You’ve worked hard for what you have and want to ensure your loved ones and assets are protected in the event of unforeseen circumstances or death.
At Rounds & Bowman LLC, we work with each client to provide a comprehensive estate plan that addresses their unique needs and preferences in a straightforward, understandable manner.
We also help those who are tasked with handling a loved one’s estate, guiding them through the many aspects and intricacies of the estate administration process.
With over three decades of legal experience in estate planning and administration, Rounds & Bowman LLC offers knowledgeable, personal, and trustworthy legal representation for all your estate related needs.
Areas of Practice
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Having a clear, well-tailored estate plan is essential for every person no matter their marital status, family circumstances, assets, or wealth. At Rounds & Bowman, we understand there is no “one-size-fits-all” estate plan, and we strive to create the most suitable and sensible estate planning documents for each of our clients depending on their own unique circumstances.
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We understand how difficult it can be to manage the many duties and complexities of the estate administration process when a loved one passes away. We partner with clients to represent and guide them through all aspects of the administration process, including preparing accountings and inventories, providing necessary notices to interested parties, retitling assets, and preparing and filing individual and fiduciary income tax returns.
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When a person who dies in Colorado owns real estate solely in their name or individually owns over a certain dollar amount in assets (which varies depending on the year in which the person dies), a probate estate must be opened with a Colorado court. In conjunction with opening a probate estate, the court appoints a personal representative, who is the person with the authority and responsibility to collect and safeguard the decedent’s assets, pay all legitimate creditors, and distribute the estate’s assets to the beneficiaries named in the decedent’s probated will, or if the decedent had no will, to the decedent’s “heirs” as determined under Colorado law.
The attorneys at Rounds & Bowman represent personal representatives through all aspects of the probate process, including petitioning or applying for probate and appointment, notifying interested parties and creditors, preparing estate inventories, accountings, and income/estate tax returns, and making final distributions of estate assets to the proper beneficiaries.
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As individuals age, their capacity and sound judgment may diminish as a result of dementia, Alzheimer’s, or other medical, psychological, or cognitive conditions. Should their capacity diminish to the point they can no longer manage their financial affairs or personal wellbeing, a third party may need to be appointed to act on behalf of/for their best interests.
Rounds & Bowman can assist you in determining whether a loved one may be in need of a guardianship or conservatorship, and if so, represent and guide you in petitioning a court for appointment as guardian or conservator, fulfilling your necessary duties as guardian or conservator, and preparing and filing the necessary court reports.
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Premarital agreements (aka “prenuptial agreements” or “prenups”) are agreements entered into between two parties prior to their marriage, while marital agreements (aka “postnuptial agreements”) are agreements entered into between married spouses. Under Colorado’s Uniform Premarital and Marital Agreements Act, both premarital and marital agreements are equally valid and enforceable so long as they comply with the law’s required components.
Rounds & Bowman assists clients with all aspects of premarital and marital agreements, including drafting the agreement; advising the client regarding their legal rights (during the marriage, upon divorce, and at death) and how the agreement alters these rights; and negotiating the terms of the agreement.
Charles E. Rounds, Partner
Charles Rounds (“Chad”) is a founding partner at Rounds & Bowman LLC in Aurora, Colorado, where his primary emphasis of practice is in estate and trust administration and estate planning, including wills, power of attorneys, and living wills. Other areas of his practice include guardianships, conservatorships, Medicaid planning, use of family limited partnerships and LLCs for planning purposes, preparation of 1041s, 706s, and 709s, real estate, and probate litigation.
Emily L. Bowman, Partner
Emily Bowman is a founding partner of Rounds & Bowman. Her practice focuses primarily on estate planning, estate and trust administration, elder law, uncontested guardianships and conservatorships, and premarital and marital agreements.