Protect Your Legacy With Professional Estate Planning
Life is unpredictable, but your family’s future doesn’t have to be. At Jacobsen Law Firm, P.A., we assist clients throughout Minnesota by providing effective and affordable estate planning solutions.
We approach every estate plan as if it were our own. Our experienced attorneys will work closely with you to create tailored estate plans that reflect your unique wishes and circumstances. From young families just starting out to retirees with complex assets, we provide personalized solutions to protect what matters most.
Let’s work together to secure your family’s future and honor your life’s work. Contact the firm today at 507-252-2775 for a free consultation.
Comprehensive Estate Planning Services For All Types Of Needs
Our professionals are available to help with a wide range of estate planning matters, such as:
- Drafting simple wills
- Drafting wills with trusts
- Creating revocable and irrevocable trusts
- Addressing estate and gift tax issues
- Assisting with transfer-on-death deeds
- Assisting with life estate deeds
- Preparing health care directives
- Establishing financial powers of attorney
- Petitioning for guardianships and conservatorships
- Assisting with the transfer of closely held family farms or businesses to the next generations
To help us better understand your needs and goals, please download and complete our Estate Planning Information Form before your initial consultation.
Dedicated Assistance For The Probate Process
After someone dies, that person’s estate goes through a legal process called probate. In this process, the estate’s executor settles the deceased’s financial matters. The probate process involves:
- Gathering the property titled to the decedent: This can include real property, personal property, investments, retirement accounts and other assets. In this stage of probate, the probate administrator locates, collects and inventories all the property titled to the decedent.
- Handling debts: Once the property is gathered, the administrator will notify the decedent’s creditors and pay all debts, including tax obligations.
- Distributing remaining assets: After debt settlement, the administrator will distribute the decedent’s remaining property to the proper recipients. If the decedent died without a will (intestate), the assets will go to his or her heirs according to state probate laws. If the person died with a will (testate), the assets will be distributed as directed by the will and other estate planning instruments.
It is important to note that some types of property can be passed on to beneficiaries without having to pass through probate in Minnesota. These include property owned as joint tenants, bank accounts jointly held and life insurance policies that name a beneficiary specifically.
All that said, the probate process can be complex for a personal representative without previous experience. This is especially true when there may be disagreement among heirs, creditor claims, missing heirs, minor beneficiaries and all sorts of issues that we have dealt with over the years.
An experienced estate planning lawyer can provide invaluable guidance throughout this process, helping settle disputes, handle legal matters and address any issues that may arise.
You can download and fill out our Probate Information Form to streamline your initial consultation.
Trust Services For Every Stage Of Life
Your loved one created a revocable trust to avoid probate and make things easy for the family. That is great news. However, now they have passed away, and you don’t know what to do.
The person named as the successor trustee now must administer the trust. Although most trusts are not court-supervised, the trustee has a fiduciary duty to the trust beneficiaries to properly administer the trust and make distributions according to the trust instrument.
The administration depends on the language of the trust, but oftentimes we represent trustees who are fulfilling their fiduciary duties. This includes but is not limited to:
- Preparing the documentation in place to act as the trustee
- Providing communication that sets reasonable expectations and provides a road map and timeline for trust beneficiaries
- Locating and collecting trust assets
- Preparing inventory, sale or disposal of real estate or personal property
- Paying valid debts
- Making distributions according to the trust instrument
Going through these processes does not have to be overwhelming. When you work with our firm, your estate planning attorney can provide clear, compassionate guidance through every stage of trust creation, administration and management.
We Can Help You Create A Personalized Estate Plan
If you have recently lost a family member and need assistance with a probate or trust administration, please contact Jacobsen Law Firm, P.A., to speak with an experienced probate and trust attorney. Call 507-252-2775 or use our online contact form to book your free consultation.