About Our Practice

About Our Practice

Colorado Estate Planning Law Center is a Colorado Front Range law firm helping individuals, families, and business owners protect what matters most through tailored estate planning, business planning, asset protection, probate and trust administration, and tax reduction strategies.

Founded in 1990 and based in Arvada, Colorado, the firm has spent more than three decades building something increasingly rare in legal services: a practice where clients are known by name, where their families and loved ones are invited into the planning process, and where the work is designed not just to check a legal box, but to provide genuine peace of mind for years to come.

Three Decades of Planning

Founded in 1990 by Karen L. Brady

Karen Brady left her clerkship with Judge Zita Weinshienk of the U.S. District Court of Colorado in 1990 to start a solo general practice. Within a few years, she had found her calling: helping Colorado families and business owners navigate the complexities of estate and business planning with clarity, confidence, and a personal touch that larger firms rarely offer.

By 1995 the firm had moved fully into estate planning. By 2000 it had established a permanent home on Ward Road in Arvada, and the team that would define its character began to take shape. A legal assistant hired in 2001 still works at the firm today, a detail that says everything about the culture Karen built.

The years that followed brought growth, partnership, and evolution. A merger in 2020 expanded the firm’s capabilities. In 2022, attorney Kathryn Kaeble joined, bringing decades of elder law and special needs planning experience from her own practice. The two attorneys formally established Colorado Estate Planning Law Center together in 2023. In 2026, attorney Caroline Poole joined the firm to lead the Probate and Trust Administration Department.

What has remained constant through every chapter is the firm’s founding philosophy: know the client, involve the family, and create a plan that truly works for the people it is meant to protect.

Our Purpose

Our Mission

To help clients protect their families, assets, and legacies through thoughtful, personalized legal planning.

Our Vision

A future in which all Colorado families and business owners have confidence that their legal and financial affairs are organized, protected, and aligned with their goals.

Our Values

• Personal, Family-Centric Service: We bring loved ones into the process because great estate planning is a family conversation, not just a legal transaction.
• Respect and Integrity: Every client relationship is built on honesty, discretion, and genuine care.
• Collaborative Planning: You know your family and your business. We know the law. We bring both together.
• Efficiency with Customization: We use modern tools to work efficiently without ever sacrificing the personalization that makes plans actually work.
• Long-Term Relationships: We are not here for a single transaction. We are here for the long haul.

The Attorneys

Karen L. Brady   |   Founding Attorney

Karen Brady is the founding attorney of Colorado Estate Planning Law Center and one of the most credentialed estate planning lawyers in Colorado. She earned her undergraduate degree cum laude from Georgetown University, where she studied Government and Philosophy, and her law degree magna cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School, graduating as a member of the Order of the Coif, an honorary scholastic society recognizing the top legal scholars in the country.

Karen has been practicing in Colorado since 1989. Over more than 30 years she has built expertise across high net worth estate planning, business planning, and business succession planning. She holds certification as an Accredited Estate Planner through the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils, a Wealth Strategies Planner designation from the Esperti Peterson Wealth Strategies Institute, and a Master Advisor certification through the Sunbridge Network.

Her professional affiliations include the American Bar Association, the Colorado Bar Association, the National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys, and WealthCounsel, among others. She has served on the advisory board of the National Network of Estate Planning Attorneys and continues to be active in the broader estate planning community as a mentor and speaker to fellow attorneys.

Beyond her legal work, Karen has a long history of community service. She has held leadership roles with the Women’s Estate Planning Council, the Seniors’ Resource Center, the Colorado Center on Deafness, and Compass Montessori School. She received a Citizens’ Award from the Arvada Fire Department for her participation in the Wills for Heroes program, which provides no-cost estate plans to first responders. She is also a passionate advocate for animal welfare and volunteers with MaxFund Animal Shelter and Highway 50 Freedom Ride, a Colorado organization that transports pets from underserved rural areas to Denver area rescues.

Kathryn M. Kaeble   |   Partner

Kathryn Kaeble is a partner at Colorado Estate Planning Law Center with deep expertise in elder law, trust and estate planning, special needs planning, guardianship and conservatorship, and probate administration. She earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Denver College of Law and her undergraduate degree in Finance from Boston University School of Management, and has been licensed in Colorado since 1986.

Before joining the firm in 2022, Kathryn operated her own practice, Kaeble Law LLC, from 2002 through 2022, focusing on the same areas she now brings to the Colorado Estate Planning Law Center team. She has achieved the highest Martindale Hubbell rating, AV, for both legal ability and ethical standards, a recognition earned through peer review that very few attorneys receive.

Kathryn is a regular volunteer at the Jefferson County Pro Se Probate Clinic and at Jefferson and Adams Broomfield County Senior Law Days, making her legal knowledge accessible to seniors and families who need guidance navigating probate and elder law matters. She is a member of the Colorado Bar Association’s Elder Law and Trust and Estate sections, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the National Guardianship Association, and the Colorado Guardianship Association.

 

Caroline Poole   |   Associate Attorney

Caroline Poole is an Associate Attorney at Colorado Estate Planning Law Center, joining in 2026 to lead the firm’s Probate and Trust Administration Department. She brings a background that spans probate litigation, juvenile and family law, and housing and property matters, giving her a broad and practical foundation for the complex, often emotionally charged work of estate administration.

Before relocating to Colorado, Caroline practiced for the State of Arkansas in juvenile and family law matters, and prior to that served as a Staff Attorney with the Center for Arkansas Legal Services, where she focused on property and housing issues for clients in need. That experience representing vulnerable individuals in high-stakes legal matters carries directly into her work helping families navigate probate and trust settlement at Colorado Estate Planning Law Center.

Caroline earned her J.D. from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law in 2021 and her B.A. cum laude in Political Science and International Studies from the University of Arkansas Fulbright College in 2019. She is admitted to practice in Colorado, Arkansas, and the U.S. Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas, and is a member of both the Colorado Bar Association and the Arkansas Bar Association.

 

What Makes Us Different

• Family Centered Planning: We actively involve loved ones in the planning process. Estate planning is a family matter, and we treat it that way.
• The Right Size for What You Need: Large enough to handle complex high net worth and business matters, small enough to know every client personally.
• Decades of Specialized Experience: Karen Brady has been practicing estate and business planning since 1989. Kathryn Kaeble brings over 35 years of elder law and trust practice. That depth of combined experience shows in every plan.
• A Full-Service Team: From initial estate planning and business succession to probate administration and litigation, the firm handles the full arc of a client’s legal planning needs under one roof.
• Committed to Long-Term Relationships: Many of our clients have been with us for years, returning as their lives evolve. That continuity matters.
• Collaboration as a Core Method: We explain options in plain language, bring clarity to complex concepts, and make sure clients understand and feel confident in every decision.

Who We Plan For

Colorado Estate Planning Law Center serves individuals, families, and business owners across Colorado’s Front Range who are ready to protect what they have built and plan thoughtfully for what comes next.

Our Clients Include

• Individuals and families creating or updating their estate plans
• Business owners seeking asset protection and business succession planning that works with their estate plan
• Real estate investors in need of coordinated asset protection and estate planning
• Families navigating probate, trust settlement, or guardianship and conservatorship matters
• Special needs families planning for the long term care and security of a loved one

Geographic Reach

The firm serves clients throughout Colorado’s Front Range, from Arvada and Golden to Fort Collins and the surrounding communities.

Services

The firm provides full-service estate planning and business planning legal services designed to protect families, minimize taxes, and support legacy goals. Every plan is tailored to the individual, and every client is treated as a long-term relationship, not a one-time transaction.

Core Practice Areas

• Estate Planning: wills, trusts, powers of attorney, beneficiary planning, and more
• Business Planning and Asset Protection: formation, succession, contracts, and coordination with estate plans
• Probate and Trust Settlement: guiding families through the administration process with care and efficiency
• Estate Tax Planning and Avoidance: strategies to preserve wealth across generations
• Guardianships and Conservatorships: protecting vulnerable family members who need legal oversight
• Special Needs Planning: trusts and strategies that provide for loved ones without disrupting government benefits
• Probate Litigation: representing clients in contested matters including will disputes and trust challenges

Client Stories

The following case summaries illustrate the kind of work Colorado Estate Planning Law Center does and the real difference it makes for the families and individuals the firm serves.

Protecting a Family Business Legacy

A couple with much of their net worth tied up in two family businesses came to Karen Brady for estate planning guidance. One business had been sold, the other was still operated by extended family with the wife as a silent partner. Their children were already highly successful with significant estates of their own. Karen created a plan that allowed the children and grandchildren to inherit through protective trusts while minimizing estate tax exposure. When the wife passed, the estate had grown substantially. Working alongside the family’s other advisors, Karen helped craft a creative estate administration approach that sheltered millions of additional dollars from estate tax without requiring the family to liquidate any interest in the business.

Caring for a Special Needs Grandson

When an older couple lost their daughter unexpectedly, they found themselves responsible for raising their special needs grandson. Kathryn Kaeble helped the grandparents obtain guardianship and conservatorship over their grandson and secure financial benefits to help cover his care. The firm also helped the couple plan their own estates to ensure their grandson would be cared for after their deaths, including a special needs trust structured to provide for his needs without affecting his eligibility for government benefits.

Standing Up for a Vulnerable Daughter

A father came to the firm concerned about his daughter, who depended on him and was vulnerable to being bullied or coerced by her sister. The firm created an estate plan that placed assets in a protective trust for the daughter’s benefit. When the father passed away and the sister initiated a probate will contest, the firm litigated the challenge and helped the daughter stand firm against her sister’s pressure. That daughter still thanks the firm every year.

Recognition

• Citizens’ Award, Arvada Fire Department, for participation in the Wills for Heroes program providing no-cost estate plans to first responders
• AV Preeminent Rating, Martindale Hubbell, for Kathryn Kaeble, the highest possible peer review rating for legal ability and ethics
• Accredited Estate Planner designation, National Association of Estate Planners and Councils, for Karen Brady

Publications and Resources

• Wills vs. Trusts in Colorado: Quick Answers, A Deeper Dive, and a Workshop
• How Much Does an Estate Planning Lawyer Charge
• Cost vs. Value: Engaging a Probate Lawyer in Colorado

  A Firm Built to Last

• 1990: Karen Brady leaves her federal court clerkship to found a solo general practice
• 1995: The firm specializes in estate planning
• 2000: The firm establishes its home on Ward Road in Arvada
• 2001: A legal assistant joins the firm who remains a team member today
• 2020: The firm merges with M. Gabriel McFarland to form Brady, McFarland and Lord
• 2022: Attorney Kathryn Kaeble joins after 20 years leading her own practice, Kaeble Law LLC
• 2023: Karen Brady and Kathryn Kaeble establish Colorado Estate Planning Law Center
• 2026: Attorney Caroline Poole joins to lead the Probate and Trust Administration Department

How We Work

Colorado Estate Planning Law Center is a collaborative, client centered, relationship focused practice. The team is small enough that clients are genuinely known, and experienced enough to handle matters of real complexity.

The firm hires for character as much as for credentials. Team members are selected for responsibility, maturity, service orientation, and the ability to work together toward shared goals. The result is an environment where clients feel the difference, not just in the quality of the legal work, but in every interaction with the firm.

Giving Back

Colorado Estate Planning Law Center has been active in the Colorado Front Range community since its founding. The firm and its attorneys have served on nonprofit boards, led pro bono legal initiatives, and contributed time and expertise to organizations that serve seniors, families, and underserved communities.

Karen Brady’s Wills for Heroes participation brought no-cost estate planning to first responders across the region, earning recognition from the Arvada Fire Department. Kathryn Kaeble continues to volunteer at probate clinics and senior law days, providing guidance to individuals who need legal help and may not otherwise be able to access it.