Award-winning Colorado lawyers

When someone dies, their mortgage, car loan, or judgment lien doesn’t just disappear. These are secured debts that must be handled during probate. Secured creditors are often entitled to reclaim the property linked to the debt, even as the probate process is ongoing. 

Alimony—called “spousal maintenance” or “spousal support” in Colorado—is meant to bridge the financial gap between spouses following a divorce. Spousal support is not an award for any type of injury or to compensate a spouse for the dissolution of their marriage. The primary intention of spousal maintenance is to help the lower-earning spouse get back on his/her feet.

Under Colorado law, most debts aren’t inherited by heirs. Instead, they’re paid through the probate estate using the deceased person’s assets. Family members are generally not liable for a deceased loved one’s debts unless they co-signed a loan or shared joint ownership of the debt.