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Where Art Jurisdiction?

September 3, 2013/in Administration of Estate, Court Procedures

by C. Jean Stewart

Because Colorado is a "hybrid" state in that only one judicial district has a specialized probate court (a distinction we share with only Indiana and Missouri), confusion about jurisdiction can sometimes contribute to discussion and debate. I have collected here several articles and a case relating to jurisdiction to assist in understanding the subject. One is an article I wrote for The Colorado Lawyer in 2004 about how probate courts are identified around the state. Subsequently, I wrote an article for Council Notes more specifically directed to how cases are assigned and coordinated between the Denver District Court and Denver Probate Court. Finally, the Colorado Court of Appeals, in reversing me in the Estate of Edna Murphy, provided substantial helpful guidance to all probate courts in determining what subjects fall within the meaning of the Colorado Probate Code and are appropriate for designation as "probate" cases to be heard by Colorado district court judges "sitting in probate."

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