Denver, Colorado guide

Denver has a dedicated Probate Court. This is different from Colorado counties where estate cases are handled by a district court. Use the Denver Probate Court's official page for local instructions rather than assuming a general Denver civil-court filing is correct.

Denver's dedicated Probate Court serves the City and County of Denver. Its existence does not mean every estate connected to the Denver metropolitan area belongs there: Aurora, Lakewood, and other nearby communities can have different county and district-court venues. Use the decedent's residence and the official court locator before filing. Check Denver Probate's own policies for submission and hearings rather than borrowing another district's process or assuming a county civil clerk handles the estate.

Colorado does not currently impose a state estate tax for 2026 deaths and does not currently impose a separate inheritance tax for 2026 deaths.

Colorado's General Assembly explains that inheritance tax was replaced in 1980 and the estate tax was effectively eliminated for deaths after December 31, 2004 when the federal state-death-tax credit ended. Fiduciary income tax remains a different question.

The Colorado guide covers the broader estate process. The local court does not provide a retirement or investment plan. An attorney addresses legal authority, a CPA addresses filings, and an advisor addresses financial planning. SBC has no local office in Denver.