Robbins Law Firm proudly serves families in Denver with personalized estate planning solutions that bring clarity and peace of mind.
We are a fully staffed local office where you can meet with real people who care about protecting your legacy.
Not having an estate plan means that when you pass away, your family and assets will have to go through a lot of trouble trying to make things right. It means North Carolina’s default rules take over, and those rules were written to cover everyone, not to reflect what you specifically wanted for your family.
Under N.C.G.S. § 29-14, if you pass away without a will, the state distributes your assets according to a strict, generic legal formula under probate court (probate alone takes years, drains your savings, and leaves your family unable to access anything). That formula doesn’t know your situation. It just applies the law as written, and a probate judge at the Lincoln County Courthouse at 301 North Aspen Street in Lincolnton oversees the process. If you don’t legally establish your wishes, they never get respected.
The most important thing our founder, Christine Robbins, did before becoming an estate planner was spend 18 years in courtrooms tearing estate plans apart. As a trust and estate litigator, she saw exactly what goes wrong, and more importantly, why.
A will with a single vague sentence became years of litigation in the Lincoln County Superior Court. A power of attorney that used slightly outdated statutory language left a family unable to manage a loved one’s finances during a medical crisis. A trust that should have transferred a Lake Norman property smoothly became useless because of a formatting error that slipped through at signing. These weren’t bad people or careless attorneys, just gaps that nobody caught until it was too late.
That background shapes every document we produce at Robbins Law Firm. We draft the way litigators read, looking for what could be challenged, what could be misread, and what a judge would need to see to rule in your family’s favor. Every estate plan we personalize is made to stand up strong to the courts and to potential disputers. It’s a different standard than most estate planning, and we think it’s a better one.
We charge flat rates for all estate planning work, and we tell you exactly what that is before you commit to anything.
Here’s what a complete plan from Robbins Law Firm typically includes:
This names guardians for your children, directs your assets to the right people, makes probate worlds easier, and ensures your real wishes will be honored. It's the foundation of any solid estate plan, and it doesn't need to be complicated to be effective.
Allows your assets to transfer to your family without going through North Carolina's probate process at all. It's especially useful if you own real estate, have a business, or want to set conditions on how and when your kids receive an inheritance. We draft and fund trusts to make sure your family will never have to step inside the Lincoln County Courthouse.
Gives someone you trust the legal authority to manage your finances, such as your mortgage, bank accounts, and bills, if you're ever unable to do so yourself. Without this document in place, even a spouse may need to go through a court process just to help you. Governed by N.C.G.S. § 32C-1-101.
Names who makes your healthcare decisions if you can't speak for yourself, spells out your end-of-life care wishes, and gives them the HIPAA access your medical team legally needs before they can share information. This is governed under N.C.G.S. § 90-321, and is one of the most important parts within your plan.
Your retirement accounts, life insurance, and jointly titled assets don't pass through your will; they transfer by beneficiary designation or operation of law. If those designations are out of date or inconsistent with the rest of your plan, they override everything else. We review the full picture so nothing conflicts.
Yes. A revocable living trust only controls the assets you’ve legally transferred into it. A “pour-over will” under N.C.G.S. § 36C-4-401 acts as backup protection: it catches anything that didn’t make it into the trust and directs it there, rather than leaving it to North Carolina’s default distribution rules. Without both documents, you may have a trust and still end up in probate. We make sure everything is coordinated from the start.
Any age over 18. But that doesn’t mean you need to have a will and a trust; the most important document to have as a young adult is an advanced healthcare directive. Once you’re 18, your parents don’t have automatic authority over your medical care, even if you’re on their insurance and they’re paying your bills. If you’re ever in an accident and can’t speak for yourself, that document is what gives someone you trust the legal standing to make decisions and talk to your doctors. But if you’re young and have kids, it should be mandatory to have a will regardless of what you own. A will is where you name a guardian for your kids, the only way to name who raises them if something were to happen to you.
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Your legacy deserves more than a fill-in-the-blank document. At Robbins Law Firm we are here to help you create a plan that works when your family needs it most.
Whether you are just getting started or updating an old plan we will guide you every step of the way.
Let’s work together to create peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
