Minnesota Probate Series, Part 1: Do You Need a Probate?

By Chris Tymchuck
Founding Attorney

A Minnesota Probate Lawyer Explains When A Probate is Necessary in Minnesota.

I receive a lot of calls asking how to handle matters after someone dies. So, I am posting a series to assist you with handling things for someone who has died.

The first step is to determine whether you need to open a probate. Under Minnesota Probate law, you need a probate in two specific instances:

When a deceased person owned assets in his/her name alone at the time of their death (probate assets) that total more than $75,000.
When the decedent owned real estate solely in his/her name regardless of the total value of the property. This is because the county will not transfer title to the property without court authorization.

Before worrying about how to handle, and pay for, a probate, verify whether your case meets either of the above two criteria. I offer a free phone call to discuss your specific situation in assessing whether you need to hire me to assist you with a Minnesota probate.

The next question you might have is, what is probate? I will discuss this in the next post.

Minnesota Probate Attorney

For more information about when a probate is required, please contact me now.

About the Author

As a Minneapolis Estate Planning and Probate attorney I help build and protect families through the adoption, estate planning, and probate processes. I also have experience working with families on issues related to their small businesses. I know how difficult it is to find time to plan for the future and I am here to help walk you through it.