Estate Planning in Colorado, Arizona, and California
Put your wishes in writing, and choose who can help if you can’t. We’ll explain your choices in terms you can understand.
Estate planning means putting in writing who gets your property, who acts for you if you can’t, and who cares for your young children. A basic plan in Colorado, Arizona, or California usually includes a will or living trust plus powers of attorney. Attorney Daniel R. Klein helps you choose what fits your family.
- Reviewed by
- Daniel R. Klein, attorney
- Last reviewed
This page is general information about Colorado and Arizona law as of . It is not legal advice.
Is this you?
- “I keep meaning to make a will, and I haven’t.”
- “We just had a grandchild, and our plan is decades old.”
- “We spend winters in Arizona and summers in Colorado.”
- “I don’t have much money. Do I even need this?”
- “I want to make things easier for my kids.”
Estate Planning: where to start
Wills
A will is a signed document that says who gets your property, who settles your estate, and who should raise your children under 18.
Living Trusts
A living trust holds your property while you’re alive and passes it to your family without probate, if the trust is funded.
Powers of Attorney
A power of attorney lets you choose someone you trust to handle your money or your medical care if you can’t.
Asset Protection
Asset protection planning is careful, legal work that lowers the risk of losing property to a future lawsuit or debt.
What is an estate plan?
An estate plan is the set of documents that carries out your wishes if you get sick or die. You don’t need to be wealthy.
A plan can name who gets your home and keepsakes. It can name who handles your money and medical care if you can’t. It can name who would raise your young children. It can also spare your family probate, the court process for settling an estate. The goal is simple: a plan that does what you want, in words you understand.
Should I have a will or a living trust?
| Question | Will | Living trust |
|---|---|---|
| Avoids probate? | No, though beneficiary forms and a beneficiary deed can pass some property outside it | Yes, for property in the trust. Anything left outside may need probate |
| Private? | Less so. A will that goes through probate is filed with the court | Generally yes |
| Helps if you can’t make decisions? | No. Powers of attorney cover that | Yes. Your successor trustee can manage trust property |
| Upfront cost | Lower | Higher |
| Time to set up | Shorter | Longer, because the trust must be funded |
| Who it suits | Simpler estates, and parents naming a guardian | Homeowners, people with property in two states, blended families |
Choosing a trust doesn’t mean going without a will. Every trust we prepare comes with a pour-over will. It is a safety net. If something is left outside your trust, the pour-over will sends it into the trust. That property may still need probate first, so we also help you fund your trust.
Is estate planning different in Colorado and Arizona?
In Colorado
A will needs 2 witnesses or a notary (C.R.S. 15-11-502). Colorado has no state estate or inheritance tax (Colorado Legislative Council).
In Arizona
A will needs 2 witnesses, and a notary alone isn’t enough (A.R.S. 14-2502). Arizona is a community property state (A.R.S. 25-211). It has no estate, inheritance, or gift tax (Arizona Department of Revenue).
In both states
The federal estate tax exclusion is $15,000,000.00 per person for 2026 (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32).
How does working with Daniel go?
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Reach out
Request a call, or call 720-806-2069. Nicholas Curtiss, our paralegal, or Iliana Garcia, our senior paralegal, calls you back. The call takes about 10 to 15 minutes.
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Meet with Daniel
In your complimentary consultation, you tell Daniel about your family and goals. He gives you legal advice about your choices.
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Get the fee in writing
Before any work starts, we agree with you in writing on the fee, or on the hourly rate and what it covers.
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Read your drafts at home
We send you drafts of your documents before your signing meeting, so you have time to read them.
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Sign
About a month after your consultation, Daniel walks you through every document, paragraph by paragraph. Then you sign with the witnesses or notary your state requires.
Read more about what to expect at each step.
What does it cost?
Before any work starts, we agree with you in writing on the fee, or on the hourly rate and what it covers. See how our fees work.
Questions people ask
Do I need an estate plan if I don’t have much money?
Yes, most adults benefit. Powers of attorney let someone you trust help with bills and doctors if you can’t, at any income. A will names who should raise your children. And without a plan, state law, not you, decides who inherits.
What’s the difference between a will and a living trust?
A will says who gets your property, but it goes through probate. A funded living trust passes property without probate and can help if you become unable to manage. Every trust we prepare comes with a pour-over will, a backup will that sends anything left outside the trust into it.
How often should I update my estate plan?
Review it after big changes, like a marriage, divorce, birth, death, move, or new property. Even if nothing changes, look it over every three to five years. Laws change too, and we’ll tell you if a change affects you.
Request a complimentary consultation
Tell us how to reach you. We’ll call you within one business day to set up your complimentary consultation.
Three short questions.
To request a consultation, call 720-806-2069 or visit kleinestatelaw.com/contact/
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