Many people delay creating a will, thinking they are too young, too healthy, or do not have enough assets. But, in Colorado, dying without a will—known as dying intestate—can result in your estate being handled by state law, not your personal wishes. This can leave your loved ones navigating complex legal procedures, unexpected outcomes, and...

Creating an estate plan – whether it’s a will, a revocable living trust – is a fundamental step toward securing your family’s future and peace of mind. But, the documents themselves are only part of the equation. Before you can create a will or revocable living trust, you must choose the right people to carry...

So, you have made the smart decision to create a revocable living trust as part of your estate plan, recognizing its power to help your family avoid probate, maintain privacy, and ensure a smooth transfer of your assets. However, merely signing the trust document is not enough. For your trust to effectively bypass probate, it...

Probate. While it is a seven-letter word, for many families in Colorado, it is akin to four-letter curse word. A word that evokes dread, conjuring images of lengthy court battles, fighting families, public records, attorneys, fees, costs and ultimately, dwindling inheritances. Is there any way around probate when a person passes? Fortunately, yes, there are...

Creating a will is one of the most important steps in your estate plan, yet many Colorado Springs residents make critical mistakes that can undermine their intentions. To ensure your wishes are honored and your loved ones are protected, you should avoid these five common pitfalls: 1. Not Making a Will at All Many people...

By Matthew Collett, Esq. Regardless of the structure of your estate plan (Will-based or Trust-based), one of the most important decisions you must make is to select the agents to make decisions for you during incapacity or in the event of death.  However, selecting agents is also often the most difficult decisions you have to...

Congratulations to all high school graduates and parents! This is an exciting time full of changes and new beginnings. But, before your young adult moves to the next stage of life, make sure you have their necessary legal documents in place. Once a person turns 18 years of age, Colorado law considers them a legal...

Your estate plan is not a one-time task—it should evolve as your life and financial circumstances change. At The Law Office of Kevin Hancock, we help Colorado Springs families stay prepared by reviewing and updating their estate plans regularly. When Should You Revisit Your Estate Plan? You should review your estate plan every 3–5 years,...

Creating a will is one of the most important steps in your estate plan, yet many Colorado Springs residents make critical mistakes that can undermine their intentions. To ensure your wishes are honored and your loved ones are protected, you should avoid these five common pitfalls: 1. Not Making a Will at All Many people...

As a parent of young children, you’ve likely thought about how to protect and provide for them if the unexpected happens. While these thoughts can be difficult, creating a trust is one of the most effective ways to ensure your children’s financial future is secure. At The Law Office of Kevin Hancock, LLC, we specialize...

At The Law Office of Kevin Hancock, we know how important it is for Colorado families to create a solid estate plan that protects their assets and loved ones. A living trust is one of the most effective tools for achieving this goal, but it’s essential to get the details right. Avoiding common mistakes during...

Living Wills in Colorado Springs: DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) vs. Living Will Life can be unpredictable, and preparing for unexpected medical situations is an important step in ensuring your wishes are respected. At The Law Office of Kevin R. Hancock, we guide individuals in Colorado Springs through the process of creating living wills (also known...

If you’ve completed your estate planning, CONGRATULATIONS! You’ve accomplished something that nearly 80% of your peers may never do. At The Law Office of Kevin R. Hancock, we know how important this step is for you and your family. But you might be wondering—what’s next? Here are five essential tips to follow once your estate...

At The Law Office of Kevin R. Hancock, we understand that planning for end-of-life decisions through a Living Will—also known as an Advance Directive or End of Life Directive—can be a deeply personal and sometimes overwhelming process. However, it is a crucial component of your estate plan. While the document itself may seem straightforward, the...

When you’ve experienced a personal injury, the journey ahead often seems filled with medical consultations, recovery periods, and legal intricacies. Amidst this whirlwind, one key aspect that often goes overlooked is how any compensation received might intertwine with your estate planning. But how exactly does a sudden inflow of compensation affect your assets and future...

Understanding the functions and limitations of a Will, the most fundamental document of any estate plan, is paramount to starting the estate planning process.  A Will is the instruction manual or road map for probate and who gets a decedent’s probate property.  Probate is the Court process for transferring title of a decedent’s probate assets...

Your military life in stages:  going in, serving and afterward.  Along the way, you can’t plan for the unexpected and you can’t control the unexpected.  But, as our panel will tell you, you can hedge against the unexpected by making smart, advance financial, estate and end of life decisions. 

After all the choices you have to make in setting up your Living Will, you then have a choice whether to allow your agents under your medical power of attorney to have the authority to override your decisions.  Isn’t that great?  Here we have a document and a process requiring you to make life and...

As part of the decision to allow resuscitative measures, the Living Will includes a provision to allow maximum pain relief – even if it may hasten death.   For some clients, there’s no question at all – maximum pain relief it is!  For these folks, I usually jokingly ask them if the prefer a rum or...

Once you have considered all the options and determined whether and when to remove life support and artificial nutrition and hydration, you then have to consider whether to allow the doctors to continue providing certain resuscitative measures such as CPR, mechanical respiration and/or antibiotics.  This section of the Living Will is what I call a...

After you have decided whether and when to remove life support when setting up a Living Will (a.k.a. the Advance Directive, End of Life Directive), the next question is whether and when do you want to have artificial nutrition and hydration removed?  Most people, wrongly, assume artificial nutrition and/or hydration are considered part of life...

When Should You Remove Life Support? The primary question to be answered when setting up a Living Will (a.k.a. the Advance Directive, End of Life Directive) is whether and how long do you want to remain on life support?  Your two options are to have life support continued indefinitely, to have life support removed immediately,...

What is a Revocable Living Trust and How Does it Work? A Revocable Living Trust (“RLT” for short, or just “Trust”) is used to manage and control property after a person passes away. A Trust is simply a relationship created whenever one person (the “Trustor”) gives property to someone else (the “Trustee”) to manage and...

Steps to take for when a family member passes away Step One: Take Care of Yourself and Your Family The first thing to do when a loved one passes is take care of yourself, your family and your loved ones.  Even when a person’s passing is expected, the toll of the grieving process can be...

Why A Revocable Living Trust? One of my favorite questions from an estate planning client is – why do people get a revocable living trust? A revocable living trusts can be a highly effective and flexible estate planning tool. While a not everyone needs a trust, there are a lot of reasons to consider a...

PART 1 – FEAR OF DEATH “Fear is a four-letter word, gentlemen!” – Calhoun from “Wreck-It Ralph” FEAR – Future Events Appear Real. I love that acronym because in moments of fear it helps me realize the worst things I imagine are only that – my imagination. And, when I realize the worst thing I...