Jefferson County Probate Court Contact
Probate matters in Jefferson County are heard at the Jefferson Combined Court, 100 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden, CO 80401. The probate phone line is 720-772-2540. The probate email is 01ProbateInfo@judicial.state.co.us. The Clerk of Court is Allison Clark. The records counter is open Monday through Thursday from noon to 4 p.m. and is closed Friday.
Jefferson Combined Court - Probate
100 Jefferson County Parkway
Golden, CO 80401
720-772-2540
01ProbateInfo@judicial.state.co.us
What Jefferson County Probate Covers
The Colorado Judicial Branch's self-help page for opening an estate lays out the probate process at the statewide level. Jefferson County probate follows the same statewide procedure because probate is part of the statewide court system. A Jefferson County probate file may include any of the matters in the list below.
- Wills and estates - informal or formal administration.
- Personal representative appointments and Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
- Trust-related filings when the court is involved.
- Guardianships of minors or incapacitated adults.
- Conservatorships for the management of finances of an incapacitated person.
- Claims against estates by creditors.
- Closings, final reports, and protected proceedings.
The Colorado Judicial Branch open-estate self-help page covers forms, instructions, and the general administration process. Use it as the starting point for any Jefferson County estate matter.
Three Different Probate Workflows
People often mix three different things. Each one has its own steps and forms. Keep them straight before you start.
| Workflow | What It Is |
|---|---|
| Requesting existing probate records | Asking the Clerk of Court for documents from a probate file already on the docket. |
| Starting probate | Filing a petition or application to open an estate, guardianship, or conservatorship. |
| Collection of Personal Property by Affidavit | A non-court process for small estates limited to personal property under the JDF 998 instructions. |
The Colorado Judicial Branch publishes JDF 998, the official "How to Guide to Collection of Personal Property Affidavit." JDF 998 explains that the affidavit process is between the person holding the decedent's property and the successor - it does not require filing with the court in qualifying circumstances. It cannot be used to transfer real estate, and it may only be used to collect personal property. The JDF 998 / JDF 999 path is a statewide Colorado process. Jefferson County does not have a separate local version of the form.
Probate Document Types
The court record/document request form lists the document checkboxes for probate. Each checkbox covers a specific kind of probate filing. Knowing the labels helps narrow the request and shortens the Clerk's research step.
| Document | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| Letters | Letters Testamentary, Letters of Administration, Letters of Guardianship, or Letters of Conservatorship. |
| Will | A copy of the will if it has been filed and is releasable. |
| Trust | Trust documents that have been filed. Some trust filings are restricted. |
| Application | The probate application or initial petition. |
| Petition | A petition in an estate or protected proceeding. |
| Closing | Final report, closing statement, or related closing documents. |
| Claims | Creditor claims filed against the estate. |
| Date of Death | Confirmation of the date of death in the probate record. |
How to Request Jefferson County Probate Records
- Search the public docket by Jefferson County and case class PR.
- Capture the case number and party name.
- Open the Colorado Judicial Branch record/document request form.
- Pick Probate as the case type and Jefferson County as the location.
- Enter the case number, party name, year filed, and date of death if known.
- Check the needed document types: Letters, Will, Trust, Application, Petition, Closing, Claims, Date of Death.
- Mark certified or exemplified if required for a bank, court, or out-of-state matter.
- Submit the form. Expect a response within three business days.
Bring U.S. government-issued photo ID for any request involving suppressed cases, juvenile matters, protected proceedings, or restricted probate documents. The Clerk may require ID before releasing those records. If you are unsure of the case number, the Clerk's name-search service costs $5 and returns any matches in the year range you provide. Older probate files (pre-1990) may require off-site retrieval billed at actual cost.
Probate Record Restrictions
Probate files can mix public and restricted content. The court record request form warns that suppressed cases, juvenile and probate records, or documents with confidential or protected information may require a U.S. government-issued photo ID. This means a probate case may have public docket data and public estate filings while medical, financial, minor, protected-person, or sealed filings stay restricted.
To view a restricted probate filing, file a motion in the underlying case for the right to view it. The Clerk does not release restricted filings on request alone. Banks, title companies, and out-of-state agencies often need certified or exemplified copies, so request the certification flag on the form. Mental health filings inside a probate matter follow Title 27 confidentiality rules and may not be released without a court order.
Probate Glossary
Probate uses terms most people do not run into outside an estate matter. The glossary covers the most common ones in Jefferson County probate filings.
- Testator
- The person who wrote the will. The will is filed with the court at death.
- Executor
- The person named in the will to handle the estate. The court issues Letters Testamentary to confirm authority.
- Personal Representative
- Colorado's term for the person administering an estate, including someone named in a will and someone appointed in intestate cases.
- Intestate
- A person who dies without a valid will. Intestate succession rules in Colorado determine who inherits.
- Guardianship
- A court order naming a person to care for a minor or incapacitated adult.
- Conservatorship
- A court order naming a person to manage finances for someone unable to manage on their own.
- Letters
- The court document confirming a personal representative, guardian, or conservator's authority.
Probate Record Fees
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Copy per page | $0.25 (party cap $15; no cap for non-parties) |
| Certified or exemplified copy per document | $20 |
| Name Search | $5 |
| Research / redaction after first hour | $30 per hour |
| Off-site file retrieval | Actual cost |
The local probate filing fee for opening an estate, the small-estate dollar threshold, and the will-safekeeping policy are set at the state level through Colorado Judicial Branch rules. Use the current Judicial Branch probate fee schedule when filing a new estate. A bank or title company that asks for "letters" in a Jefferson County probate is asking for the certified Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, which costs $20 per document at the Clerk of Court counter.
Free Probate Legal Help
Jefferson County's free legal clinics page lists Probate Ask-an-Attorney clinics on the 2nd and 4th Friday of the month. Waivers are accepted beginning the day before the clinic and no later than 9:00 a.m. on the day of the clinic, or until full. Waivers can be emailed to 01selfhelp@judicial.state.co.us or brought to the Court Resource Center at 100 Jefferson County Parkway, Suite 2040, in Golden. Space is first-come, first-served.
The Colorado Legal Services site is the statewide civil legal aid program. CLS provides free civil legal help for low-income Coloradans, including some probate, guardianship, and conservatorship matters where the client qualifies. CLS serves every Colorado county and may provide brief advice, full representation, or referrals depending on the case.
Note: Free clinics give brief advice and forms help. They are not a substitute for full representation in contested probate matters.
Probate Request Field Inventory
The court record/document request form has specific probate fields. Filling them in correctly speeds up the Clerk's response. The table below lists each field.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case Type: Probate | Optional, recommended | Select Probate when requesting estate, guardianship, conservatorship, will, trust, or letters documents. |
| County / location: Jefferson County | Optional, recommended | Identifies Jefferson Combined Court as the custodian. |
| Year case was filed | Optional | Helps records staff find older files. Dropdown runs back to 1873. |
| Party Information | Required | Decedent, protected person, ward, personal representative, petitioner, or respondent names. |
| Date of Birth | Optional | More useful in guardianship and conservatorship than in estates. |
| Date of Death | Optional | Listed under Probate document options. |
| Letters / Will / Trust / Application / Petition / Closing / Claims | Optional | Check what you need. |
| Certified / exemplified | Optional | Needed when banks, title companies, courts, or out-of-state agencies require official proof. |