We are one of the Denver metro area’s leading firms in the area of estate planning. Since the founding of the firm in 1969, estate planning, probate and trust administration have been a significant part of our firm’s practice.

Caplan & Earnest offers a full suite of estate planning services designed to meet the needs of families and individuals, including young professionals and growing families. Our services include wills, trusts, succession planning for family-owned businesses, asset protection planning, disability and end-of-life matters.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical client or a standard solution. Instead, we take time to learn your goals and priorities and the extent of your estate to ensure you receive real value from our services. In applying our experience, judgment and expertise to accomplish your objectives, we help you plan for your loved ones’ futures and, in turn, give you peace of mind.

Wills, Trusts & Probate Services

Our wills, trusts and probate practice offers a comprehensive set of services, including:

• Tax and non-tax planning wills
• Tax and non-tax planning revocable living trusts
• Real estate trusts for property located outside of Colorado
• Generation-skipping transfer tax planning
• Financial powers of attorney
• Medical powers of attorney
• Living wills (advance medical directives)
• Marital (pre-nuptial and post-nuptial) agreements
• Section 2503(c) trusts for minor children
• Estate tax reduction techniques
• Family limited partnerships
• Irrevocable life insurance trusts
• Charitable gifting techniques
• Charitable remainder and lead trusts
• Family foundations
• Donor Advised Funds
• Succession planning for closely held businesses
• Asset protection planning
• Declaration of Disposition of Last Remains documents
• HIPAA authorizations
• End-of-life directions and documents
• Beneficiary designation recommendations for life insurance, 401(k) accounts, IRA and Roth IRA accounts, and accounts permitting POD (payable on death) or TOD (transfer on death) designations
• Assistance with funding revocable living trusts during lifetime
• Advice regarding gift tax issues
• Community Property Agreements
• Probate and trust administration
• Preparation of federal estate tax returns

Flat-fee ‘Generations’ Package for Young Professionals and Growing Families

We believe that estate planning is for everyone over the age of 18, and that’s why we have developed “Generations,” a flat-fee service for setting up these legal documents. Because many younger professionals have never encountered an attorney, we have designed this at a flat-fee cost, helping individuals or couples avoid surprises and know their costs with certainty.

The service includes options for creating several legal documents, such as:

• Will: A written declaration in which a person can, among other things, direct portions of their estate to named persons, establish an executor for their estate and create trusts for future distribution of bequests.
• Medical Power of Attorney: A document that appoints a health care agent who has the authority to make necessary health care decisions for the signer, and to ensure that doctors provide care that fits with the signer’s wishes (should the signer be unable to make such decisions).
• Guidelines for Medical Power of Attorney: Written guidelines that explicitly state the medical wishes of the signer, should they be unable to make decisions on their own.
• HIPAA Authorization: A detailed document that gives covered entities (health plans, health care clearinghouses and health care providers such as physicians) permission to use protected health information for specified purposes—which are generally other than treatment, payment or health care operations—or to disclose protected health information to a third party specified by the individual.
• Living Will: A document regarding the removal of life-support if the signer becomes terminally ill or is in a persistent vegetative state.
• Disposition of Last Remains: A document that allows the signer to designate the disposition of their remains, including ceremonial arrangements and any special instructions.
• Personal Property Memorandum: A separate document that can be incorporated into your will in which the signer details how they would like their personal property (such as jewelry, art and even pets) to be distributed.
• Financial Power of Attorney: A document that arranges for another person to manage the signer’s finances if they are unable to make decisions themselves.