Wills & Probate
A wills and probate practice that listens before it drafts.
A good estate plan is not a stack of forms. It is a careful translation of who you are, what you've built, and what you want for the people who will come after you — into a legal structure that holds up over decades. For more than 40 years, Rick has done that work for North Dakota families, drafting wills and trusts, advising on powers of attorney and healthcare directives, and helping personal representatives settle estates with patience and clarity.
Some clients come to us with a simple goal: a will, a healthcare directive, a durable power of attorney. Others arrive with multiple properties, blended families, business interests, or a recent loss that has thrown an estate into the probate court. We are equally at home with both, and we treat every matter — large or small — with the same care.
The documents that hold a plan together.
For most clients, an estate plan begins with the foundational documents — a last will and testament that says who inherits what, a durable power of attorney that names someone to handle your finances if you cannot, a healthcare directive that empowers a loved one to make medical decisions on your behalf, and a HIPAA authorization that lets your family talk to your doctors when it matters most.
For families with more complex needs, we draft trusts that fit the situation — revocable living trusts that keep an estate out of probate and provide privacy, irrevocable trusts that protect assets, and supplemental needs trusts for a child or relative receiving public benefits. We draft each instrument from the ground up, walk you through every clause until it makes sense, and revisit the plan as your family and circumstances change.
Settling an estate is more than paperwork.
Probate is what happens after a loved one passes — the court-supervised process for transferring assets from a person who has died to the people or institutions who inherit them. North Dakota uses the Uniform Probate Code and offers both informal and formal procedures depending on whether the will is in order and the estate is uncontested.
We represent personal representatives (executors and administrators), trustees, and beneficiaries throughout the process. Our work covers opening the estate, giving notice to heirs and creditors, gathering and valuing assets, paying debts and final expenses, preparing the decedent's final tax return, and ultimately distributing what remains and closing the estate. We tell clients early what to expect and we keep them informed as the work moves forward — no surprises, no silences.
Counsel for trustees and personal representatives.
When a trust is created during life or springs into being at death, the named trustee inherits a serious set of fiduciary duties — to invest prudently, account accurately, treat beneficiaries impartially, and follow the trust's instructions even when they personally disagree. For the family member or close friend who suddenly finds themselves serving as trustee, the role can be daunting.
We provide ongoing counsel to trustees and personal representatives of all kinds. Our work includes onboarding, preparing the accountings beneficiaries are entitled to receive, coordinating with accountants on fiduciary income tax returns, advising on discretionary distribution decisions, and handling real estate transfers and other tasks that arise during settlement.
When beneficiaries disagree, we work to resolve the conflict quietly — mediating where we can and litigating only when there is no other option.
What it actually feels like to plan with us.
The first meeting is a conversation, not an intake form. We want to understand your family, your assets, and your worries — because those are usually what shape the plan more than anything else. From there, we draft, send you the documents to read at your own pace, and sit with you again to walk through every page before you sign.
There is no rush, no pressure, and no jargon we won't translate. By the time the documents are executed, you understand exactly what you have and why.
40+ years in the Fargo probate court.
We know the probate court
Decades of filing in Cass County District Court mean we know the procedures, the staff, and the rhythms of the local docket.
We know North Dakota law
The Uniform Probate Code, the homestead and elective share rules, and the state's intestacy framework each have local nuance. We work with them daily.
We know the families
Probate often follows estate planning we did decades earlier. That continuity makes settlement faster, calmer, and more in keeping with what the decedent actually wanted.
Let's plan for what matters most.
The best estate plans are made with time and clarity. We'd be glad to start with a quiet conversation about your family and your goals.