything — the estate is divided between your spouse and those children according to a statutory formula. A will lets you specify exactly how you want your assets distributed.

  • What is an executor, and do I get to choose mine?

    An executor — called a personal representative in Colorado — is the person responsible for settling your estate. That includes gathering assets, notifying creditors, paying valid debts, and distributing what remains to your beneficiaries. You name your executor in your will. Nicole will walk you through what the role involves and help you think through who's the right choice, including naming a backup in case your first choice can't serve.

  • How often should I update my will?

    Any significant life change is a reason to review it: marriage, divorce, a new child, the death of a named beneficiary or executor, buying or selling real estate, or a major change in assets. As a general rule, it's worth a review every three to five years even when nothing major has changed, to make sure it still reflects your situation.

Black phone handset with chat bubble icon, indicating a phone call or messaging support.

Put Your Wishes in Writing

With a Will That Fits Your Life

A free 30-minute consultation with Nicole can help you understand what your will should cover, how it fits into your broader estate plan, and whether other documents may make sense for your situation. You’ll know what the process involves and what it will cost before any work begins.