Welcoming a child into your family can be an exceedingly exciting and rewarding experience, but being a parent is a role that may also carry a great deal of responsibility. As your child grows, you might wish to take every possible measure to provide him or her with...
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Estate Planning
What are an estate administrator’s duties in Minnesota?
The administration of a deceased person's estate can be a complicated matter. In many cases, this is due to the size and complexity of the estate itself, and in other cases, the party who is tasked with administering the estate is not qualified to do so. That is why...
Were you left out or removed from a loved one’s will?
It is not uncommon for close family members of a recently deceased individual to assume that they will receive something from the estate. Even if the bequest or inheritance is not a specific item or even something particularly valuable, they may have anticipated...
Determining your standing to challenge a will
Minnesota estates and those elsewhere do not always close as smoothly as most people would hope. In some cases, surviving family members may have reason to suspect that something has gone amiss during the probate process or with the will itself. If so, it is possible...
Legal standing, grounds are needed to challenge a will
No one wants family drama to overshadow the passing of a loved one. Unfortunately, situations could arise after a family member’s demise that cause surviving loved ones to question whether everything pertaining to probate is legitimate. For example, you may have...
Estate Planning During A Crisis
At Burns & Hansen, we understand the rapid spread of COVID-19 is stressful and anxiety producing. An important step that all individuals can take during this time is to create an up to date estate plan. A comprehensive estate plan will take the uncertainty out of...
The basics of Minnesota marital property laws
After being married for more than 30 years, you and your spouse have accumulated significant assets. Sine you were married, the two of you purchased various properties, including your main residence and a vacation home on the lake. In addition to these assets, there...
The Basics of the Small-Estate Affidavit
The basics of the small-estate affidavit are important to know if your loved one passed away with an estate of less than $50,000. The small-estate affidavit is the quickest, cheapest, and simplest method of distribution property in compliance with the probate laws....
Estate Planning: Formal or Informal Probate and Small Estate
If you want to distribute your loved one's property, you have three methods from which to choose: formal probate, informal probate, and the small-estate affidavit in the estate planning process. The small-estate affidavit is the quickest, cheapest, and simplest...
Barnes Case Shows Importance of Detail in Minnesota Health Care Directives
The recent news coverage of the fight over who should make medical care decisions for Al Barnes is a reminder of the need for careful estate planning, generally, and particularly in drafting health care directives. Minnesota law gives significant weight to written...