You've never done this before
First-time Personal Representatives are common. The role assumes you'll lean on a lawyer.
Service · Within Colorado Probate
They named you executor. Now what?
The personal representative carries Colorado’s probate from open to close, with personal liability for the parts you get wrong. We’ve walked hundreds of first-time Personal Representatives through it. We’ll walk you through it too.
Who This Is For
Most Personal Representatives should not do this alone.
Not because the work is impossible, but because the personal liability for getting it wrong shouldn’t fall entirely on you.
You're personally on the hook
The Personal Representative has fiduciary duty and personal liability for getting it wrong. Working with counsel is how you protect yourself, and a deductible expense of the estate.
There's a deadline-heavy first month
Notice to creditors, asset securing, lodging the will: there's real urgency early on. We make sure nothing gets missed.
Family dynamics are tense
When you're the Personal Representative and also a sibling, communication has to be more formal than feels natural. We give you the structure to keep the peace.
You don't want this to be your second job
We can take on as much of the administrative work as you want (accountings, tax coordination, beneficiary correspondence) leaving you with the decisions only you can make.
Just got named?
Don’t accept the role formally until we’ve talked. Sometimes the right answer is to decline, and that’s okay.
Book a Call How the Role Works
Four phases. Six to twelve months. One closed estate.
The full Personal Representative role spans the life of the probate. We tailor how much we do based on what you want to handle and what you’d rather hand off.
01
Get formally appointed
We file the application or petition that gets you Letters Testamentary (or Letters of Administration). Without those, you have no legal authority to act.
02
Lock things down and notify
Secure the property and accounts, publish notice to creditors, send statutory notice to heirs and beneficiaries, gather the will and key documents.
03
Inventory, taxes, and claims
Identify and value every asset, evaluate creditor claims, file the final personal income tax return, and coordinate any required estate tax filings.
04
Distribute and discharge
Distribute to beneficiaries with receipts and releases. File the verified statement of close. The court formally discharges you. Done.
You May Also Need
Other probate services.
Informal Probate
The procedural setting most Personal Representatives operate in.
Formal Probate
When the court has to issue an order before the estate can move: heirship, an unclear will, or a petition that needs notice and a hearing.
Asset Distribution
The end-of-administration step that closes the loop.
A free consultation. No obligation.
Don't take it on alone.
A free consultation. We'll lay out the full timeline and what you can expect.