Estate Planning Lawyer in Carbondale & the Roaring Fork Valley
What Does a Comprehensive Estate Plan Include?
A strong plan is more than a will. It is a coordinated set of documents and strategies designed around your unique family, assets, and goals-especially for those of us living the mountain lifestyle in Colorado.
Last will and testament
Revocable living trust (when it actually helps your family)
Pour-over will
Financial (durable) power of attorney
Medical power of attorney
Living will / advance directive
HIPAA release
Guardian nominations for minor children
Beneficiary review (retirement accounts, life insurance, TOD/POD)
Funding and titling checklist so the plan works when it is needed
Special needs / supplemental needs planning when a loved one receives SSI or Medicaid
Estate planning lawyer for Carbondale and the Roaring Fork Valley.
Working with families in Carbondale, Basalt, Aspen, Glenwood Springs, Silt, Rifle, the Western Slope, and beyond. That includes households with a second home, blended families, business owners, and parents or grandparents planning around a disability. We start with your life — then build the documents that match it.
What a plan includes: will, revocable living trust, financial power of attorney, medical power of attorney, living will, HIPAA release, beneficiary review, funding.
Who is it for: Carbondale, Aspen, Basalt, Glenwood Springs, Rifle, Silt, families across Colorado, second homes, blended families, minor children, a loved one with disabilities.
How it works: discovery call, counseling meeting, drafts, signing, funding checklist
Built around your life in the Roaring Fork Valley
Estate planning here often means more than one home, seasonal work, blended families, or a child or parent who depends on public benefits. We start with your people and your assets—then choose the documents that fit. That might be a will-based plan, a revocable living trust when probate avoidance or incapacity planning matters, or both, plus powers of attorney and medical directives so someone you trust can act if you cannot.
Flat-fee estate planning
For estate planning matters, we work on a flat fee so you know the cost before we begin drafting. Business law and mediation remain custom hourly. On a discovery call we listen to your goals, outline a recommended plan shape, and quote the flat fee for that work before you commit.
How we work together
1. Discovery call — share what you want to protect and ask questions. Phone, Zoom, or in person.
2. Counseling meeting — walk through family, assets, and decisions in more detail.
3. Drafts — we prepare your documents and revise with your feedback.
4. Signing — complete formalities under Colorado law.
5. Funding checklist — update titles and beneficiaries so the plan can work when it is needed.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a trust or just a will in Colorado?
A will names who inherits and who handles probate. A revocable living trust can keep some assets out of probate and help if you become incapacitated. The right mix depends on your home or homes, accounts, and family — not a template.
What happens if I die without a plan?
Colorado’s intestacy statute decides who inherits. That default is rarely what mountain families, blended families, or families with a disabled loved one actually want.
Can a special needs trust protect benefits?
Yes, when it is drafted and funded correctly. An outright inheritance can jeopardize SSI and Medicaid. We plan for that before assets land in the wrong place.