Colorado Co-Personal Representatives: Fee Split?

Q: Do Colorado co-personal representatives split one fee?

There is no statutory pool to split - C.R.S. 15-10-602 sets no percentage or fixed amount to divide. Each co-personal representative is a fiduciary in their own right, separately entitled to reasonable compensation for their own services under the same standard.

Q: How is compensation assessed between Colorado co-personal representatives?

Using the same C.R.S. 15-10-603 factors applied to any fiduciary - the rate customarily charged in the community, the complexity of the work, and the actual services each co-personal representative performed - assessed for each person individually rather than split from one combined total.

Q: Does the disclosure requirement apply separately to each Colorado co-personal representative?

Yes. C.R.S. 15-10-602(9) requires the petition for appointment of a fiduciary to disclose the basis for compensation, and this applies to each fiduciary named, so co-personal representatives with different compensation arrangements would each need their own basis disclosed.

Quick answer: No, Colorado co-personal representatives don't split one commission pool. Because C.R.S. § 15-10-602 ties compensation to what's "reasonable" for the services each fiduciary actually performs, each co-personal representative is separately entitled to reasonable compensation for their own work — assessed individually under the same § 15-10-603 factors, not a percentage total divided by headcount. Estimate one person's share with the Colorado executor fee calculator.

Individual fiduciaries, individually assessed

C.R.S. § 15-10-602(1): "A fiduciary and his or her lawyer are entitled to reasonable compensation for services rendered on behalf of an estate." The statute's unified framework treats every fiduciary — personal representative, conservator, guardian, agent, custodian, trustee — the same way: entitled to reasonable pay for what they actually did. There's no separate numbered provision for multiple personal representatives, and no percentage-based total to begin with that would need dividing.

The same community-rate factors, applied per person

C.R.S. § 15-10-603(3)'s factors — the rate customarily charged in the local community, the complexity of the issues, the need for specialized expertise — apply to each co-personal representative's own compensation request. A co-personal representative who handled complex asset sales might reasonably bill more per hour, or more hours, than one who handled routine paperwork; there's no mechanism forcing parity between them.

Disclosure applies to each of them

The § 15-10-602(9) requirement to disclose the basis for compensation in the appointment petition applies per fiduciary named. If co-personal representatives plan to bill differently — one hourly, one under a different arrangement — each disclosure should reflect that person's actual basis.

Law firm collaboration still works the same way

If one of several co-personal representatives is a member of a law firm, that individual can still use the firm's staff and charge for the reasonable value of their work under § 15-10-602(8) and § 15-10-603(5) — this doesn't extend automatically to a co-personal representative who isn't affiliated with that firm.

Worked example

Two siblings serve as co-personal representatives of a Colorado estate. One handles most of the administrative work; the other contributes occasionally.

Co-personal representative	Hours	Rate	Compensation
Sibling A (primary administrator)	60 hrs	$45/hr	$2,700
Sibling B (occasional support)	10 hrs	$45/hr	$450

Each figure is independently reasonable compensation for that person's own hours — not a combined pool being split 6-to-1.

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Colorado co-personal representatives — frequently asked questions

Do Colorado co-personal representatives split one fee?

There is no statutory pool to split — C.R.S. § 15-10-602 sets no percentage or fixed amount to divide. Each co-personal representative is a fiduciary in their own right, separately entitled to reasonable compensation for their own services under the same standard.

How is compensation assessed between Colorado co-personal representatives?

Using the same C.R.S. § 15-10-603 factors applied to any fiduciary — the rate customarily charged in the community, the complexity of the work, and the actual services each co-personal representative performed — assessed for each person individually rather than split from one combined total.

Does the disclosure requirement apply separately to each Colorado co-personal representative?

Yes. C.R.S. § 15-10-602(9) requires the petition for appointment of a fiduciary to disclose the basis for compensation, and this applies to each fiduciary named, so co-personal representatives with different compensation arrangements would each need their own basis disclosed.

Can co-personal representatives in Colorado be paid different hourly rates?

Yes. Because each fiduciary's compensation is assessed on their own services under § 15-10-603, there is no requirement that co-personal representatives bill the same rate or split hours evenly — one might reasonably charge more for specialized work.

What if Colorado co-personal representatives disagree about compensation?

The disagreement doesn't change how compensation is assessed — each co-personal representative's request is still evaluated on their own services under § 15-10-602 and § 15-10-603. If they can't resolve it themselves, either can ask the probate court to review the reasonableness of what's being claimed.

Estimate for general guidance only, not legal advice. Based on C.R.S. § 15-10-602 and § 15-10-603. Each co-personal representative's compensation is evaluated independently on their own reasonable services; there is no statutory pool divided by headcount. Consult a Colorado probate attorney to resolve a specific dispute over compensation between co-personal representatives.

Colorado Co-Personal Representatives: How Is the Fee Split?