Many people in Aurora put off making a will because it does not feel urgent until something happens. But if you die without a valid will, Colorado law decides who gets your property.
Those rules may not match what you would have wanted for your family. A clear, properly signed will helps keep those choices in your hands instead of leaving them to the court.
At The Law Office of Andrew Bryant, our Aurora wills attorneys help people create wills, trusts, and other estate planning documents. These documents can also name someone to make medical or financial decisions for you if you cannot make them yourself.
We work with families throughout Aurora and the Denver metro area, including Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties. We also help military families connected to Buckley Space Force Base.
Call 720-548-4440 today to schedule a private consultation.
Why Work With Our Aurora Wills Attorneys?
Our Aurora wills attorneys bring courtroom experience and years of helping Colorado families through difficult moments.
Andrew Bryant built the firm around family law and trial work, which means we have seen how disputes get fought after a person is gone.
That experience helps us draft estate planning documents with the language, signing formalities, and details that can matter if an estate is later challenged.
We help Aurora clients with matters that include:
- Simple and more involved last wills and testaments
- Revocable living trusts for probate avoidance
- Special needs planning for family members who receive public benefits
- Updates to outdated wills after a divorce, remarriage, or new child
- Powers of attorney and medical directives
The right plan depends on what you own, who depends on you, and how private you want the process to be. We walk through those questions in plain language before anything gets drafted.
How Does Our Office Accommodate Aurora Clients?
Our Greenwood Village office serves Aurora clients and sits in Arapahoe County, only minutes from many parts of Aurora and easy to reach off I-225 or E-470.
We work with Aurora clients who commute through the Denver Tech Center and prefer not to drive downtown for a meeting. Evening appointments and remote signing options may be available for clients with demanding schedules.
Do You Handle Wills for Buckley Military Families?
Yes, we work with active duty, reserve, and recently separated families connected to Buckley Space Force Base on their estate planning.
Military families may have questions about Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) beneficiaries, the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP), and assets that move between states with each set of orders. Military discounts are available, and we build plans that account for these moving parts.
Ready to start? Call 720-548-4440 to set up a consultation that works around your schedule.
What Does an Aurora Wills Attorney Do?
An Aurora wills attorney drafts the legal documents that direct what happens to your property, your minor children, and your medical care if you pass away or cannot speak for yourself.
The work involves more than filling out a form, because Colorado has specific signing and witnessing rules that affect whether a will holds up in probate.
The core estate planning documents many Aurora families use together include:
- A last will and testament that names beneficiaries and a guardian for minor children
- A durable financial power of attorney for handling money and property
- A medical power of attorney that names a healthcare agent
- An advance directive, sometimes called a living will, for end-of-life care
- A revocable living trust when avoiding probate is a priority
Each document answers a different question, and missing pieces sometimes surface at the worst possible moment. A coordinated plan addresses them together rather than one at a time.
What Happens If You Die Without a Will in Colorado?
Dying without a will in Colorado triggers a process called intestate succession, which is the state’s default plan for distributing your property.
Under Colorado’s Probate Code, your assets pass to relatives in an order set by statute, with specific dollar thresholds that depend on whether you leave a surviving spouse, descendants from that spouse, descendants from another relationship, or surviving parents.
The exact share a spouse receives can shift based on those facts.
The Colorado statute that controls this is the Colorado Probate Code, Title 15. A few general patterns under the default rules:
- A surviving spouse may inherit the entire intestate estate in some family structures, but the share can change when the decedent or surviving spouse has descendants from another relationship, or when there are surviving parents and no descendants
- If there are no descendants but a parent survives the decedent, Colorado law may reduce the surviving spouse’s intestate share
- Unmarried partners do not inherit under intestacy, no matter how long the relationship lasted
- The default order generally does not include stepchildren who were not adopted, unmarried partners, or close friends
- More distant relatives may inherit before close family friends ever come into the picture
A signed will lets you replace many of those default rules for probate assets with your own choices. Without one, people who matter to you may receive nothing under the statute.
If those defaults concern you, call 720-548-4440 to talk through a plan that reflects your actual family.
What Makes a Will Valid in Colorado?
A valid Colorado will generally must be in writing and signed by a person who is at least eighteen years old and of sound mind, or signed by someone else at that person’s direction and in that person’s conscious presence.
Colorado generally requires the will to be either signed by at least two witnesses or acknowledged by the testator before a notary public or another person authorized to take acknowledgments.
Colorado recognizes holographic wills, which are handwritten and signed by the testator, but they can be harder to prove and easier to challenge. Most carefully drafted wills are typed and executed with witnesses, a notary acknowledgment, or both.
What Is a Self-Proving Affidavit?
A separate concept is the self-proving affidavit, which is a sworn statement signed by the testator and witnesses in front of a notary at the time of execution.
For a witnessed will, the affidavit does not replace the execution requirements; it streamlines later proof of the will in probate so witnesses generally do not need to be located again.
The signing rules are set out in Colorado Revised Statutes section 15-11-502, part of the Colorado Probate Code. A document that fails to meet Colorado’s execution requirements or raises a capacity issue may be set aside even if the wishes inside are clear.
How Does Probate Work for Aurora Estates?
Probate is the court process for proving a will, paying final debts, and transferring property to beneficiaries after a person dies.
In Aurora, probate cases are filed in the district court of the county where the person lived, which is usually Arapahoe County. The Arapahoe County District Court handles most Aurora probate matters out of Centennial.
Colorado offers three main probate paths, and the right one depends on the size of the estate and the condition of the paperwork.
| Probate Path | When It Generally Fits | Court Involvement |
|---|---|---|
| Small estate collection by affidavit | The estate’s personal property falls under the Colorado limit for the year of death and the estate includes no real property | Minimal, with no formal court appearance in most cases |
| Informal probate | The will is clear, no one objects, and the executor is uncontested | Limited oversight after the will is admitted |
| Formal probate | The will is contested, the estate is more involved, or family disagreements are expected | Active court supervision throughout the process |
Many well-planned Aurora estates move through informal probate or skip probate entirely through a living trust. Avoiding the courthouse usually takes planning rather than luck.
Want to know which path your situation likely fits? Call 720-548-4440 for a straightforward read on your estate.
When Should You Update Your Aurora Will?
You should review your Aurora will after any major life event that changes who matters to you, what you own, or who depends on you. A will written years ago may name the wrong guardian, the wrong executor, or beneficiaries who have already passed away.
Many estate planners suggest reviewing your plan every three to five years to catch these problems early. Common reasons to revisit your will include:
- Marriage, divorce, or remarriage
- The birth or adoption of a child or grandchild
- A move into or out of Colorado
- A major change in assets, such as buying property or receiving an inheritance
- The death of a named beneficiary, guardian, or executor
A short review meeting often takes less time than people expect. Many updates happen through a codicil or a fully restated will.
Want a second set of eyes on a will you signed years ago? Call 720-548-4440 and we may be able to tell you whether it still does what you want.
Ask Andrew Bryant Law About Aurora Wills
How much does it cost to make a will in Colorado?
The cost of a Colorado will varies by attorney, complexity, and the documents included in the plan. A simple will may cost less than a full estate plan that includes trusts, powers of attorney, medical directives, and beneficiary planning.
When flat-fee pricing is available, we explain the cost during the consultation before drafting begins.
Can I use an online will template instead of hiring a lawyer?
You may use an online will template in Colorado, though templates sometimes create problems if they are unclear, incomplete, or improperly signed.
Witnessing errors, vague language, and missing self-proving affidavits may create issues for the family later.
A short meeting with an Aurora wills attorney may help avoid probate disputes or correction costs caused by unclear or improperly signed documents.
Do I need a trust or just a will in Aurora?
Many Aurora families do fine with a well-drafted will, while a living trust may make sense in some situations. A trust is worth considering if you want to avoid probate, own out-of-state property, or have privacy concerns.
We walk through both options during the consultation and recommend the simpler plan whenever it fits your situation.
FAQs for Aurora Wills Attorneys
Does a will avoid probate in Colorado?
No, a will generally does not avoid probate in Colorado, though it controls who inherits and who serves as executor. Probate is still the court process that validates the will and oversees the transfer of property.
Avoiding probate usually takes a revocable living trust, joint ownership, or beneficiary designations on accounts.
Who can serve as personal representative of an Aurora estate?
Many adults can serve as the personal representative of a Colorado estate. This may include a family member, friend, or professional, unless they are legally disqualified. Some people call this person an executor, but Colorado usually uses the term personal representative.
Someone who lives outside Colorado may be able to serve. However, choosing a local person, or naming a local backup, can make the process easier.
Can I disinherit a spouse or child in Colorado?
Maybe, and the rules differ for spouses and children in Colorado. A spouse may claim an elective share of the estate even if the will leaves them out, so fully disinheriting a spouse is hard.
Children may be disinherited if the will makes that intent clear. Vague language is often read against the person who wrote the will.
What is a self-proving affidavit on a Colorado will?
A self-proving affidavit is a sworn statement signed by the testator and witnesses in front of a notary at the time the will is signed. It is separate from the witnessing required to execute the will itself.
The affidavit allows the will to be admitted to probate without locating the witnesses years later. Colorado law recognizes the affidavit, and many attorney-drafted wills include one.
Do I need a new will if I move to Aurora from another state?
You may not need a new will, but you should have your estate plan reviewed after moving to Aurora. Colorado may accept an out-of-state will if it was valid where it was signed.
An Aurora wills attorney can check for Colorado-specific issues, such as signing rules, spousal rights, beneficiary designations, taxes, and your choice of personal representative.
Take the Next Step on Your Aurora Wills Today
The hardest part of estate planning is rarely the legal work itself. It is sitting down to make decisions you have been putting off, often because they involve thinking about people you love in scenarios you would rather not picture.
A good Aurora wills attorney handles the legal documents so you can stay focused on your family, not the paperwork. Call 720-548-4440 to set up a consultation with our team and put a plan in writing that says what you want.
This page is for general information about Colorado estate planning and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship with The Law Office of Andrew Bryant.
