Has a loved one recently passed away and you’ve learned that they either didn’t have a will and you may need to step in as the personal representative or were you named directly in the will? The support of an experienced Colorado personal representative lawyer can help you sort out many of the complicated issues that surround the death of a loved one. If your loved one did not do their estate planning and you find that their assets and paperwork are located all over the place this can make for an especially confusing experience as a personal representative. The provisions related to the job of a Colorado personal representative can be found in Colo. Rev. St.§ 15-12-101.
You also have a duty to other beneficiaries of the estate to act with appropriate prudence and care so this makes it all the more important to hire a Colorado personal representative lawyer who is very familiar with this process. You need to get advice as soon as possible so that you avoid making many of the most common missteps that could lead to probate litigation. Other beneficiaries obviously have a vested interest in the conclusion of this probate case but you still must approach all of these concerns with ample care and consideration.
One of the best ways to support yourself during this time is to hire a personal representative attorney in Colorado˙ who is very familiar with all of the different state requirements for probate. You can lean on their experience to help you carry out the process of probate step by step and to answer any questions that come up as you go along. Furthermore, in the event that you have any issues with other beneficiaries who allege that you are not handling your duties responsibly, the support of an outside counsel who is very familiar with this area of the law can help minimize the possibility of conflicts and disputes.
Since it is often the case that a friend or family member steps into the role of personal representative and does not realize all that it entails until they are already performing in this position, it is very important to educate yourself and to have someone you can turn to during these challenging times.
There is so much to consider as you make a plan for determining how to navigate forward with your life and grieving the loss of a loved one can also make these situations that much more challenging. You deserve to have someone on your team who knows what it takes to compile all of the necessary assets, to notify creditors about the existence of the estate, to distribute payments for taxes and for expenses associated with the estate and then to handle the administration of distributing all remaining assets to beneficiaries. There is a good chance you will have many different questions as you proceed through this process and having the support of someone with experience makes it that much easier for you to plan for the future.
Make sure that you have leveraged the support of knowledgeable legal counsel as soon as possible after you have been appointed if you want to protect your own situation from personal liability and if you want to make the probate process as simple and as streamlined as possible. You are not the first person who has served as a personal representative for a loved one’s estate and been unclear about what this entails or all of the tasks that you must undertake, but you do have the opportunity to get support right away to help you with this process and to ensure that you have done all of the proper documentation to ensure that probate is closed out smoothly. Do not hesitate to get help when you have questions or when you simply want to sit down to discuss some of the complexities of your current estate and probate situation. The sooner you can talk to an experienced personal representative attorney serving Colorado the easier it will be to begin this process and to ensure that you stay on track with each step.