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Cris Carter Law Planning to Protect What Matters Most 🫶
Wills, Trusts, & Asset Protection. A plan to protect your loved ones, legacy & provide peace of mind. (719) 434-0000

Many people are surprised to learn that having a will does not necessarily keep their family out of probate.A will is im...
10/21/2026

Many people are surprised to learn that having a will does not necessarily keep their family out of probate.

A will is important, but it generally tells the court how you want your property distributed. It does not, by itself, prevent the court process from happening after you die. That can mean your family is left dealing with paperwork, court proceedings, expenses and delays during an already difficult time.

The good news is that thoughtful estate planning can do more than simply put your wishes on paper. Depending on your situation, tools such as a revocable living trust, beneficiary designations, powers of attorney and other planning strategies may help your family avoid unnecessary court involvement and reduce the potential for conflict.

Estate planning is also about more than deciding who gets your belongings. It is about making sure someone you trust can make financial and healthcare decisions for you if you become unable to make them yourself—and making things as clear and manageable as possible for the people you love.

If you have a will but haven't reviewed your overall estate plan in a while, it may be worth taking another look. Your family deserves a plan that works when they need it most.

A reminder for today: you don't have to know exactly where you're going.Take the next step. Learn as you go. Change dire...
10/19/2026

A reminder for today: you don't have to know exactly where you're going.

Take the next step. Learn as you go. Change direction when you need to.

There is something beautiful about letting life unfold instead of trying to control every part of it. ✨

Something I was reminded of recently in my work is that there is a big difference between being supported and being comp...
10/17/2026

Something I was reminded of recently in my work is that there is a big difference between being supported and being completely dependent.

Sometimes a person becomes comfortable relying on one individual to handle life for them such as finances, decisions, transportation, appointments, paperwork, even the ordinary things that keep a household running.
And sometimes that arrangement works beautifully.

Until it doesn’t.

The person providing all that support can become ill, overwhelmed, unavailable or simply no longer able to carry the responsibility. And when there is no larger circle of people, resources or systems around the person who has been dependent, the situation can become very difficult very quickly.

There is nothing wrong with needing help. We all do at different times in our lives.
But one of the most loving things we can do for ourselves—and for the people who care about us—is to build more than one source of support.
Know who could step in.
Learn what you are able to do for yourself.
Allow other trusted people into your life.
Put plans in place before there is a crisis.
And don’t let one person become the entire safety net.
Independence doesn’t always mean doing everything alone.

Sometimes it simply means creating enough support around yourself that your well-being does not depend entirely on one other person.

That is something worth thinking about long before life forces us to.

There is something so very special about being with friends you have known since since childhood. Friends who know the m...
10/15/2026

There is something so very special about being with friends you have known since since childhood. Friends who know the many chapters of your life.

Friends that remember the version from our childhood. They remember where we came from, what we dreamed about, who we were before careers, marriages, children, grandchildren and all the changes that come with time. Things that newer friends just don't know.

And the older we get, the more precious those friendships become.

Life gets busy. Years pass quickly. We assume there will always be another chance to get together, take the trip, make the call or sit around a table and laugh until our stomachs hurt.

But time is one thing none of us can stockpile.
One of the best gifts we can give ourselves is to make room for the people who have helped shape our story.

Take the trip. Make the reservation. Call the friend. Stay up too late telling old stories.
Very few of us will ever look back and wish we had spent less time with the people we love.

10/14/2026

These are my Miami girlfriends. We met in elementary school in Miami. And somehow, all these years later, we’re still friends.

Which is honestly pretty impressive considering how much material we have on each other.
We’ve lived a whole lot of life since those Miami school days, but put the three of us together and apparently very little has changed.
Still laughing. Still teasing. Still getting into trouble.

Miami girls forever.

One of the best parts of being "Coco" is getting to cheer from the sidelines. I am so proud of my granddaughter, Liv, an...
10/14/2026

One of the best parts of being "Coco" is getting to cheer from the sidelines. I am so proud of my granddaughter, Liv, and the hard work, discipline and heart she has developed while playing volleyball for Fort Collins High School. Watching the grands grow into who they are becoming is such a gift.

10/14/2026

Sometimes we get so focused on what’s next that we forget to enjoy where we are right now.

Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be good. There will always be another goal to reach, another problem to solve, another thing waiting on the to-do list.

But there are also sunsets to watch. Conversations to savor. Places to explore. People to laugh with. Quiet moments that remind us how lucky we are to simply be here.

We don’t need to wait for everything to fall into place before we allow ourselves to enjoy life.

Take the trip. Enjoy the coffee. Call the friend. Watch the sunset. Laugh a little longer.

Life is happening right now. Don’t forget to live it. ❤️

10/02/2026

There was a time when I honestly thought I was finished practicing law.

After law school, I became a litigator which is another way of saying I was a trial attorney. I went to court every day and fought for people. Then one day, I had enough and I walked away.

People were surprised; shocked actually. Some judges even called me and tried to convince me to stay. But at the time, I knew I needed to take a different path. I tried to retire. Retirement for me, only worked for a short time. It didn’t take me long to realize that something was missing.

I loved solving problems, but even more than that, I loved helping people. I came to understand that being an attorney wasn’t just a job for me. It was part of who I am.

So, I came back to the practice of law; this time, on my terms. This time it wasn't about the judge, the courtroom or fancy legal arguments. This time it was about building a practice where I could help people understand. I wanted my clients to experience something more. I wanted my clients to know I was listening to them and that I understood their family, their circumstances and what their plans and goals were; what they wanted. My work now is about helping families understand their options, guiding them to make thoughtful decisions, and feeling confident about the plans they’re putting in place.

Looking back, I’m grateful for that detour. My life experiences have shaped the kind of practice I have today. Sometimes you have to step away from something to understand what it really means to you. My path wasn’t exactly what I expected, but it brought me back with a much clearer idea of who I wanted to be and where I wanted to go.

https://www.criscarterlaw.com/

If you have young children, there’s a question that can be hard to think about, but it’s one every parent should conside...
09/30/2026

If you have young children, there’s a question that can be hard to think about, but it’s one every parent should consider:

Who would care for my children if I couldn’t?

There’s more to guardianship than simply putting someone’s name in a document. Parents should understand what that decision means and make sure the rest of their plan supports it.

Choosing a guardian isn’t just about picking someone you love. It means thinking about who knows your children; who understands your values; who has the ability to care for them, and who would be comfortable stepping into that role.

I often remind parents that estate planning is about much more than who gets your wealth.

It's your children that matter most.

Planning for their future is one of the most loving things you can do for them.

This is general information and not legal advice. Guardianship decisions depend on each family’s individual circumstances.

https://www.criscarterlaw.com/

When we hear the word “legacy,” it’s easy to think about money, property, and the things we leave behind financially.But...
09/28/2026

When we hear the word “legacy,” it’s easy to think about money, property, and the things we leave behind financially.
But your legacy is much bigger than that.

Legacy is about the things we taught our children. The memories we've made. The lessons we learned the hard way. The values we tried to live by. It’s also the memories people have of us and the way we made them feel.

Estate planning can certainly help you pass financial assets to the people you love. But there are other things worth passing along, too.

Your wisdom. Your stories. Your experiences. Your values. Those things don’t have a dollar amount, but they can stay with a family for generations.

So here’s something to think about: IF your family could carry one lesson from your life with them forever, what would you want it to be?

https://www.criscarterlaw.com/

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2580 E. Harmony Road Suite 201
Fort Collins, CO
80528

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