Trust Attorney Denver
Meurer & Potter Law Office, Denver, Colorado
A trust is one of the most versatile tools in estate planning. Depending on how it’s structured, a trust can help you avoid probate, protect assets from creditors, minimize estate taxes, provide for minor children or beneficiaries with special needs, control how and when your wealth is distributed, and maintain privacy that a will-based plan cannot provide.
At Meurer & Potter, P.C., our Denver trust attorneys have been drafting, funding, and administering trusts for Colorado families and business owners since 1991. We work with every major trust type and tailor each trust to the client’s specific goals, family dynamics, and asset profile. There is no one-size-fits-all trust—and we never use boilerplate documents.
Call 303-991-3544 for a free consultation to find out which trust is right for you.
The Type Of Trusts We Draft
Revocable Living Trust: The most common estate planning trust. You maintain full control during your lifetime, can amend or revoke it at any time, and your assets transfer to beneficiaries at death without probate. This is the foundation of most trust-based estate plans in Colorado.
Irrevocable Trust: Once created, an irrevocable trust generally cannot be changed or revoked. Assets transferred into the trust are removed from your taxable estate and are protected from creditors. These trusts are used for advanced tax planning, asset protection, and Medicaid eligibility strategies.
Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT): Holds life insurance policies outside your taxable estate. The death benefit pays into the trust—not to your estate—avoiding estate tax on the proceeds and providing liquidity for your beneficiaries.
IRA Stretch Trust (Conduit/Accumulation Trust): Designed to receive inherited retirement accounts and control distributions to beneficiaries over time rather than allowing a lump-sum payout. This is particularly important after the SECURE Act changed the rules for inherited IRAs.
Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT): Provides you or your beneficiaries with an income stream for a defined period, with the remainder going to a charity. This can produce significant income tax deductions and reduce your taxable estate.
Grantor Retained Annuity Trust (GRAT): Allows you to transfer appreciating assets to beneficiaries with minimal gift tax. You receive annuity payments for a fixed term, and whatever remains in the trust passes to your heirs tax-free if the assets outperform the IRS assumed rate of return.
Special Needs Trust: Provides for a beneficiary with a disability without disqualifying them from SSI, Medicaid, or other public benefits. These require careful drafting to comply with federal and Colorado regulations.
Why Colorado Families Choose Trust-Based Planning
Colorado’s probate process is relatively streamlined compared to states like California, but it still involves court filings, creditor notice periods, and public records. A properly funded revocable living trust avoids probate entirely—assets transfer privately, quickly, and without court involvement. For families with real estate in multiple states, trusts are particularly valuable because they avoid the need for ancillary probate in each state where property is located. Trusts also provide management instructions for incapacity—if you become unable to manage your affairs, your successor trustee steps in immediately under the trust’s terms, without the need for a conservatorship proceeding.
Frequently Asked Questions About Trusts
Insights to help you make informed decisions about Trusts we provide our clients.
Our FAQs offer practical guidance about trusts. They are written to help you stay informed, not overwhelmed.
A revocable trust can be changed or terminated during your lifetime and does not provide asset protection from creditors. An irrevocable trust generally cannot be changed once created, but it removes assets from your taxable estate and protects them from creditors. Each serves different planning purposes.
Yes. A pour-over will catches any assets not transferred into your trust during your lifetime and directs them into the trust at death. It also allows you to name guardians for minor children, which a trust cannot do.
A comprehensive trust-based estate plan typically costs between $1,500 and $5,000 or more depending on the complexity of your situation, the type of trust, and the number of ancillary documents needed. We discuss all fees during your free consultation.
A revocable trust does not reduce income or estate taxes during your lifetime. Irrevocable trusts can remove assets from your taxable estate, potentially reducing or eliminating estate tax. Specific tax benefits depend on the type of trust and your overall financial situation.
Trust funding is the process of transferring ownership of your assets—real estate, bank accounts, investments—into the trust’s name. An unfunded trust provides no benefit. We assist with funding as part of every trust engagement to ensure your trust actually works.
Yes, though it is more difficult to contest a trust than a will because trusts do not go through probate court. Challenges typically involve allegations of incapacity, undue influence, or fraud. A properly drafted and executed trust with clear documentation reduces the risk of successful challenges.