What Do I Do When Someone Dies in Colorado?
A step-by-step checklist for the days, weeks, and months after a death, with the state's rules, deadlines, fees, and official forms noted on the steps they apply to. Free PDF.
Frequently Asked Questions
Request 10-15 certified copies from the funeral home or state vital records office. You will need these for banks, insurance companies, government agencies, and other institutions. Each institution typically requires an original certified copy. Order from Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment - Vital Records. Fee: $25/copy ($20 additional). Available: online, mail, in-person. Processing: 30 business days for online orders.
State law sets the order of who has the legal right to decide burial, cremation, or other disposition. A written pre-need designation by the deceased, if one exists, controls. Confirm who holds this authority before arrangements are made. State law sets the order of who controls disposition of remains. Order: Decedent, via a declaration of disposition per C.R.S. § 15-19-104; then Appointed personal representative or special administrator; or, if not yet appointed, the nominee for appointment as personal representative under the decedent's will; then Surviving spouse (if not legally separated from the decedent); then others in statutory order. A written pre-need designation by the deceased, if one exists, controls over this order.
Evaluate whether the estate qualifies for small estate procedures or if full probate is required based on asset values and types. Small estate affidavit available for estates under $88,000. Informal (unsupervised) probate available. Independent administration reduces court oversight.
Submit the original will (if any) and petition to open probate. You will need to pay filing fees and may need to post a bond. Statewide form: JDF 920 (Petition for Formal Probate of Will and Formal Appointment of Personal Representative). File with the District Court of the county where the decedent lived (Denver Probate Court in Denver County). E-filing is not open to self-represented filers. Filing fee $229. Informal probate available. Independent administration reduces court supervision. Typical duration: 6-9 months.
Once appointed by the court, obtain letters testamentary (with will) or letters of administration (without will). These prove your authority. Letters Testamentary are issued by the Probate registrar in informal proceedings (no hearing); the judge in formal proceedings (after notice/hearing). The state's title for the role is Personal Representative. The Letters document is official form JDF 915 (Letters Testamentary/of Administration). Typically filed with the petition: Original will and any codicils (lodged/deposited with the court) (C.R.S. §§ 15-11-515 "Deposit of will with court in testator's lifetime", 15-11-516 "Duty of custodian of will; lodging of will after death"); Acceptance of Appointment (JDF 911); Proposed order submitted with the application/petition: informal JDF 913 (with a will) / JDF 917 (no will); formal JDF 921 (with a will) / JDF 923 (no will); Renunciation and/or Nomination of Personal Representative where a higher-priority person yields (JDF 912); Information of Appointment (JDF 940) mailed to heirs and devisees within 30 days of appointment; Bond only if required by the will or demanded by an interested person (C.R.S. §§ 15-12-603, 15-12-605); Notice of Hearing (JDF 711) for the FORMAL track (JDF 920/922 petitions are heard after notice; the open-estate instructions list JDF 711 on both formal paths); Irrevocable Power of Attorney Designating Clerk of Court as Agent for Service of Process (JDF 721) if the nominated personal representative lives outside Colorado.
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Death of a Parent
A step-by-step guide to what happens after a parent dies: the documents to find, the certificates to order, and whether probate is even required.
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Loss of a Spouse
What a surviving spouse needs to do: death certificates, survivor benefits, whether probate is even required, and the tax election that expires.
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Named as Executor
What an executor actually does: getting appointed, notifying creditors, paying debts and taxes, and where personal liability starts.
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Named as Trustee
Being named trustee means managing trust assets and carrying out the grantor's wishes. Your duties, timeline, compensation, and how to get started.
Learn moreMore tools for handling this estate
Calculators and checklists for executors and trustees.
Petition for Probate and Letters
Prepare the application to open probate and request Letters Testamentary or of Administration.
Notice to Creditors
Prepare the creditor notice for an estate — the official state form or a notice typeset to statute, plus mailed notices for known creditors.
Renunciation of Executor
Decline an appointment as executor — the writing filed with the court, drafted to your state's rule, with its deadline and filing office.
Affidavit of Heirship
Prepare the sworn statement of a deceased person's family history and heirs for recording in the county land records, composed to your state's statute with its recording instructions.
Small Estate Affidavit
Prepare the affidavit that collects a small estate's property without probate — the official state form or an affidavit drafted to statute, plus a presentation letter for each holder.
Estate Inventory
Prepare the probate inventory of estate property — every asset at its date-of-death value, composed to your state's statute, with the state's filing or delivery instructions.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Estimate attorney fees, executor fees, court costs, and timeline for probating an estate in your state. See if the estate qualifies for simplified probate procedures.
How Much Can an Executor Charge?
Calculate how much an executor (personal representative) can charge for administering an estate. See if your state has statutory fees or uses reasonable compensation.
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Find out who inherits your estate and how much they get if you die without a will. Based on your state's intestate succession laws.
What's Fair Trustee Compensation?
Find out what's fair compensation for serving as trustee. Compare family, professional, and corporate trustee rates based on your situation.
How Much Are Estate & Inheritance Taxes?
Calculate federal estate tax, state estate tax (12 states + DC), and inheritance tax (5 states) for an estate or trust.
How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?
Calculate how many certified death certificates you need based on the assets and accounts you need to close. See state-specific ordering information.
Hire a Colorado Estate Administration Attorney
Browse 18 estate administration firms in Colorado with addresses, contact info, and practice details.
Colorado Estate Settlement Resources
In-depth guides covering Colorado probate, estate administration, and settling an estate.
