When somebody dies without a clear plan, grief gets complicated by court dates, paperwork and guesswork. Most mistakes happen because nobody knows what has to happen first. We walk you through the immediate steps before any decisions get made. No jargon, and no rush.
Where it goes wrong
Almost everyone gets here too late.
The probate page is what happens after. It runs to eight steps, and it is long for a reason — nearly every one of them exists because something was not decided in advance.
The order that works is the other way round. A will, drawn while nobody needs it. A power of attorney signed by somebody who is well. A trust, if a trust fits. An afternoon's work, done once, on a day when nothing is wrong.
Do that, and the road on the probate page can often be made much shorter. Skip it, and your family walks all eight steps anyway — at the worst week of their lives, and at their own expense.
We would rather meet you on the first day than the last one.
What to do before anything happensWhat we do
- Estate planning.
- Probate.
- Trust administration.
What it costs
No surprise bills.
Legal fees should not be a mystery when you are already carrying something heavy.
Estate planning — a flat fee, quoted before any work begins. You know the exact cost up front.
Probate — billed hourly, and estimated in writing at the first consultation, before you have spent anything.
Why 1911 matters
Four generations. One county.
Sioux Falls has not just been where we practise. It has been home for generations. Local families trusted us to draft their original wills, then sent us their children to settle those estates, and those children now bring their own families through the same door.
Governments change and the technology changes. We still walk into the same downtown courthouse our grandfathers practised in.
Talk to us
Come in, call, or write.
We are in downtown Sioux Falls when you need a steady hand.
214 S Phillips Avenue, Suite 300
Sioux Falls, SD 57104