303-776-9900Jennifer M. Spitz
Shareholder
PHONE: (303) 776-9900
FAX: (303) 776-9100
EMAIL: jspitz@lyonsgaddis.com
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Overview
Jennifer M. Spitz has practiced law in Longmont since 1998, primarily in the areas of estate planning, probate and trust administration, including related tax planning. Jennifer and her team prepare wills, trusts, powers of attorney, living wills and related documents, and tailor these documents to each client’s needs. She also helps families with the probate process and trust administration following a death.
She is experienced with advising clients on how to reduce or eliminate estate taxes at death, and how to make gifts strategically with gift tax and income tax planning in mind.
Practices
Estate Planning
Probate
Jennifer received her Bachelor’s Degree from Fort Lewis College in 1994 graduating summa cum laude and her Juris Doctor from the University of Colorado School of Law, in 1998, Order of the Coif.
Jennifer has received several recognitions for her work in the fields of trusts and estates and tax law, including:
Listed in the Best Lawyers® in America since 2009
Named the Best Lawyers® 2016 Boulder Area Trusts and Estates “Lawyer of the Year”
Named the Best Lawyers® 2018 Boulder Area Tax Law “Lawyer of the Year”
Named the Best Lawyers® 2021 Boulder Area Tax Law “Lawyer of the Year”
Named the Best Lawyers® 2022 Boulder Area Trusts and Estates “Lawyer of the Year”
Listed in Colorado Super Lawyers® since 2012
Named in 5280 Magazine’s Top Lawyers
Admitted as a fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC)
Jennifer has authored several articles on trust and estate topics, including the following:
– Traversing Multi-Jurisdictional Estate Planning, The Colorado Lawyer, July 2001
– Planning for Other States’ Estate Taxes, The Colorado Lawyer, September 2008
– Mineral Royalties as Trust Income, CBA Trust and Estate Section’s Council Notes, Fall 2014
– 10 Estate Planning Considerations for Out-of-State Property, The Colorado Lawyer, August 2016
– The Lifecycle of a Revocable Trust, The Colorado Lawyer, February 2020
Jennifer is also a regular speaker for the Colorado Bar Association and other professional organizations. Her most recent presentations have been on the topic of estate planning with retirement assets.
- Multi-Jurisdictional Estate Planning
- November 29, 2000, Boulder County Bar Association, Probate Section
- Multi-Jurisdictional Estate Planning,
- February 12, 2003, El Paso County Bar Association, Probate Section
- Post‑Mortem Estate Planning in a Post EGTRRA World (co-presented with Thomas L. Stover)
- June 11‑12, 2004, CBA Estate Planning Retreat
- Post‑Mortem Estate Planning in a Post EGTRRA World (co-presented with Thomas L. Stover)
- October 27, 2004, Boulder County Bar Association, Probate Section
- Alternative Marital Deduction Planning in this Uncertain Estate Tax Environment, November 30, 2005, Boulder County Bar Association, Probate Section
- Marital Deduction Planning in this Uncertain Estate Tax Environment
- November 9, 2007, Colorado Bar Association, Estate Planning Update
- Sailing into the (EGTRRA) Sunset: Planning in Light of the Uncertain Future of the Estate Tax
- June 13‑14, 2008, CBA Estate Planning Retreat
- Still Waiting: Planning in Light of the Uncertain Future of the Estate Tax
- October 21, 2008, Colorado Springs Estate Planning Council
- There’s No Place Like Home: Planning for Other States’ Estate Taxes
- November 24, 2008, CBA Trust and Estate Section
- There’s No Place Like Home: Planning for Other States’ Estate Taxes
- April 29, 2009, Boulder County Bar Association, Probate Section
- Portability and Other Planning Under the 2010 Tax Act
- February 23, 2011, Boulder County Bar Association, Probate Section
- Portability and Other Planning Under the 2010 Tax Act
- April 19, 2011, Boulder County Estate Planning Council
- Planning Under the 2010 Tax Act
- June 2, 2011, Colorado Society of CPAs – Boulder/Longmont Chapter
- Who are the Children?: Practical Responses to Revisions to the Probate Code
- March 6, 2012, CLE in Colorado, Inc.
- Introduction to the Marital Deduction
- February 21, 2014, CLE in Colorado, Inc.
- 10 T&E Tax Tips (co-presented with Connie T. Eyster)
- June 13‑14, 2014, CBA Estate Planning Retreat
- Introduction to the Marital Deduction
- February 27, 2016, CLE in Colorado, Inc.
- Ten Planning Tips and Traps for Out-of-State Property
- July 12, 2016, Boulder County Estate Planning Council
- The Initial Client Interview and Opening the Estate
- February 3, 2017, CLE in Colorado, Inc.
- Ten Planning Tips and Traps for Out-of-State Property
- February 23, 2017, Boulder County Bar Association
- Introduction to the Marital Deduction
- February 2, 2018, CLE in Colorado, Inc.
- Introduction to Planning with Retirement Assets
- June 9, 2018, CBA Estate Planning Retreat
- Leaving Retirement Assets to Trusts
- October 24, 2018, Boulder County Bar Association
- The Initial Client Interview and Opening the Estate
- February 1, 2019, CBA-CLE
- Lifecycle of a Revocable Trust,
- October 7, 2019, CBA-CLE
- Introduction to the Marital Deduction
- January 31, 2020, CBA-CLE
- Leaving Retirement Assets to Trusts
- September 8, 2020, Boulder County Estate Planning Council
- Leaving Retirement Assets to Trusts
- October 15-17, 2020, CBA Estate Planning Retreat
- The Initial Client Interview and Opening the Estate
- January 29, 2021, CBA-CLE
- Introduction to the Marital Deduction
- January 28 2022, CBA-CLE
- WET: Water Law for Trust and Estate Attorneys (Co-Presented with Madoline Wallace-Gross)
- September 10, 2022, ACTEC Regional Meeting
- The Initial Client Interview and Opening the Estate
- January 27, 2023, CBA-CLE
Throughout her career, Jennifer has been an active member of the Trust and Estate Section of the Colorado Bar Association, including previously serving as Chair of the Section and participating in the Section’s subcommittee projects.
- Member of Boulder County Bar Association (BCBA): 1998 – present
- Member of Colorado Bar Association (CBA): 1998 – present
- Member of Boulder County Estate Planning Council: 1999 – present
- ACTEC Fellow: 2010 ‑ present
Member of Twin Peaks Rotary: 2005 – 2015
- Member of the literacy committee
- Arranged speakers for weekly meetings
- Editarian for the weekly newsletter
- Volunteered with several fundraising projects
- Member of the Legacy Planning Advisory Committee for the Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation (2014 – 2016)
Jennifer is married to a Colorado native whom she met while she attended college in Durango. She enjoys spending time with her their two children and a big yellow lab.
