Minnesota Estate Planning & Probate Attorneys
- Award-Winning Law Firm
- State & Federal Court Experience
- Experienced MN Litigators
- Serving Minnesota Since 2003
Minnesota Estate Planning & Probate Attorneys
Estate planning is about more than distributing assets. It's about making important decisions while you have the opportunity to do so, providing guidance for your loved ones and reducing uncertainty during difficult times.
Creating or updating an estate plan, administering a loved one's estate, or addressing a probate concern can raise questions that feel both personal and complex. Burns & Hansen provides clear, compassionate counsel tailored to your family, your goals, and your circumstances.
Wills
Preparing wills that clearly express your wishes, provide for your loved ones, and help simplify the administration of your estate.
Trusts
Designing trusts that help manage assets, provide for beneficiaries, reduce probate concerns, and support your long-term estate planning goals.
Probate Litigation
Representing personal representatives, beneficiaries, heirs, and other interested parties in disputes involving wills, trusts, estate administration, and probate proceedings.
Conservatorships & Guardianships
Helping families establish legal authority to care for loved ones who can no longer manage their personal or financial affairs.
Why Burns & Hansen for Estate Planning & Probate
When you work with Burns & Hansen, you benefit from:
- Attorneys who take the time to understand your family, your priorities, and the goals behind your estate plan.
- Clear advice that helps you make informed decisions without adding unnecessary complexity.
- Experience assisting clients with both proactive estate planning and probate administration after a loved one's passing.
- Litigators prepared to represent clients when estate or probate disputes cannot be resolved through agreement.
- Guidance when estate planning intersects with family law, business ownership, real estate, or other significant legal and financial matters.
- Direct access to experienced attorneys throughout the planning or probate process.
Common Situations We Can Help With
You may benefit from estate planning or probate counsel if you're trying to:
- Create or update a will or trust.
- Revisit your estate plan after marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, or another major family change.
- Appoint someone to make financial or health care decisions if you become incapacitated.
- Minimize delays and complications during probate.
- Administer a loved one's estate.
- Resolve a dispute involving a will, trust, or estate.
- Plan for a family business or other significant assets.
- Establish guardianship or conservatorship for a loved one.
- Address another estate planning or probate matter, or aren't sure whether your situation fits one of these categories. Contact Burns & Hansen to discuss your situation with an attorney.
Estate Planning Through Family Changes
Marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, and other changes within a family can affect decisions made in an existing estate plan. Beneficiaries may change, parents may need to name guardians for minor children, and existing wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and health care directives may need to be reconsidered.
Because Burns & Hansen practices in both estate planning and family law, our attorneys can address estate planning questions alongside the broader legal issues a family may be navigating. If you're getting married, going through a divorce, welcoming a child, or experiencing another significant change in your family, it can be a good time to review whether your existing plan still reflects your circumstances.
Frequently Asked Questions about Estate Planning & Probate
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What does an estate plan typically include?
The appropriate documents depend on your circumstances, but an estate plan may include a will, trust, power of attorney, health care directive, and other arrangements addressing how your assets and personal affairs should be handled.
When should I create or update an estate plan?
Estate planning is valuable for adults of every age—not just retirees or high-net-worth individuals. Major life events such as marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, homeownership, or starting a business are all good times to create or update your plan.
Should I review my estate plan during or after a divorce?
A divorce can significantly change your family and financial circumstances. Existing wills, trusts, beneficiary arrangements, powers of attorney, and other planning decisions may no longer reflect what you want. Burns & Hansen's estate planning and family law attorneys can address the legal issues within their respective areas when those needs overlap.
What's the difference between a will and a trust?
A will directs how your assets should be distributed after your death, while a trust can manage assets during your lifetime and after your death. Depending on your goals, a trust may also help simplify or avoid certain probate proceedings.
What is probate?
Probate is the legal process of administering a person's estate after death, including paying debts, transferring assets, and carrying out the terms of a will or, if there is no will, Minnesota law.
Do all estates have to go through probate?
No. Whether probate is required depends on the nature of the assets, how they are owned, and whether estate planning tools such as trusts or beneficiary designations are in place.
What happens if someone dies without a will in Minnesota?
Minnesota law determines how the person's assets are distributed through the probate process, which may not reflect what the individual would have wanted.
Can Burns & Hansen help if my family disagrees about an estate?
Yes. We represent clients in probate litigation involving contested wills, trusts, fiduciary disputes, and other disagreements related to estate administration.
Speak With a Minnesota Estate Planning & Probate Attorney
Estate planning and probate can have lasting implications for you and the people you care about. Clear legal counsel can help you understand the decisions involved and put the appropriate documents and arrangements in place.
Contact Burns & Hansen to speak with a Minnesota estate planning and probate attorney.
