At Gitkind Law, we’ve helped Boulder County families put their wishes in writing since 2004. Andy Gitkind is a Colorado estate planning attorney, a past chair of the Trust and Estates Section of the Boulder Bar Association, and has prepared more than a thousand estate plans for individuals and families across Boulder, Louisville, Lafayette, and the surrounding area. When you work with us on a will, it’s built to fit your complete plan — not drafted in isolation and handed over.
Our practice focuses on Wills, Trusts, Estates, and Probate, so your will is never treated as a standalone document — it’s built to fit the bigger picture.
Estate planning is personal, and so is the way we approach it. If you’d like to get a sense of who you’d be working with before you pick up the phone, start with our story. Twenty-seven years of practice leaves a mark on how you see these situations — and on how you handle them. We think knowing that context makes the first conversation easier. Take a look, and reach out . Learn About Our Firm
Without a valid will, Colorado’s intestacy rules decide who inherits your property — and those defaults rarely reflect the real shape of a family. Blended families, unmarried partners, and estranged relatives aren’t accommodated under state law. A will puts your actual intentions on record, so the people you’ve chosen to protect are protected.
We’ve seen what happens when a will drafted before a remarriage, a new child, or a significant asset change gets left unchanged. The document that was meant to protect your family becomes the starting point for confusion and conflict. If your life has changed and your will hasn’t, it’s time to update it.
A missing witness, an ambiguous clause, or a provision that contradicts a beneficiary designation can delay probate, invite challenges, and cost your family time and money. We’ve worked through the downstream consequences of poorly drafted wills often enough to know exactly what to avoid — and we draft accordingly.
If you’ve been meaning to put a will in place and haven’t made the time, you’re not alone. We work with people who are starting a family, buying a home, or simply reaching a point where getting things in order feels necessary. The process is straightforward, and we’ll make sure you understand every decision before you make it.
Marriage, divorce, a new child, the death of a named beneficiary — any of these can make an existing will work against you. If you need someone to help you update an old will or review what you currently have, we’ll identify what no longer fits and prepare a document that reflects where your life and the law actually are today.
When there are children from prior relationships, assets held in multiple ways, or family dynamics that don’t follow a standard template, a will requires careful, experienced drafting. We work regularly with blended families and know where these plans tend to break down. Getting it right the first time matters more than it might seem.
A properly prepared will or trust — signed, witnessed, and written without ambiguity — is the foundation of any estate plan. We prepare wills and trusts that meet Colorado’s legal requirements, say exactly what you intend, and hold up when it matters. If you’re looking for a will and trust lawyer in Boulder, CO or need an estate planning attorney who does wills and trusts in Boulder county, this is where to start.
When a revocable living trust is part of your plan, a pour-over will works alongside it — capturing any assets not transferred into the trust during your lifetime and directing them where they belong. We build both documents together so they work as a single, coherent plan.
An existing will or trust that predates a major life change often needs more than a few edits. We review what you have, identify what no longer fits, and prepare a document that reflects your current family, assets, and intentions. If you’re not sure whether your will or trust still works, a review is the right place to start.
In Colorado, a valid will generally must be:
Colorado also recognizes holographic wills — wills entirely in the testator’s own handwriting and signed — though these come with risks if the language isn’t precise. Working with an experienced wills lawyer ensures that the document is properly prepared and unambiguous, so there’s no room for dispute later.
We built our process around a simple idea: you should know exactly what to expect before you walk in the door. Our two-meeting model gives you a defined path, a fixed fee, and no open-ended engagement.
We start by listening. In the first meeting, we learn about your family, your assets, and what matters most to you. Only a brief snapshop of your estate to fill out in advance — in preparation for an efficient conversation. By the end, you’ll have a clear picture of what your plan should look like and what it will cost.
After the first meeting, we prepare your documents. Everything is drafted carefully and ready for your review before we meet again. You won’t be asked to sign anything you haven’t read and understood.
In the second meeting, we walk through the documents together, answer any remaining questions, and execute your will or trust properly — signed and witnessed in accordance with Colorado law. Most clients leave with a completed plan in two meetings.
A well-prepared will gives you control over key decisions, including:
Without a will, Colorado’s intestacy rules decide who receives your property — and those default rules may not match your family structure, your relationships, or your values. A will reduces uncertainty and helps your loved ones move forward with a clear roadmap.
In Colorado, a valid will generally must be:
Colorado also recognizes holographic wills — wills entirely in the testator’s own handwriting and signed — though these come with risks if the language isn’t precise. Working with an experienced wills lawyer ensures that the document is properly prepared and unambiguous, so there’s no room for dispute later.
Many people assume a will is all they need. For some families, it is. For others — especially those who value privacy, own real property in multiple states, want added control, or want a smoother plan in the event of incapacity — pairing a will with a trust-based plan may be a better fit.
A revocable living trust can, if properly completed, avoid court involvement and make it easier for a successor trustee to step in if you become incapacitated.
Even when a trust is used, a will is typically still part of the plan — for example, as a “back-up” to catch assets that were never titled properly. The right approach depends on your goals, your assets, and your unique concerns.
Your will should evolve as life changes. It’s wise to review it after major events such as:
If your will is outdated, it can create confusion, unintended outcomes, and unnecessary stress for the people you care about most. Clients throughout Boulder, Louisville, and Lafayette often reach out after one of these life changes — and it’s always a good time to review.
Most people put off estate planning because they don’t know what to expect. Our two-meeting model gives you a defined process, a fixed fee, and no surprises. You know what’s coming before you walk in the door — and that’s deliberate.
A will drafted without regard for how it interacts with beneficiary designations, jointly held assets, or a trust can quietly undermine itself. Every will we prepare is reviewed in the context of the full picture.
Twenty-Seven Years of Colorado Estate Planning Experience
Andy has been practicing estate planning law in Colorado since 1999. Past chair of the Trust and Estates Section of the Boulder Bar Association. Over a thousand estate plans prepared. That depth of experience shows in the details — the clause that prevents a dispute, the contingency that gets planned for before it becomes a problem.
The cost depends on what your plan requires. We quote a fixed fee at the end of the first meeting, after we understand your situation — so you know the full cost before we begin. There are no open-ended billing arrangements and no surprises at the end.
Yes. Even when a revocable living trust is the centerpiece of your plan, a will is still part of it. A pour-over will captures any assets that weren’t transferred into the trust during your lifetime and directs them appropriately. The two documents are designed to work together, and leaving one out creates a gap.
Colorado recognizes handwritten wills under certain conditions, but DIY wills frequently contain ambiguities or errors that create exactly the problems a will is meant to prevent — family disputes, court involvement, and outcomes you didn’t intend. For a document this consequential, working with a wills attorney is worth it.
A will validly executed in another state is generally recognized in Colorado. That said, terminology, requirements, and planning considerations differ by state, and a will drafted elsewhere may not account for how Colorado law handles your specific assets or family situation. We recommend a review any time you relocate.
A will or trust that’s outdated, incomplete, or never quite finished is still a liability — one that stays hidden until the worst possible moment. The families who call us after a loss almost always say the same thing: they meant to get to it sooner.
