Equinox Estate Planning - Attorney: Matthew Lemley

Equinox Estate Planning - Attorney: Matthew Lemley Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Equinox Estate Planning - Attorney: Matthew Lemley, Lawyer & Law Firm, 5525 N Union Boulevard # 200, Colorado Springs, CO.

At Equinox Estate Planning, we empower families and individuals to protect their loved ones, business, hard-earned assets, and personal wellbeing through comprehensive, tailored, and proactive legal planning.

It's that time of year, a new school year! With that, there are college freshmen all over Colorado who just finished the...
09/01/2026

It's that time of year, a new school year! With that, there are college freshmen all over Colorado who just finished their first week.

As you were doing things like helping your child move into their dorm, purchasing books, and getting tuition all set, probably the last thing on your mind was, "hmm, does my child need an estate plan?"

Nevertheless, once someone reaches the age of 18 in Colorado (whether they are in college or not), they're a legal adult in the eyes of every hospital and bank regardless of whether they still live at home or are even on your health and auto insurance.

That means you have no legal right to their medical records, no guaranteed medical decision-making power, and no access or control over their separate finances.

We don't like to think about the bad "what ifs" in life. But we all know none of us are invincible and injuries could occur... or your child could simply choose to spend a semester abroad and end up needing some help manages finances during that time.

None of this requires distrust or a loss of independence for your young adult. It's about keeping you in the loop as much as they'd like, but able to help if that need arises.

Without the right documents in place, parents may be locked out from medical information and decision-making power during the moments they need access most.

Setting up 4 basic legal documents: 1) a Healthcare POA; 2) a General/Financial POA; 3) A HIPAA Authorization; and 4) a Living Will is the best way to ensure your child is covered for any situation. A side note: having them is key but the quality and thoroughness of the documents matters greatly.

Estate planning is similar to insurance: you hope you'll not need it, but having it ready costs little compared to needing it and not having it.

If you have a young adult, we offer a discounted "college-aged" package that can be completed in just one or two meetings.

Further, a loving grandparent or that benevolent aunt or uncle can purchase this sort of package for their grandchild or niece/nephew as well.

Reach out today and we'd be glad to get started with you!

Personal property items are typically not as monetarily valuable as the real estate, 401k, or brokerage account. However...
08/27/2026

Personal property items are typically not as monetarily valuable as the real estate, 401k, or brokerage account. However, they often carry important sentimental or other subjective value which can make them difficult to deal with in an estate plan. Sometimes, true feelings really don't come out until after someone has passed away.

I've seen siblings - who I was told 'never argued' - go to war, and even police being called to mom and dad's house, over something like an oil painting. Perceived injustice and unfairness creates strong reactions, especially when emotions are already raw and high.
That's why it's vital to build a clear plan, within your broader estate plan, that, perhaps, assigns specific items to specific people where it makes sense, sets up a process for the rest, and names one person as the final decision maker.

We'd be glad to have the conversations with you and your family that will help to prevent such scenarios.

Bennett Brauer back with a commentary on... estate planning:If you don't have an updated estate plan - properly funded, ...
08/22/2026

Bennett Brauer back with a commentary on... estate planning:

If you don't have an updated estate plan - properly funded, if applicable - based in solid legal advice and tailored to your situation, please reach out today and protect your family. It's such an important act of love and courage to get a clear plan in place for your self and your loved ones.

I didn't create this meme with Chris Farley's death and subsequent estate administration in mind. This was simply meant to be a silly & challenging post to those out there who are still procrastinating this important task. However, it's worth noting that Chris did not have a plan in place and his family was left with a lot more trouble, uncertainty, taxes, and delay than necessary.

We come across a lot of folks "shopping" for the cheapest estate plan possible. That's fine - I get it - but high-qualit...
08/14/2026

We come across a lot of folks "shopping" for the cheapest estate plan possible. That's fine - I get it - but high-quality work will never be the least expensive option.

Every estate plan has a price. So does no plan, a poorly designed, or an incomplete plan.

Good planning is an investment. Something that saves you and your family much more, monetarily, and in many other ways, on the back end.

Excellent estate planning can be expensive.

So can the family fighting for years and paying litigators tens of thousands of dollars over disputes.

Missed tax minimization through proactive planning may also be costly.

Unprotected assets in the event of a car crash and lawsuit, divorce, or bankruptcy may be many times more "pricey" than the original flat fee.

Planning well and effectively is an investment and it's worth it.

The cost of not planning may be greater than you'd expect. Your future and your loved ones are worth investing in.

Talk to us today to get started!

Gift tax is a tax on the property or assets you transfer to another during your lifetime, and like estate tax - is an ex...
08/13/2026

Gift tax is a tax on the property or assets you transfer to another during your lifetime, and like estate tax - is an example of a transfer tax. This concept is important to understand to, potentially, save taxes - or more commonly - to stay compliant with the IRS reporting requirements.

So, what is a "gift"? A gift is anything you give to another while receiving nothing, or less than full value, in return. That could include cash, property, investments, a car you sold your kid for a dollar.

The annual gift tax exclusion is how much you can give any one person in a single year without reporting it to the IRS.

The annual gift tax exclusion is $19,000 in 2026. Beyond $19,000 you must report the gift to the IRS and use up some of your lifetime and estate exemption (more on this below) amount for amounts exceeding the 19k.

It's per person, per year, and it resets every January. You can give $19,000 to ten people or a hundred people and report nothing. If you're married, your spouse may do the same.

The lifetime exemption the total amount you're allowed to transfer without paying transfer tax --- it is also tied into your estate tax exemption amount. Any asset transfers exceeding this lifetime unified threshold—whether given during your life or distributed after death—are subject to a roughly 40% federal tax rate. The gift and estate lifetime exemption is $15 million per person, $30 million for a married couple.

Here's an example of how they connect.

If you gift more than $19,000 to any one person, then you must file a gift tax return and the amount above $19,000 comes off your lifetime number.

Give your daughter $50,000 for a down payment: $19,000 is excluded, you report $31,000, and your gift and estate exemption drops from $15,000,000 to $14,969,000.

Some gifts don't count against either number such as tuition paid to a school or medical bills paid to a provider.

These are federal tax concepts (not state) and this is for informational purposes only, not comprehensive, and this is not tax advice.

Make-a-will month - I think it's a good thing. It brings awareness to the importance of estate planning. So, not to be n...
08/10/2026

Make-a-will month - I think it's a good thing. It brings awareness to the importance of estate planning. So, not to be negative... but making a will is not enough.

When I say it's "not enough", I'm not referring to the revocable living trust being a better tool. Though it often is.

I'm also not necessarily referring to the critical nature of other documents such as a general durable power of attorney, health care POA, advance directive, beneficiary designations, and other key supplemental documents.

Instead, I'm talking about the specific strategy, organization, & detailed structure of your estate plan.

Simply signing a will or even having a full set of documents may not create a planning structure & strategy which coordinates with your values, family dynamics, finances, health, or long-term goals.

Instead of document prep, you should be aiming for a thoughtful, comprehensive and customized planning strategy. To achieve that sort of plan you, and your attorney, should, for example:

1) Thoroughly consider and address numerous details and nuances within each of your documents. Such as distribution guardrails, asset protection preferences, and future flexibility.

2) Contain organization of your passwords, personal items, finances, various availability of documentation, ongoing bills, parenting preferences - if you have minors, memorial wishes, specific medical wishes, and much more.

3) Communicate and prepare your loved ones and decisions makers.

4) Coordinate with your financial plan or tax planning.

5) Strategically eliminate commonly problematic scenarios.

6) Ongoing follow through and upkeep.

And MUCH more.

The "industry" sells probate avoidance or making sure your stuff goes where you want via quick docu prep. That's important. But what matters more is using wisdom, experience, and proactivity to create and maintain a plan that achieves your goals and protects your loved ones.

The difference between cheap, quick, and basic document preparation and detailed, tailored legal planning is colossal.

We don't blame people for doing their best with limited knowledge and we genuinely hope that when a client decides to ch...
08/08/2026

We don't blame people for doing their best with limited knowledge and we genuinely hope that when a client decides to chance it without legal help, that their planning works out well.

Still, it's important to remember that cheap document prep services, DIY estate planning, or any planning without qualified legal advice, can carry grave consequences.

One example is when someone tries to avoid probate at all costs (say, by executing a quit claim deed and adding a child to their house title). If you take this action, it may cost your family a lot in taxes and put your assets at risk if your child goes through a lawsuit, divorce, or bankruptcy.

Another example is executing a beneficiary deed. This may have unforeseen consequences, too, such as derailing Medicaid eligibility and planning.

Shortcuts have consequences. Please talk to a qualified attorney before taking any major estate planning actions.

The meme is meant to be silly, but we truly do not take pleasure at the misfortune of others - when it comes to estate planning.

YOU'RE INVITED! Bring family, friends, neighbors, and other professionals as we celebrate YOU!
07/29/2026

YOU'RE INVITED! Bring family, friends, neighbors, and other professionals as we celebrate YOU!

As you prepare for your hike, you understand that anything can happen. Weather in the mountains is volatile and you have...
07/28/2026

As you prepare for your hike, you understand that anything can happen. Weather in the mountains is volatile and you have planned for anything and everything. But what if the events you plan for actually come to pass and you find yourself injured in the backcountry?

Does your family know what to do?

Having a Healthcare Power of Attorney, HIPAA Authorization, and an Advance Directive can provide your family with the clarity they need when they need it most.

You plan for the unknowns when exploring our state, you should also plan for the unknowns your family may face without your direction.

When prepping for you next adventure, add a meeting with one of our estate planning attorneys to the list of trip essentials!

Orders don’t wait and neither should your estate plan.Deployment, relocations, and time apart makes it even more importa...
07/23/2026

Orders don’t wait and neither should your estate plan.

Deployment, relocations, and time apart makes it even more important to have your documents current and ready to go.

Before your next move, make sure your plan moves with you.

Equinox Estate Planning is here to serve the military families of Colorado Springs. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and let’s secure your future together!

Address

5525 N Union Boulevard # 200
Colorado Springs, CO
80918

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+17193015713

Website

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