Charles Tucker grew up in Colorado and developed an early interest in topographic maps and land. That interest in the relationship between people and property eventually shaped his legal practice: since 2002, he has practiced law in northern Colorado focused on estate planning, probate, business, and real property. The firm’s active subspecialties in agricultural property, ranch and farm planning, rental property, and business succession reflect that geographic and professional orientation. Charles C. Tucker PLLC is at 155 East Boardwalk Drive, Fort Collins, Colorado 80525, and can be reached at (970) 237-2394.
The Attorney
Charles C. Tucker received his J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he concentrated in estate planning and tax law. He won awards for legal writing and for work with nonprofit organizations while at William Mitchell. After graduating, he clerked for Judge Arnaud Newton in Fort Collins, then worked at the firms of Frey, Korb, Haggerty & Michaels, P.C.; Korb Tucker PLLC; and Peterson, Rosenberg PLLC before establishing his own practice. He has practiced law in northern Colorado since 2002. He is licensed in Colorado and contributes to The Colorado Lawyer, the journal of the Colorado Bar Association, reflecting active engagement with the state legal community.
Practice Areas
Estate Planning
The core of the practice is estate planning tailored to each client’s assets, family structure, and objectives. Documents include wills, revocable living trusts, powers of attorney, medical powers of attorney, and advance declarations (living wills). The appropriate instruments depend on the client: a basic will may be sufficient for some; a revocable living trust avoids probate and provides continuity of management during incapacity. For clients with complex assets, business interests, or agricultural property, the planning is more involved.
The firm is explicitly willing to conduct planning sessions in a client’s home. A verified client review describes completing wills, powers of attorney, and end-of-life decisions in the relaxed atmosphere of the clients’ own home, with Tucker described as very adaptable to client needs.
Business Law
The firm handles entity formation for LLCs, corporations, and partnerships; operating agreements and governance documents; buy-sell agreements for business co-owners; and stock and asset purchase transactions. The firm’s subspecialty in business succession planning addresses what happens when a business owner wants to transition ownership to family members, employees, or a third-party buyer.
For clients who own businesses alongside personal assets, estate planning and business succession planning are coordinated. The structure of the business entity affects how it transfers at death and whether it goes through probate. The firm addresses both the business and the personal estate plan together when both are present.
Real Property Law
Tucker describes a very active subspecialty in planning for owners of farm, ranch, commercial, and residential properties. Real property that is owned without proper planning can create complications in probate, generate unnecessary transfer taxes, and create conflict among heirs. The firm builds estate plans and structures specifically designed around real property assets.
For agricultural clients, farm and ranch planning involves considerations that differ from standard estate planning: equipment, livestock, crop contracts, conservation easements, and the specific needs of a family that may want to keep the operation intact across generations.
Probate and Estate Administration
When a person dies and estate administration is required, the firm guides personal representatives and trustees through the process: identifying and valuing assets, notifying creditors, filing required court documents, and distributing assets to beneficiaries. For trust-based plans that avoid probate, the firm handles trust administration outside the court process.
Asset Protection
For clients with significant assets or exposure to liability, the firm develops legal structures to protect assets from creditors and judgments. This intersects with business formation (choosing entities that limit personal liability) and trust planning (using trust structures with protective features).
Service Area
The firm serves clients in northern Colorado, with focus on Fort Collins, Windsor, and Loveland. The office at 155 East Boardwalk Drive in Fort Collins is the primary location.
Office Hours and Contact
The firm is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Friday from 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM. Home visits are available for estate planning sessions. The firm can be reached at (970) 237-2394. The firm’s website is https://coloep.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an “active subspecialty in agricultural property planning” look like?
Agricultural property presents specific estate planning challenges: a working farm or ranch has operating assets (equipment, livestock, crops in the ground, water rights), real property that may span large acreages, and often a family who wants to keep the operation intact rather than liquidating it at death. The appropriate planning involves choosing the right trust and entity structure to hold the operation, buy-sell agreements if multiple family members are involved, and analysis of how the succession plan affects both the next generation’s ability to run the operation and the current owner’s retirement.
Can the firm handle the estate planning and business succession together?
Yes. For business owner clients, separating estate planning from business succession planning is artificial: what happens to the business at death or retirement is part of the estate plan. The firm coordinates both, addressing the business’s governance and ownership transition alongside the owner’s personal estate documents.
What is The Colorado Lawyer, and why does contributing to it matter?
The Colorado Lawyer is the official journal of the Colorado Bar Association, published for Colorado attorneys. Contributing articles to the journal reflects engagement with the state legal community and typically involves writing on topics within the attorney’s area of expertise. Tucker’s contributions reflect active professional standing in Colorado estate planning and property law circles.
Is home visit availability standard at the firm?
Home visits for estate planning are available. A verified client review specifically describes completing an estate plan, including powers of attorney and end-of-life documents, at the clients’ home. Tucker is described as adaptable and easy to work with in that setting. Clients who have difficulty traveling to the office, or who simply prefer to discuss sensitive planning matters in a familiar environment, can request a home visit.
What is a buy-sell agreement, and when is one needed?
A buy-sell agreement is a contract among business co-owners that governs what happens to an owner’s interest in the event of death, disability, retirement, or a voluntary departure. Without one, a deceased owner’s business interest may pass to heirs who have no connection to the business, or a departing partner may be able to sell to an outsider. The firm drafts buy-sell agreements for business co-owners as part of its business law and succession planning practice.