Colorado authorizes designated beneficiary agreements

Yesterday (April 9, 2009) Colorado Governor Bill Ritter signed into law House Bill 1260.

This new law permits two people (either opposite-sex or same-sex) to sign a “designated beneficiary agreements” for various estate planning matters such as wills, property purchases, medical decisions, and life-insurance.

According to John Ingold, Law eases estate planning for unwed and gay couples, Denver Post, April 10, 2009:

During its trip through the legislature, critics derided the bill as “marriage light” and an endorsement of civil unions. But Ritter’s spokesman, Evan Dreyer, said the governor sees it simply as a “low-cost option for people to put their end-of-life matters in order.”