Are you looking for a probate lawyer in Denver?

At W.B. Moore Law LLC, we provide probate representation guided by more than 40 years of experience in Denver and the surrounding area.

If you have been named personal representative or are settling a parent’s affairs after a death in Denver, the process ahead of you has important deadlines. Our Denver, CO probate lawyer handles estate administration from the opening filing through the final accounting and distribution.

W.B. Moore Law LLC has practiced in this area since 1982, and our Denver office serves families across the metro area. A typical estate involves a house, accounts, an unexpected creditor, and relatives with different ideas about what should happen. Schedule a consultation and we’ll identify which track your estate belongs on.

Probate Lawyer Denver, CO

Probate is the court-supervised process of proving a will, appointing someone to act for the estate, paying what the decedent owed, and transferring the remainder to the people entitled to it. It applies to assets held in the decedent’s sole name without a beneficiary designation. Denver handles this differently from the rest of the state, because its Probate Court is a separate constitutional court rather than a division of a district court.

Census QuickFacts puts the median home value in Denver at $616,000. A single property at that value usually decides whether an estate can be settled through a simplified procedure or opened in court, and it is the most common reason a Denver probate attorney gets a call.

Types of Probate Cases We Handle in Denver

Colorado offers several probate tracks, and which one applies depends on what the decedent owned, whether a valid will exists, and whether anyone objects. Choosing the wrong track wastes months. We handle the full range and identify at the outset which one fits.

Informal probate. The standard track for estates with a clear will and cooperative beneficiaries. A registrar appoints the personal representative and the administration proceeds with limited court involvement. Most Denver estates start here.
Formal probate. Required when a will’s validity is questioned, the original document can’t be located, heirs are unknown, or a judge needs to resolve something before the estate can move. Hearings are involved and the timeline stretches accordingly.
Small estate administration. Estates below the statutory threshold with no real property can sometimes be collected by affidavit instead of opened in court. We evaluate whether this shortcut is available before anyone pays a filing fee.
Intestate estates. When someone dies without a will, Colorado’s succession rules decide who inherits. The outcome often surprises surviving spouses in blended families. We identify the heirs and handle the appointment.
Personal representative representation. Serving as personal representative carries real obligations to the estate and its beneficiaries. We advise on inventory, notice, accounting, and distribution so the person serving doesn’t create personal liability.
Creditor claims and estate debts. Medical bills, credit cards, mortgages, and tax obligations all have to be addressed in the right sequence. How creditor claims are handled determines what beneficiaries actually receive.
Contested estates and will disputes. Capacity challenges, undue influence allegations, and disagreements among siblings end up in front of a judge. We represent personal representatives and beneficiaries when an estate becomes contested.
Ancillary probate. A Denver decedent who owned property in another state, or an out-of-state decedent who owned Colorado property, needs a second proceeding. We coordinate these so neither one stalls the other.
Estates holding a business interest. A closely held company, a partnership share, or rental property adds valuation questions and often a buy-sell agreement that controls what happens next. Operations can’t simply pause while the estate is administered, and a lapse in management can cost the estate more than the probate itself. We work through the ownership documents, coordinate with any surviving partners, and keep the business functioning during the transfer.

Why Choose W.B. Moore Law LLC as my Probate Lawyer in Denver, CO?

Probate Work Informed by a Tax Law Background

Tax questions surface constantly in estate administration, from the decedent’s final return to the treatment of retirement accounts and appreciated property. Bill Moore worked in tax law before building this estate and business practice, and he has practiced since 1982, with bar admissions in Colorado and New York. Our estate lawyer in Denver, CO who has spent time in that area addresses those questions while the estate is open rather than after it closes.

A Practice Other Lawyers Turn To

The firm has advised other law firms on estate planning and probate matters, and has built a planning practice serving clients with substantial and complicated holdings. That work translates directly into probate, where the difficult estates are the ones holding a business interest, out-of-state property, or an asset nobody can value. Business and commercial matters are part of this practice as well, which counts when a Denver estate includes a company rather than only accounts and a house. Scope and fees are set out before administration begins.

Understanding Probate Cases

What Are Important Aspects of a Probate Case?

Who is appointed. Priority is set by the will or, without one, by statute. The wrong appointment invites a challenge later.
What actually passes through probate. Jointly titled property, beneficiary-designated accounts, and assets held in trusts bypass the process entirely.
Notice. Heirs, devisees, and creditors all have to be notified properly. Defective notice reopens finished work.
Recordkeeping. The personal representative accounts for every dollar. Poor records are the most common source of conflict among beneficiaries.
Timing of distributions. Paying beneficiaries before creditors are resolved can leave the personal representative covering the shortfall.

Assets, Creditors, and Distribution in Colorado Probate

Administration follows a fixed sequence, and each stage carries its own requirements:

Marshaling assets. Locating, securing, and valuing everything the decedent owned in their sole name.
Inventory. A written record of estate property and its date-of-death value, furnished to those entitled to receive it.
Notice to creditors. Published and mailed notice opens a limited window during which claims must be presented or barred.
Payment. Administrative costs, taxes, and allowed claims are satisfied in the order Colorado sets before anyone inherits.
Distribution and closing. Remaining property passes under the will or by intestate succession, and the estate closes with an accounting.

The filing process itself is straightforward in an uncontested estate. Complications almost always come from the assets and the creditors rather than the paperwork.

What Is The Probate Case Timeline?

A cooperative Denver estate with a valid will, a marketable house, and no disputes typically runs six months to a year. The creditor claim period sets the floor, because the estate can’t close before it expires no matter how organized the personal representative is. Real property extends matters further, since the property has to be marketed, sold, and closed before proceeds can be distributed. Contested estates run longer still. A capacity challenge or a fight over a specific bequest can add a year or more, and the estate’s assets are largely frozen while it is litigated. Estates with business interests, mineral rights, or out-of-state property sit in the middle, delayed less by conflict than by valuation. We provide a realistic range at the first meeting.

What Should You Bring to Your Probate Consultation?

These items let us assess the estate at the first meeting:

The death certificate and the original will, if one exists
A list of accounts, real property, vehicles, and any business interests
Recent statements, deeds, and titles you can locate
Known debts, including mortgages, medical bills, and outstanding taxes
Names and addresses of the surviving family and anyone named in the will

The first meeting establishes which procedure applies, who should be appointed, and what the administration will cost. Those answers are usually reached in a single sitting.

Denver Probate Court and Local Resources

Denver is the only county in Colorado with a standalone probate court. The Denver Probate Court holds exclusive jurisdiction over estates, guardianships, and conservatorships within the city and county, and it sits in the City and County Building at 1437 Bannock Street. Everywhere else in the state, probate is handled by a combined district court. The Colorado Judicial Branch publishes probate forms and self-help material covering appointment, inventory, and closing. For families managing care alongside an estate, the city’s Older Adult Resource Guide collects Denver programs for caregivers and older adults in one place.

Reach Out to W.B. Moore Law LLC to Schedule a Consultation

Most people serving as personal representative are doing it for the first time, while grieving, without knowing what the court expects. Contact us to schedule a consultation with a Denver probate attorney. We will review what the decedent owned, identify the procedure, and provide a written scope and fee before any filing. Estates facing a pending sale or a creditor deadline can be prioritized.