Douglas A. Turner, P.C.

Almost always, the death of a parent causes some sibling issues to bubble to the surface. In most families, the issues are dealt with, ignored, or siblings go on with their lives without a fuss. On occasion, those issues explode into litigation. So what is the fuse that ignites the explosion? Personal property.

Bequest is an old legal term that basically means to give a gift, or to bestow property, as designated in the terms of a will.

Many people try to avoid Colorado probate because of the perceived expense. To avoid a Colorado probate proceeding upon death, Colorado real and personal property must pass to the heirs by other means. In the case of real estate, Colorado quitclaim deeds (note: not Colorado quit claim deeds, as erroneously written at times) are often used. In most cases, however, the better alternative is a Colorado beneficiary deed.

According to Wikipedia, Bill Gates is now worth about 56 Billion dollars. Query: If Bill Gates had placed his Microsoft stock in an asset protection trust when the company began, how much would he have saved in estate taxes? Answer: Roughly 20 billion dollars.

Welcome to 2008! To start the New Year off right, here are ten important Colorado probate and estate planning tips for the New Year. The first Colorado probate and estate planning tip is a Will. If you don’t have a Will, get one. In particular, married couples with children from prior relationships should always have a Will. Otherwise, the couple may be very surprised at who gets the money at death.
Read more Colorado Probate & Estate Planning Tips»

Pre or post marital agreements define the rights of each spouse in the event of divorce or death. Any couple with a marital agreement should have a will. Here is why.

Colorado Deed Service is a comprehensive real estate document management resource based in Colorado that provides the following services:

Deed preparation and recording in Colorado. Colorado Deed Service can assist you in all your Colorado real estate document needs.
Transfers of Colorado real estate into revocable trusts. Colorado Deed Service can manage the entire process of putting [...]

In this day and age of cohabitation instead of marriage, Colorado courts hear more and more claims of common law marriage. Determining whether a couple is common law husband and wife is not always easy. Any person cohabitating with another should ponder the question, “Are we married in the eyes of Colorado law?”
Traditional Marriage and [...]

Now, I know the title does not sound exciting, but there is much money at stake. How much? Millions, and some of it may belong to you if you understand the two-year rule and the one-year rule regarding life insurance death benefits.

Over the years, our law office has dealt with many legal problems caused by misunderstandings about the law. For the benefit of all, a few of those misconceptions are listed in this article. Read on and test your legal skills!