Estate Planning for Boulder, Colorado Property Owners

For most Boulder County homeowners, the house is what drags an estate into probate. A transfer-on-death deed or a living trust keeps it out—here is how to set up either one and record it locally.

Record a TOD deedWhere to recordLocal attorneys

For a Boulder County property owner, the biggest probate risk is the home itself. Real estate is what forces most families into the Combined Court. The two tools that keep a Boulder County home out of probate are a transfer-on-death deed recorded with the County Clerk and Recorder, and a revocable living trust that holds title to the property.

Skipping this planning step means the Combined Court decides who receives the property: a simple Colorado probate takes 4+ months and opens with $229 in court filing fees. Colorado also lets owners name a transfer-on-death beneficiary on vehicle titles, which keeps cars out of the same process.

Record a Transfer-on-Death Deed in Boulder County

A beneficiary deed names a beneficiary who receives Boulder County property automatically at the owner's death, without probate. It is recorded with the County Clerk and Recorder during the owner's lifetime and can be revoked at any time.

Before recording, a Colorado beneficiary deed is signed with notary acknowledgmentC.R.S. 15-15-401 to 15-15-415Verified Oct 18, 2026View source. The deed takes effect only if it is recorded before the owner's deathC.R.S. 15-15-401 to 15-15-415Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.

Create a Colorado TOD deed →Boulder County signing requirements →

Where to Record Property Documents

Deeds and other real property documents for Boulder County are recorded with the County Clerk and Recorder at 1750 33rd Street, Suite 201, Boulder, CO 80301. Phone: 1-303-413-7770. Hours: Monday-Thursday 7:30 AM-5:00 PM (closed Friday).

The County Clerk and Recorder charges $43 flat, regardless of page count. A 2-page beneficiary deed costs $43 to record in Boulder County. A beneficiary deed is exempt from transfer tax.

Boulder County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile, ePN, CSC and Indecomm.

Recording Office Record

County Clerk and Recorder

Boulder County

Hours

Monday-Thursday 7:30 AM-5:00 PM (closed Friday)

Office

1750 33rd Street, Suite 201, Boulder, CO 80301

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Fees

Recording fees

Flat fee (any length)$43
Transfer tax on a TOD deedTOD deeds are exempt from transfer tax

CRS 30-1-103(1) (recording fee, $40 flat); CRS 30-10-421(1)(b) (filing surcharge, $1); CRS 24-21-403(2) (electronic recording technology board surcharge, up to $2); CRS 39-13-102 (documentary fee); HB24-1269 (flat fee amendment)

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

Estate Planning Attorneys Serving Boulder County

FirmLongmont, CO

Althaus Law

Serves 4 counties

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

Office
700 Ken Pratt Blvd, Suite 113Longmont, CO 80501

Solo PracticeDenver, CO

Don A. McCullough, Attorney at Law

Serves 9 counties

Serves the Denver metropolitan area and other Colorado cities from an office on South Cherry Street in Denver. Attorney Don A. McCullough handles wills, trusts, and probate alongside business, contract, and real estate matters. He has practiced law for more than 35 years and is an inactive Certified Public Accountant.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateBusiness LawReal Estate

Office
950 S. Cherry Street, Suite 418Denver, CO 80246

FirmBoulder, CO

Hartney Law

Serves 1 county

Serves Boulder County from Boulder. Drafts wills, trusts, and estate plans for families, including plans that name legal guardians for minor children, and business succession plans, billed at flat fees with a complimentary estate plan review every three years.

PracticesEstate Planning

Office
4450 Arapahoe Avenue, Suite 100Boulder, CO 80303
Free consultationVirtual consultations

FirmLittleton, CO

Miller & Steiert, P.C.

Since 1959 · Serves 5 counties

Serves Denver and Northern Colorado communities including Boulder, Fort Collins, and Greeley from Littleton. Handles informal and formal probate, from appointing a personal representative through inventory, creditor claims, distribution, and closing, plus will contests, guardianships, and conservatorships. A litigation-based practice since its founding in 1959.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationConservatorshipand 7 more

Office
1901 West Littleton BlvdLittleton, CO 80120

Solo PracticeLongmont, CO

Scott Oliver Law

Serves 1 county

Serves clients from a Longmont office. Attorney Scott Oliver handles probate matters and prepares wills and revocable living trusts, along with business formation, contracts, and business litigation.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateBusiness Law

Office
1729 Terry StreetLongmont, CO 80501

Solo PracticeFort Collins, CO

Charles C. Tucker PLLC

Serves 4 counties

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

Office
2580 East Harmony Road, Suite 301-47Fort Collins, CO 80528
Free consultationVirtual consultations
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Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.

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Legal Sources

Data sourced from Colorado statutes and official state code. How we research.

Forms for Planning Your Estate in Colorado

Free forms for planning your estate in Colorado: a will, living trust, pour-over will, both powers of attorney, living will, and TOD deed.

Free

Last Will and Testament

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.

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Codicil to a Will

In Colorado, a codicil is signed before 2C.R.S. § 15-11-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, like a will, and the self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyC.R.S. §§ 15-10-201(59), 15-11-504Verified Oct 25, 2026View source.

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Free

Healthcare Power of Attorney

Colorado allows a choice for a healthcare power of attorney: 2C.R.S. § 15-18-106 (no separate statutory form; execution requirements only)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.

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Free

HIPAA Release

In Colorado, a HIPAA release names who may receive your records; the state regulates mental health recordsColo. Rev. Stat. § 27-65-123(1)(b) (L. 2022: HB 22-1256, ch. 451, p. 3198, § 1)Verified Jun 20, 2026View source above the federal rule, and the document carries each rule.

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Financial Power of Attorney

Colorado treats a power of attorney as durable by defaultC.R.S. § 15-14-705 (execution); § 15-14-704 (durability); § 15-14-706 (validity/choice of law); § 15-14-707 (choice of law); § 15-14-709 (springing); § 15-14-713 (agent acceptance); § 15-14-719-720 (third-party protections); § 15-14-724 (hot powers); § 15-14-741 (statutory form); § 15-14-742 (agent certification); § 38-30-123 (mandatory recording of POA used to convey real property); § 38-30-124 (acknowledgment of real-property POA, permissive); § 38-35-109(1) (race-notice recording); § 13-22-101 (age of majority 18)Verified Sep 18, 2026View source, and it is signed with no witness or notary requirementC.R.S. § 15-14-705 (execution); § 15-14-704 (durability); § 15-14-706 (validity/choice of law); § 15-14-707 (choice of law); § 15-14-709 (springing); § 15-14-713 (agent acceptance); § 15-14-719-720 (third-party protections); § 15-14-724 (hot powers); § 15-14-741 (statutory form); § 15-14-742 (agent certification); § 38-30-123 (mandatory recording of POA used to convey real property); § 38-30-124 (acknowledgment of real-property POA, permissive); § 38-35-109(1) (race-notice recording); § 13-22-101 (age of majority 18)Verified Sep 18, 2026View source.

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Transfer on Death Deed

In Colorado, a beneficiary deed is signed before a notaryC.R.S. 15-15-401 to 15-15-415Verified Oct 18, 2026View source, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathC.R.S. 15-15-401 to 15-15-415Verified Oct 18, 2026View source. Colorado does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.

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Vehicle Transfer on Death

Colorado allows a transfer-on-death beneficiary designation on a vehicle titleColo. Rev. Stat. 42-6-110.5Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, filed through the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles, Department of Revenue (title transfers are processed through county motor vehicle offices) using Form DR 2009.

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Free

Living Will

In Colorado, the living will is the Declaration as to Medical TreatmentC.R.S. Title 15, Article 18 (§§ 15-18-101 to 15-18-113), Colorado Medical Treatment Decision ActVerified Sep 27, 2026View source, a document of its own, apart from the healthcare power of attorney.

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Tools for Planning Your Estate in Colorado

Free tools for planning your estate in Colorado: what a will or trust costs, whether you need a trust or TOD deed, and how documents are signed.

How Do I Sign Estate Documents?

In Colorado, a will is signed before 2C.R.S. § 15-11-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredC.R.S. § 15-11-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.

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Will My Estate Documents Transfer?

Colorado recognizes a will signed under the law of the place where it was signedC.R.S. § 15-11-506Verified Oct 18, 2026View source; a will signed in Colorado itself needs 2C.R.S. § 15-11-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredC.R.S. § 15-11-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.

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Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?

In Colorado, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 2%Modeled estimate under C.R.S. § 15-10-602 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.1%Modeled estimate under C.R.S. § 15-10-602 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.

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How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in Colorado runs $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 an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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How Much Does a Will Cost?

An attorney-prepared will in Colorado 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, against $0 to $299 up front with an online service, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $26,082C.R.S. § 15-10-602 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.

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How Does SimplyTrust Compare to LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and Other Services?

Compare what it costs to make a trust official across SimplyTrust, LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Rocket Lawyer, and Quicken WillMaker.

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How Do I Name a Guardian for My Minor Children?

In Colorado, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a will or a separate signed writingColo. Rev. Stat. §§ 15-14-202, 15-14-203, 15-14-204, 15-14-206; § 15-14-413 (conservator priority, estate side)Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18Colo. Rev. Stat. § 15-10-201(32) ("Minor" means a person who is under eighteen years of age)Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.

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Do I Need a Revocable Trust?

Probate in Colorado takes 4 months to 6 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees of typically 2%Modeled estimate under C.R.S. § 15-10-602 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.1%Modeled estimate under C.R.S. § 15-10-602 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.

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Colorado Estate Planning Articles

Estate planning articles for Colorado.