When couples bring children from a previous relationship into a marriage they create a new family. Then, they may or may not have children together as well. Blending two families into one can be a joyous process but it also becomes complex when choosing how to divide assets in estate planning for after your death. How do you create an estate plan that satisfies everyone and doesn’t cause resentment within the family you’ve created after you’ve passed? What are some…

Going through a divorce is never easy, but in marital circumstances in which one spouse has been out of the workforce for years, it’s even more challenging and emotionally fraught on both sides. The non-working spouse may worry about being left unable to support themselves, while the working spouse may resent the idea of continuing to support an ex-spouse after the divorce. During a Colorado divorce in a marriage in which one spouse is the sole provider, it’s important to…

Like many states, Colorado has complex laws for inheritance. When it comes to distributing or inheriting assets, it’s important to understand what happens when you or a loved one dies with or without a will. What happens to existing bank and savings accounts, investments, property, and family heirlooms? When someone works hard over a lifetime to accumulate assets, property, and family valuables, those legacies shouldn’t be left vulnerable to the state’s intestacy laws rather than distributed according to the thoughtful…

Anyone who’s watched an episode of Law and Order has heard a pointing judge shout, “You’re in Contempt!”, but what is “Contempt of Court?” and what are the penalties? If you’ve been charged with contempt or have a case pending in civil or criminal court it’s important to understand the reality behind these powerful words. Contempt of Court charges are more than just a judge’s admonishment for bad behavior, Contempt is a criminal charge. A conviction not only brings fines…

Most states in the U.S. consider age 18 as the age of majority, in which children become legal adults. However, in Colorado, child emancipation occurs at age 19. While this unique feature of Colorado law has little impact on many families, for divorced parents with child support orders issued by the Colorado family courts, it’s important to fully understand the state’s child emancipation laws. In Colorado, the child support obligation continues until the youngest child named in the support order…