1976, November, Pg. 1654. CPC Newsletter.

5 Colo.Law. 1654

Colorado Lawyer

1976.

1976, November, Pg. 1654.

CPC Newsletter

1654Vol. 5, No. 9, Pg. 1654CPC NewsletterParks' Colorado Probate Practice Manual---A Review

The revision of Howard E. Parks' monumental treatise was completed at the time of Mr. Parks' death in 1975 and was readied for publication by Professor William S. Huff of the University of Denver Law School. It has now been published by Continuing Legal Education in Colorado, Inc. and is available from CLE for a price of $45.00.

The book is an update of his 1964 volume (as supplemented through April, 1974) and covers the profound changes made in the Colorado probate laws by the adoption of the Colorado Probate Code as well as additional and subsequent changes made to both the probate and inheritance tax laws during the 1974 and 1975 sessions of the Legislature. The format generally follows that of the prior volume. Perhaps the major change results from the author's decision to delete the previous detailed treatment of handling federal estate taxation and fiduciary income taxation. Mr. Parks felt that these areas were changing too rapidly to supplement easily and notes the availability of other good textual materials in these areas. The detailed chapter on the Colorado inheritance tax is retained and updated.

An Indispensable TextThe title is somewhat misleading. The book is really more of a detailed text on probate law than a practice manual or handbook. It is not a practice manual in the sense of the nuts and bolts probate systems for lawyers and paralegals presently being utilized in Texas, Illinois and Wisconsin and under development in Colorado. As a text it is excellent, comprehensive, and indispensable to the Colorado practitioner. The Colorado Bar owes a large debt to Mr. Parks; it is doubtful whether the probate laws and practice of any other state have been so well analyzed and presented to the local practitioner.

The rapid sequence of events prior to and during the writing of the book (i.e., the adoption of the Probate Code, the CPC forms and the new Probate Rules, together with the 1974-1975 statutory changes) account for the strengths of the book and also for some of its weaknesses. In commenting on some of the weaknesses, the intention is not to nit-pick or be difficult. Parks' book in the past has been a shortcut for all of us, and we...