What each source establishes
The Colorado guide rests on the source-backed rules this site can verify for the state: which simplified procedure exists and what it limits, what the court charges, how the person administering the estate may be paid, and the statutory creditor-deadline clocks the official text states.Every published rule below is quoted in the publisher’s own words rather than summarised.
Simplified-procedure rule
Colorado General Assembly (Office of Legislative Legal Services) · Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 · Verified August 9, 2026
less liens and encumbrances, does not exceed twice the amount set forth in section 15-11-403, as adjusted by section 15-10-112; (b) At least ten days have elapsed since the death of the decedent; (c) No application or petition for the appointment of a personal representative is pending or has been granted in any jurisdiction;
What this means: The codified figure is expressed as a formula (twice the 15-11-403 amount, CPI-adjusted per 15-10-112); the operative dollar cap is published per year of death by the Judiciary in JDF 998 (source co-small-estate-current).
What was published from this source
Conditions checked against the live text
Each condition below must be found in the page as the publisher currently serves it. If any one of them stops matching, the build fails and the figure is withheld rather than published from memory.
- ✓small-estate formulamatched
- ✓ten-day waitmatched
- ✓no PR pending disqualifiermatched
- ✓section identitymatched
- ✓section identitymatched
Response digest f43ba23286f9f3f2… · HTTP 200
Simplified-procedure rule
Colorado General Assembly (Office of Legislative Legal Services) · Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 · Verified August 9, 2026
On and after January 1, 2012, the decedent's surviving spouse is entitled to exempt property from the estate in the form of cash in the amount of or other property of the estate in the value of thirty thousand dollars
What was published from this source
Conditions checked against the live text
Each condition below must be found in the page as the publisher currently serves it. If any one of them stops matching, the build fails and the figure is withheld rather than published from memory.
- ✓base amount thirty thousandmatched
- ✓section identitymatched
- ✓section identitymatched
Response digest f43ba23286f9f3f2… · HTTP 200
Threshold indexing rule
Colorado General Assembly (Office of Legislative Legal Services) · Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 · Verified August 9, 2026
these dollar amounts must be increased or decreased if the CPI for the calendar year immediately preceding the year of death exceeds or is less than the reference base index.
What this means: Establishes the CPI-U indexing mechanism; the reference base index is the CPI for calendar year 2010 and the department of revenue publishes a cumulative list of the adjusted amounts before February 1 each year.
What was published from this source
Conditions checked against the live text
Each condition below must be found in the page as the publisher currently serves it. If any one of them stops matching, the build fails and the figure is withheld rather than published from memory.
- ✓cpi indexing mechanismmatched
- ✓reference base 2010matched
- ✓section identitymatched
- ✓section identitymatched
Response digest f43ba23286f9f3f2… · HTTP 200
Simplified-procedure rule
Colorado Judicial Branch · R: March 19, 2026 · Verified August 9, 2026
Year of Death Amount 2026 $88,000 2025 $86,000 2024 $82,000 2023 $80,000 2022 $74,000 2020 & 2021 $70,000
What this means: Judiciary-published operative figures; used because the statute states the cap only as an indexed formula. $88,000 is specific to 2026 deaths and must not be frozen as a timeless threshold.
What was published from this source
CO JDF 998; operative amount under C.R.S. 15-12-1201 / 15-10-112
Conditions checked against the live text
Each condition below must be found in the page as the publisher currently serves it. If any one of them stops matching, the build fails and the figure is withheld rather than published from memory.
- ✓affidavit conditionsmatched
- ✓2026 operative amountmatched
- ✓year-of-death tablematched
- ✓section identitymatched
Response digest aa44d2f46b8923ca… · HTTP 200
Court cost rule
Colorado Judicial Branch · Publisher states no currentness signal; manual session review required · Verified August 9, 2026
1st Filing for: Decedent's Estate (not small estates) Guardianship/Conservatorship Personal Injury Settlement Petition to Accept Transfer $229 13-32-102(1)(b), (7) Small Estate $113 13-32-102(1)(a), (7)
What this means: Statewide judiciary fee list; the page states no edition or revision date, so currentness is a disclosed limitation.
What was published from this source
CO Colorado Judicial Branch fee schedule; C.R.S. 13-32-102(1)(b),(7)
Conditions checked against the live text
Each condition below must be found in the page as the publisher currently serves it. If any one of them stops matching, the build fails and the figure is withheld rather than published from memory.
- ✓decedent estate first filing 229matched
- ✓small estate 113matched
- ✓section identitymatched
- ✓section identitymatched
Response digest 8ea38d0634576fa7… · HTTP 200
Executor compensation rule
Colorado General Assembly (Office of Legislative Legal Services) · Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 · Verified August 9, 2026
A fiduciary and his or her lawyer are entitled to reasonable compensation for services rendered on behalf of an estate.
What this means: The former percentage-schedule sections 15-12-719 and 15-12-721 are both repealed; compensation is now the reasonable-compensation standard under 15-10-602 subject to the court's determination of reasonableness.
What was published from this source
Conditions checked against the live text
Each condition below must be found in the page as the publisher currently serves it. If any one of them stops matching, the build fails and the figure is withheld rather than published from memory.
- ✓reasonable compensation standardmatched
- ✓court determines reasonablenessmatched
- ✓section identitymatched
- ✓section identitymatched
Response digest f43ba23286f9f3f2… · HTTP 200
Creditor deadline rule
Colorado General Assembly (Office of Legislative Legal Services) · Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 · Verified August 9, 2026
a date not earlier than four months from date of first publication or the date one year from date of death, whichever occurs first
What was published from this source
Conditions checked against the live text
Each condition below must be found in the page as the publisher currently serves it. If any one of them stops matching, the build fails and the figure is withheld rather than published from memory.
- ✓publication bar date floormatched
- ✓section identitymatched
- ✓section identitymatched
Response digest f43ba23286f9f3f2… · HTTP 200
Creditor deadline rule
Colorado General Assembly (Office of Legislative Legal Services) · Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 · Verified August 9, 2026
(I) As to creditors barred by publication, within the time set in the published notice to creditors; (II) As to creditors barred by written notice, within the time set in the written notice; (III) As to all creditors, within one year after the decedent's death.
What this means: Three separate triggers: publication-notice time, written-notice time, and a one-year-from-death outer nonclaim limit. Post-death claims are barred four months after they arise.
What was published from this source
Conditions checked against the live text
Each condition below must be found in the page as the publisher currently serves it. If any one of them stops matching, the build fails and the figure is withheld rather than published from memory.
- ✓publication triggermatched
- ✓written notice triggermatched
- ✓one year outer limitmatched
- ✓section identitymatched
- ✓section identitymatched
Response digest f43ba23286f9f3f2… · HTTP 200