Probate in Colorado runs about $26,082C.R.S. § 15-10-602 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source on a $500,000 estate: attorney fees of typically 2%C.R.S. § 15-10-602 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.1%C.R.S. § 15-10-602 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate, plus the court filing fee, executor compensation, publication and any surety bond. The Colorado probate calculator estimates the cost by estate value.
Colorado allows independent administrationC.R.S. § 15-12-501 (supervised admin by petition only); § 15-12-704 (unsupervised default)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source (unsupervised or informal probate), under which the executor handles most decisions without ongoing court approval. The executor still files the will, inventories the assets and reports to the court, but needs no hearing for a routine step such as paying a bill or selling an asset. It typically saves both time and attorney fees against supervised probate.
Estate planning attorneys in Colorado average $348Clio Compare Lawyer Rates, Colorado: Wills and Estates rate (2025 data)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source an hour for wills and estates work. A flat-fee package runs $1,044Estimate: 3 hours at $348, Clio's Colorado Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $2,088Estimate: 6 hours at $348, Clio's Colorado Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for a simple individual will and $3,390Estimate: 10 hours at $339, Clio's Colorado Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $5,085Estimate: 15 hours at $339, Clio's Colorado Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for a basic revocable trust. An online service prices the same documents in the tens to low hundreds of dollars; the Colorado will cost calculator sets the two side by side.
In Colorado, estates with personal property of $88,000C.R.S. § 15-12-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source or less skip probate with the Collection of Personal Property by AffidavitC.R.S. § 15-12-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, 10 daysC.R.S. § 15-12-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source after death. That route is a form rather than a court case, and most families handle it without an attorney. Above the line, formal probate generally benefits from counsel for the procedural work, even when nothing is contested. The Colorado probate calculator estimates the cost by estate value.
In Colorado, the situations where counsel is typically worth the cost are: a blended family with children from a prior relationship; a business, rental property or significant investment assets; a dependent with special needs, who needs a special-needs trust to keep benefits; substantial property in more than one state. Where none of these apply, an online or self-help document is often enough.
Free Colorado forms for planning an estate or settling one: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed, and the probate forms an executor files.
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
In Colorado, a will is signed before 2C.R.S. § 15-11-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyC.R.S. § 15-11-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
Free calculators and checklists for planning or settling an estate in Colorado: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay, and inheritance taxes.
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Colorado costs an estimated $26,082C.R.S. § 15-10-602 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 2%C.R.S. § 15-10-602 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.1%C.R.S. § 15-10-602 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.
Settling an estate in Colorado: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 90 daysC.R.S. § 15-12-706Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 4 monthsC.R.S. §§ 15-12-801, 15-12-803, 15-12-805, 15-12-806Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 4 months to 6 months.
Colorado pays executors reasonable compensationC.R.S. § 15-10-602 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, typically 2.2%Estimated from the 16 state statutes that set an executor fee schedule (median and interquartile range at this estate value)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.8%Estimated from the 16 state statutes that set an executor fee schedule (median and interquartile range at this estate value)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate.
In Colorado, estates with personal property of $88,000C.R.S. § 15-12-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source or less skip probate with the Collection of Personal Property by AffidavitC.R.S. § 15-12-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, 10 daysC.R.S. § 15-12-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source after death.
In Colorado, creditors have 4 monthsC.R.S. § 15-12-801(1) (4 months from first publication); § 15-12-803(1)(a)(III) (one-year-from-death outer bar)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source from first publication of the creditor notice to present claims; late claims are barred.
In Colorado, informal probate is availableC.R.S. § 15-12-301Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, and a self-represented executor can usually handle it for a simple, uncontested estate.
96 probate firms in Colorado, by county and firm type.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to discuss your situation and verify their current practice areas and availability.
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96 firms
FirmSalida, CO
Serves Chaffee County from Salida and the Denver area from a Blake Street office. Attorney David K. Johns, a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, handles estate administration and probate cases alongside wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. Initial consultations are free.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateCivil LitigationCriminal Defenseand 2 more
Solo PracticeDel Norte, CO
Serves the greater San Luis Valley from an appointment-only office in Del Norte. Opens probate and ancillary probate cases for families after a death, drafts wills and powers of attorney, and handles heirship determinations and quiet title actions. The office states that it speaks Spanish.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateBusiness LawCivil Litigationand 2 more
FirmLongmont, CO
Serves Boulder and Adams counties, plus Loveland and Firestone, from offices in Longmont and Northglenn. Its attorneys guide personal representatives through Colorado probate, letters of administration, and out-of-state probate, and advise trustees on trust settlement. Estate planning consultations are free; probate consultations are a flat rate.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbate
Solo PracticeFort Collins, CO
Serves Greeley, Loveland, and Fort Collins from a Fort Collins office. Attorney Margaret Althoff limits the practice to wills, trusts, probate, and estate administration, and handles probate and trust administration after a death. The firm does not practice elder law.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbate
FirmFort Collins, CO
Serves Larimer and Weld counties from a Fort Collins office. Guides personal representatives through Colorado probate filings, creditor notice, and asset distribution, handles trust administration, and litigates contested wills and trusts. Also practices business law, immigration, and personal injury.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 4 more
FirmGlenwood Springs, CO
Serves Western Colorado from Glenwood Springs, from Aspen and Vail to Grand Junction, Montrose, Telluride, and Steamboat Springs. Guides personal representatives and beneficiaries through Colorado probate and estate administration, alongside wills, trusts, and living wills. Founded in 1953, the firm also practices water, real estate, and local government law.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateTax PlanningBusiness Lawand 3 more
FirmPueblo, CO
Serves Pueblo County from an office on the Pueblo Riverwalk. Provides Colorado probate court representation, trust administration including disputes over a trustee's administration, and guardianship and conservatorship matters. Also drafts wills, trusts, and Medicaid and special needs plans alongside its business and real estate work.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateTrust Litigationand 8 more
Solo PracticeSteamboat Springs, CO
Serves Colorado statewide from Steamboat Springs, including Northwest Colorado and the mountain resort communities. Handles probate and trust administration, guardianships and conservatorships, and drafts wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and gift plans. Offers a free initial consultation, including by telephone.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateConservatorshipand 5 more
Solo PracticeColorado Springs, CO
Serves El Paso County from a Colorado Springs office. Attorney Beth Sparks Hunt handles probate and estate administration, transfers of property, and taxation matters after a death, along with wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. She has over 27 years of experience as an estate planner and holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateTax Planning
Solo PracticeHayden, CO
Serves Routt, Moffat, Rio Blanco, Garfield, and Eagle counties from Hayden. Sole practitioner Cynthia Daughtrey helps personal representatives validate the will in Colorado courts and inventory and appraise estate assets, and drafts wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. She is also a commercial real estate broker with 37 years of legal practice.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateBusiness LawReal Estate
Solo PracticeCastle Rock, CO
Serves Douglas County from a downtown Castle Rock office. Attorney Nick Bjorklund handles court probate and trust administration, transferring assets, notifying beneficiaries, and filing estate and gift tax returns. Also drafts wills, trusts, special needs trusts, and asset protection plans, and opens with a complimentary consultation.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateTax Planningand 3 more
Solo PracticeEnglewood, CO
Serves clients from offices in Englewood and Steamboat Springs. Advises personal representatives and trustees on estate and trust administration, including tax returns, creditors, and distribution, and handles will contests and breach of fiduciary duty claims. Nationally recognized for special needs planning and tax matters, including Medicaid liens in personal injury settlements.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 8 more
FirmGrand Junction, CO
Serves Mesa County and Western Colorado from a Grand Junction office. Handles estate administration after a death, including probate when a court must appoint a personal representative, alongside trust, estate, tax, long-term care, and special needs planning. Two of its attorneys are members of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawTax PlanningSpecial Needs Planning
Solo PracticePueblo, CO
Serves clients from offices in Pueblo and the Denver Tech Center. Attorney Daniel Chapman guides personal representatives through informal and formal Colorado probate, including court filings, creditor issues, and distribution of assets, and handles trust administration. Meetings are also available by phone or video.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateCivil Litigation
Solo PracticeWestminster, CO
Serves Broomfield, Arvada, and Denver from a Westminster office. Attorney Charles E. Longtine handles probate and trust administration, including managing financial accounts, paying bills, preparing tax returns, and distributing the estate, plus guardianships and conservatorships. Offers a free consultation.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateConservatorshipand 3 more
Solo PracticeFort Collins, CO
Serves Northern Colorado from Fort Collins, including Loveland, Windsor, Greeley, Severance, Longmont, and Broomfield. Attorney Charles C. Tucker, practicing in northern Colorado since 2002, focuses on estate planning and administration and probate, with an active subspecialty in planning for owners of businesses, rental properties, and agricultural properties.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateBusiness LawReal Estate
FirmDenver, CO
Serves Colorado from offices in Denver and Edwards, and travels statewide to meet clients. Represents personal representatives, trustees, beneficiaries, and heirs in estate and trust administration and probate litigation, and handles guardianships and conservatorships. Managing partner Marco D. Chayet is Public Administrator for the 18th Judicial District. Consultations are free.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 6 more
FirmDenver, CO
Serves clients from offices in Denver, Fort Collins, and Greeley. Represents personal representatives, trustees, conservators, and guardians in estate administration, intestate estates, will contests, and trust litigation, and handles complex trust and estate administration with post-mortem tax planning. Also advises family-owned businesses on succession planning.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 7 more
Solo PracticeCedaredge, CO
Serves Delta County and the Western Slope. Attorney Charles Kline, practicing in Colorado since 1985, handles estate planning from simple wills to family trusts and represents estates already in probate. Initial conferences are held by video, with an in-home signing conference, and phone consultations are free.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateTax Planning
Serves Phillips County from the Holyoke office of a Nebraska and Colorado firm whose practice began in 1857. Attorney David O. Colver, Phillips County Judge from 1980 to 2014, focuses on estate planning, taxation, and probate and trust administration, along with real estate and business transactions.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateTax Planningand 2 more