Estate Planning for Single Individuals

If you are single, an estate plan is how you choose who inherits your property and who makes decisions for you if you cannot. Without one, Colorado law fills in those answers based on family relationships, which may not match the people you would pick.

Here is what the law does by default and the tools that let you decide instead.

Who Inherits Without a Will

A will or trust controls who receives your property, and the difference between a will and a trust affects how it passes. Without either, your estate follows Colorado’s intestacy rules.

If you have no spouse or designated beneficiary, your estate passes to your descendants, then to your parents, and then to other relatives as the statute sets out.¹ A partner, close friend, or charity receives nothing unless you plan for it.

Designated Beneficiary Agreements

Colorado lets two adults who meet the statute’s requirements sign and record a designated beneficiary agreement. Unless specific rights are excluded, it can give each person the right to inherit through intestacy and to act as the other’s medical proxy decision-maker.²

It is a useful default, but a will, trust, and beneficiary designations give more precise control.

Who Makes Decisions If You Cannot

Without a medical durable power of attorney, a physician may look for a proxy decision-maker among interested people. The law favors someone with a close relationship who knows your wishes.³

A medical durable power of attorney lets you name that person yourself and set limits on their authority.⁴ Advance health care directives pair it with a living will.

When you are single, the default rules may not reflect the people who matter most to you. Johnson Law Group offers a no-pressure consultation to build your plan, so schedule a consultation while the choice is yours to make.

Documents to Consider

• A will or living trust naming your beneficiaries and a personal representative or trustee.
• A financial power of attorney naming someone to manage money if you cannot.
• A medical durable power of attorney and living will for health care decisions.
• Updated beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and life insurance.

Talk With a Colorado Estate Planning Attorney

Being single means your plan should reflect the people and causes you choose. Johnson Law Group is here to help.

The attorneys at Johnson Law Group help single clients build plans that name the right people and will give you a clear read on your options. Schedule a free consultation through our Colorado offices, and we will serve as your North Star from here.

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