Colorado § 15-11-209 - Sources from which elective-share payable.

§ 15-11-209. Sources from which elective-share payable.

(1) Elective-share amount only.

(a) In a proceeding for an elective-share, the following are applied first to satisfy the elective-share amount and to reduce or eliminate any contributions due from the decedent's probate estate and recipients of the decedent's nonprobate transfers to others:

(I) Amounts included in the augmented estate under section 15-11-204 (the net probate estate) which pass or have passed to the surviving spouse by testate or intestate succession and amounts included in the augmented estate under section 15-11-206; and

(II) The marital-property portion of amounts included in the augmented estate under section 15-11-207 (the spouse's property).

(b) For the purposes of this subsection (1), if the surviving spouse disclaims any property, including interests in trust created by the decedent, such property shall not be applied under this subsection (1) to the extent that such property passes to a person other than the surviving spouse.

(2) Marital-property portion. The marital-property portion under subparagraph (II) of paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of this section is computed by multiplying the value of the amounts included in the augmented estate under section 15-11-207 by the percentage of the augmented estate set forth in the schedule in section 15-11-203 (2) appropriate to the length of time the spouse and the decedent were married to each other.

(3) Unsatisfied balance - order of contribution. If, after the application of subsection (1) of this section, the elective-share amount is not fully satisfied or the surviving spouse is entitled to a supplemental elective-share amount:

(a) Amounts included in the decedent's net probate estate after application of subsection (1) of this section and in the decedent's nonprobate transfers to others described in section 15-11-205 (3)(a)(during the marriage and the two-year period next preceding the decedent's death, the decedent's interest terminated and the property was transferred to someone other than the spouse), and in section 15-11-205 (3)(c)(any transfer during the same two-year period but only to the extent the transfer exceeded the applicable gift tax annual exclusion) are applied first to satisfy the unsatisfied balance of the elective-share amount or the supplemental elective-share amount. The decedent's net probate estate and that portion of the decedent's nonprobate transfers to others are so applied that liability for the unsatisfied balance of the elective-share amount or for the supplemental elective-share amount is apportioned among the recipients of the decedent's net probate estate and of that portion of the decedent's nonprobate transfers to others in proportion to the value of their interests therein.

(b) If, after the application of subsection (1) of this section and paragraph (a) of this subsection (3), the elective-share or supplemental elective-share amount is not fully satisfied, the remaining portion of the decedent's nonprobate transfers to others is so applied that liability for the unsatisfied balance of the elective-share or supplemental elective-share amount is apportioned among the recipients of that remaining portion of the decedent's nonprobate transfers to others in proportion to the value of their interests therein.

(4) Unsatisfied balance treated as general pecuniary devise. The unsatisfied balance of the elective-share or supplemental elective-share amount as determined under subsection (3) of this section is treated as a general pecuniary devise for purposes of section 15-12-904, but interest shall commence to run one year after determination of the elective share amount by the court. This subsection (4) applies only to estates of decedents who die on or after August 6, 2014.

Source: L. 2014: Entire part R&RE, (HB 14-1322), ch. 296, p. 1228, § 2, effective August 6.

Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 15-11-203 as it existed prior to 2014.