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Crowley County, CO Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Crowley County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Crowley County District Court, sitting at the Crowley Combined Court |
| Judicial district | 16th Judicial District, shared with Bent and Otero counties |
| Courthouse address | Crowley Combined Court, 110 East 6th Street, Room 303, Ordway, CO 81063 |
| Mailing address | 110 East 6th Street, Room 303, Ordway, CO 81063 |
| Probate registrar phone | (719) 267-4468 |
| Fax | (719) 267-3753. Call before trying to use fax for a probate document. |
| Clerk hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.; closed daily from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. |
| First estate filing cost | $229, current as of August 2026 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(b), (7)). A small estate first filing is $113, current as of August 2026 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(a), (7)). |
| Local forms | No local probate forms are published by Crowley County. Use Colorado statewide JDF forms. |
| Electronic filing status | Attorneys file Colorado probate cases through Colorado Courts E-Filing. Self-represented probate filers use in-person filing or mail, and should call the clerk before emailing any probate document. |
| Case search | Colorado Docket Search covers scheduled hearings, includes Crowley County and the PR probate case class, and is a calendar search rather than a document search: https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/dockets |
| Remote appearance | Chief Justice Directive 23-03 treats an uncontested informal probate proceeding as a flexible appearance unless the court finds good cause to require in-person attendance. Crowley County's virtual courtroom page instructs parties to get court approval before using the virtual appearance link. |
| Court website | https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/courts/trial-courts/crowley-county |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before choosing a Crowley County probate form, list the accounts, real estate, vehicles, debts, beneficiary designations, and likely heirs. Sunset's estate settlement platform searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help families find accounts and assets before they decide whether a court case is needed.
For Crowley County, the filing location is straightforward: the courthouse and mailing address are both the Crowley Combined Court in Ordway. If you are handling estate settlement without a lawyer, do not use Colorado Courts E-Filing for a probate filing; plan on filing in person or by mail, and call the clerk before emailing any probate document.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Crowley County District Court serves probate matters for decedents domiciled anywhere in Crowley County. Venue for a Colorado probate case is generally in the county where the decedent was domiciled at death (C.R.S. § 15-12-201), and Colorado law provides for court terms at each county seat within a judicial district (C.R.S. § 13-5-101). For Crowley County, that courthouse community is Ordway.
Crowley County is part of the 16th Judicial District with Bent and Otero counties. The district connection matters for shared court administration, self-help resources, and judicial assignments, but it does not change where a Crowley County estate is filed.
The jurisdiction process
- Decide whether the estate can proceed informally before the probate registrar or must proceed formally before a judge. Informal matters use an application, such as JDF 910 for a will or JDF 916 when there is no will. Formal matters use a petition, such as JDF 920 for a will or JDF 922 when there is no will.
- Prepare the statewide JDF probate packet for the chosen route. Most Crowley County decedent estates start with JDF 705, the route-specific application or petition, the proposed order, JDF 911 if appointment is accepted, any needed renunciation or nomination, and JDF 915 for Letters Testamentary/of Administration.
- File with the Clerk of the District Court at Crowley Combined Court, 110 East 6th Street, Room 303, Ordway, CO 81063. A self-represented filer should file in person or by mail; if you want to email a particular document, call (719) 267-4468 first.
- Pay the first estate filing cost. A first filing in a decedent's estate is $229, current as of August 2026 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(b), (7)). If you are asking to proceed without payment, use Colorado's fee-waiver forms.
- Complete notice requirements. Formal proceedings require notice to interested persons before the hearing. After appointment, a personal representative gives notice to creditors as required by Colorado law, including publication when required (C.R.S. § 15-12-801).
- If a hearing is set, check the Crowley County docket and the division instructions. Colorado's statewide virtual proceedings policy treats an uncontested informal probate proceeding as flexible unless the court finds good cause to require in-person attendance, but Crowley County's virtual courtroom page tells parties to obtain court approval before using a virtual appearance link.
- After appointment, obtain JDF 915 Letters Testamentary/of Administration. Those letters are the document banks, title companies, and other institutions usually request before working with the personal representative.
- Administer the estate. The personal representative gathers assets, deals with claims, prepares the inventory within the Colorado deadline, sends information to interested persons who request it, keeps accounting records, distributes property, and closes the estate through the correct informal or formal closing form.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Crowley County
Crowley County does not publish a local probate packet or local probate forms. Use the Colorado statewide JDF forms for decedent estates, available through the Colorado Judicial Branch probate forms page and forms search.
| Need | Common statewide forms |
|---|---|
| Instructions | JDF 906 for probate with a will; JDF 907 for probate without a will |
| Case opening | JDF 705 Probate Case Information Sheet |
| Informal case with a will | JDF 910 Application for Informal Probate of a Will; JDF 913 proposed order |
| Informal case without a will | JDF 916 Application for Informal Appointment of Personal Representative; JDF 917 proposed order |
| Formal case with a will | JDF 920 Petition for Formal Probate of Will and Formal Appointment; JDF 921 proposed order |
| Formal case without a will | JDF 922 Petition for Adjudication of Intestacy and Formal Appointment; JDF 923 proposed order |
| Authority after appointment | JDF 915 Letters Testamentary/of Administration |
| Closing | JDF 965 for informal closing, or the formal closing forms when a court order is needed |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Crowley County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by identifying how the home is titled and whether any assets still require court authority. If a personal representative is needed, file the appropriate Colorado JDF probate packet with the Crowley County District Court in Ordway. | Sunset helps organize the asset list, beneficiary designations, debts, and documents so the spouse can see what belongs in the court estate and what may pass outside probate. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Check whether the Colorado collection of personal property by affidavit route under C.R.S. § 15-12-1201 fits, or whether a Crowley County court case is needed. If a court case is needed and you are self-represented, plan for mail or in-person filing rather than Colorado Courts E-Filing. | Sunset helps identify accounts, prepare a document checklist, and decide whether the family should use a court filing, a non-court collection process, or attorney help. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home sale usually requires clear authority to act for the estate unless title passed outside probate. The parent should expect to open a Crowley County District Court probate case and obtain JDF 915 Letters Testamentary/of Administration before working with buyers, title companies, or lenders. | Sunset helps gather property, debt, and family information, then can connect the parent with a Colorado probate attorney when real estate or title issues make legal guidance important. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| 16th Judicial District self-help contact | Helps self-represented people with procedural information, court forms, and court steps. Staff cannot give legal advice. | [email protected]; (719) 383-7152 |
| Crowley County probate registrar | Handles informal estate applications and procedural questions for Crowley County probate filings. The registrar cannot give legal advice. | (719) 267-4468 |
| Colorado Judicial Branch probate forms | Provides statewide JDF probate forms and instructions used in Crowley County. | https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/taxonomy/term/1047?form_category=1047 |
| Colorado Legal Services, La Junta office | Statewide civil legal aid provider for Crowley County residents. Its public program list does not list probate or estates, so call to ask whether any help is available for your situation. | 401 Santa Fe Ave, La Junta; (719) 384-5438 |
| Colorado Bar Association public resources | Provides public legal brochures and a lawyer-finding resource, including probate-related brochures linked by the Colorado Judicial Branch. | https://www.cobar.org/For-the-Public |
When to hire an attorney
A lawyer is often worth involving when a Crowley County estate includes real estate, disputed heirs, creditor problems, a challenge to the will, a business interest, a need for supervised administration, or an out-of-state personal representative. Court staff and the self-help contact can explain procedure, but they cannot give legal advice or choose a strategy for the estate. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families search for bank, investment, retirement, insurance, and other accounts so the personal representative starts with a clearer estate picture.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset uses the information you provide to help organize the forms and documents needed for estate settlement in Crowley County.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate needs legal judgment, contested-court support, or real-estate guidance, Sunset can connect the family with a Colorado probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement, understand next steps, and decide what help they need without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Crowley County?
File with the Clerk of the District Court at the Crowley Combined Court, 110 East 6th Street, Room 303, Ordway, CO 81063. Probate for Crowley County is handled by the Crowley County District Court.
What are the Crowley County courthouse hours?
The Crowley Combined Court is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The office is closed daily from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Can I use electronic filing for a Crowley County probate case?
Attorneys file Colorado probate cases through Colorado Courts E-Filing. Self-represented probate filers do not use that system for a probate case because the non-attorney system covers only domestic relations and eviction cases. Use in-person filing or mail, and call the clerk before emailing any probate document.
Does Crowley County have local probate forms?
No. Crowley County does not publish local probate forms or a local probate packet. Use the statewide Colorado JDF probate forms.
How much does it cost to start a Crowley County probate case?
A first filing in a decedent's estate is $229, current as of August 2026 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(b), (7)). A small estate first filing is $113, current as of August 2026 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(a), (7)).
Can I appear remotely for a Crowley County probate hearing?
Chief Justice Directive 23-03 treats an uncontested informal probate proceeding as a flexible appearance unless the court finds good cause to require in-person attendance. Crowley County's virtual courtroom page also instructs parties to get court approval before using the virtual appearance link, so confirm the current instruction before the hearing.
How do I look up a Crowley County probate hearing?
Use Colorado Docket Search at https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/dockets. It includes Crowley County, the Crowley Combined Court, and the PR probate case class. It shows scheduled hearings, not document images.
Do I have to travel to Ordway to handle the estate?
Not always. A self-represented filer may be able to file by mail, and some appearances may have a virtual option if the court allows it. For a hearing or time-sensitive filing, call the clerk at (719) 267-4468 before assuming travel is unnecessary.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.