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Best Probate Lawyers in Rapid City

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2023
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Aspen Legacy Planning logo
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Aspen Legacy Planning

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909 St. Joseph Street Suite 202, Rapid City, SD 57701
  • Estate Planning
  • Trust Administration
  • Estate Administration

Business Description

Probate is among the focus areas of Aspen Legacy Planning. Serving in Rapid City and throughout South Dakota, its lawyers help clients about protecting family properties. They craft a plan that helps people navigate through the legal process involved in probates. Aspen Legacy Planning also assists in living trusts, irrevocable trusts, and trust administration. In addition, It advises on family-limited partnerships and special needs planning. Its affiliation with WealthCounsel and ElderCounsel facilitates its provision of elder law and estate planning services.

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
5.0
Google
5.0 / 5 (20)
Facebook
5.0 / 5 (2)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
4.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail
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Bangs McCullen Law Firm logo
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Bangs McCullen Law Firm

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333 West Boulevard, Rapid City, SD 57701
  • Trusts
  • Estate Planning

Business Description

Bangs McCullen Law Firm has been providing Rapid City residents with estate planning and probate services for more than a century. Based in offices in Rapid City and Sioux Falls, the firm's probate attorneys help clients navigate the process of formal and informal probate and resolve disputes such as will contests. They also offer expertise in estate plans, preparing wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. Lawyers in this firm can also advise on matters like business succession and generation-skipping transfer tax.

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
4.6
Google
4.5 / 5 (46)
Facebook
4.7 / 5 (10)
Yelp
1.0 / 5 (2)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail
Beardsley Jensen & Lee logo
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Beardsley Jensen & Lee

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4200 Beach Drive, Rapid City, SD 57702
  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Business Description

With over a century of collective experience, attorneys at Beardsley Jensen & Lee serve clients in their estate concerns. The firm’s estate planning attorneys in Rapid City assist in setting family or individual goals and creating goal-focused estate plans, including ways to effect estate transfer. Their scope of services covers the drafting of wills, living wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. The founders are recognized by Martindale-Hubbell for their ethical standards and legal expertise and granted the highest rating.

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
4.9
Google
4.9 / 5 (39)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail
Hilpert & Hale, Prof. LLC logo
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Hilpert & Hale, Prof. LLC

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1010 Ballpark Road, Sturgis, SD 57785
  • Estate Planning
  • Probate Litigation

Business Description

Hilpert & Hale, Prof. LLC is a Sturgis-based law firm that handles probate and estate-related matters and serves clients in Rapid City and its surrounding areas. Probate attorneys Joshua M. Hilpert and Rachel N. Hale offer their expertise in creating estate plans and navigating the process of probating an estate. They also help clients obtain guardianships. The law firm's other practice areas include civil litigation, criminal defense, bankruptcy, real estate, and family law cases.

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
5.0
Google
5.0 / 5 (1)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail
Johns & Kosel Attorneys at Law, LLC. logo
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Johns & Kosel Attorneys at Law, LLC.

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203 West Main Street, Lead, SD 57754
  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Business Description

With over four decades of legal experience, Johns & Kosel Prof. LLC Law Office serves residents near Rapid City and beyond the entire Black Hills of South Dakota. Both of its founding partners, Tim Johns ​& Joe Kosel, are dedicated to assisting clients in probate, estate planning, mediation and arbitration, criminal law, business law, and other legal matters. The firm is committed to prioritizing the client's best interests, placing these above their own.

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
5.0

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail
Lynn, Jackson, Shultz & Lebrun, P.C. logo
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Lynn, Jackson, Shultz & Lebrun, P.C.

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909 Saint Joseph Street, Suite 800, Rapid City, SD 57701
  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning
  • Probate Litigation

Business Description

Lynn, Jackson, Shultz & Lebrun, P.C. offers the services of estate planning and probate attorneys in Rapid City, Spearfish, and Sioux Falls. The law firm was founded in 1946 and also caters to Spanish-speaking clients. Its probate lawyers help clients navigate estate and trust administration as well as guardianship and conservatorship proceedings. They advise on all matters involving estate plans, such as wills and trusts, asset protection, business succession, and wealth transfer planning.

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
4.6
Google
4.7 / 5 (28)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail
Nelson Law logo

Nelson Law

1209 Junction Avenue, Sturgis, SD 57785
  • Estate Planning

Business Description

Nelson Law's probate attorneys work on cases related to wills, trusts, and estates from their offices in Rapid City and Sturgis. They offer estate planning services, assisting clients in preparing wills, powers of attorney, and other related documents. They also provide personal representatives, beneficiaries, and family members with guidance on the process of probating and administering an estate. The law firm's other areas of focus include litigation, criminal defense, and family law.

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
5.0
Facebook
5.0 / 5 (3)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail
Pechota Law Office logo
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Pechota Law Office

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1617 Sheridan Lake Rd, Rapid City, SD 57702
  • Probate

Business Description

Pechota Law Office is a firm that deals with probate estate administration in the Rapid City area. It also works on personal injury claims, medical malpractice lawsuits, civil litigation, criminal defenses, and insurance cases. In addition, principal attorney Terry Pechota takes on Native American law cases and has been admitted to various tribal courts, including the Yankton Sioux, Oglala Sioux, and Rosebud Tribal Courts. He brings more than four decades of experience in private law practice.

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
4.4
Google
4.8 / 5 (8)
Avvo
1.0 / 5 (1)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
4.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail
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Tomac & Tomac logo
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Tomac & Tomac

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318 Mount Rushmore Road, Rapid City, SD 57701
  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning
  • Probate Litigation

Business Description

Tomac & Tomac is a law firm with probate attorneys in Rapid City. The firm's lawyers are highly capable in the areas of trust administration, estate planning, guardianship and conservatorship, and elder law. The team is committed to assisting clients with complex legal processes, ensuring that each step is easy to understand. Because they highly value their clients, Tomac & Tomac also offers free workshops that are designed to educate attendees about planning for their futures.

Reputation:

We scour the internet for reviews from well-known resources. Each provider is evaluated based on the quality and quantity of their reviews, their presence on multiple review sites, and their average minimum rating.
5.0
Avvo
5.0 / 5 (7)
Google
5.0 / 5 (4)
Facebook
5.0 / 5 (4)

(+1 additional source)

Professionalism:

We hire mystery shoppers to call our providers anonymously and evaluate them. Providers who respond quickly, answer questions thoroughly, and communicate politely score higher.
5.0
Responsiveness
Friendliness
Helpfulness
Detail

Consumers utilizing Expertise.com are free to communicate and contract with any lawyer they choose. Expertise.com is not involved in the confidential attorney-client relationship. Featured lawyers pay a reasonable advertising cost to market their legal services withExpertise.com and must meet similar selection criteria as other lawyers. All cases are different. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What does a probate attorney do?

    Probate attorneys are licensed professionals who represent executors and heirs after someone has died. They provide personalized legal advice, assist with tax planning, settle debts, and facilitate the distribution of assets. Probate attorneys typically represent clients during administrative proceedings overseen by probate courts, although some litigators focus on handling disputes and lawsuits related to contested estates.

  • What is probate court?

    Probate court works with the family or beneficiaries of a deceased person to validate their last will and testament. The courts review the individual's will to identify and calculate assets, pay off remaining debts, and distribute the remaining property to beneficiaries per the deceased person's requests. Depending on state laws, property valued under a certain amount may not require probate.

  • How long do you have to file probate after death?

    The amount of time loved ones have to file a will after a person dies varies from state to state. While California courts require probate to be filed within one year, New York has no deadline. That being said, it's advisable to file probate as quickly as possible once a person has died, as the process itself can take anywhere from a few weeks to more than a year.

  • Does life insurance go through probate?

    Life insurance doesn't need to go through the probate courts if the deceased individual has named a beneficiary on their policy. However, life insurance policies without beneficiaries, or with beneficiaries who are either deceased themselves or cannot be contacted, go directly to the deceased individual's estate. When this happens, life insurance proceeds must go through probate court to determine how funds should be allocated.

  • Do household items go through probate?

    While the exact rules do vary from state to state, most household items don't require probate and are automatically left to immediate families unless otherwise stated in the deceased person's will. When it comes to property, only items above a certain value or held in title are required to go through probate in most states.

  • Do bank accounts with beneficiaries have to go through probate?

    In the event a beneficiary has been named, bank accounts are not required to go through probate and will be paid directly to the person designated by the deceased individual. However, should that individual be deceased themselves or if contact cannot be made after a certain period of time, funds will be allocated to the estate and put through the probate process.

  • What happens if no probate is filed?

    Depending on the circumstances, probate may not be required in all cases. If a person passes on and their remaining property is jointly owned, it automatically transfers to the other owner. However, if a property is not jointly owned and no probate has been filed, the executor of the will won't be able to transfer titles or cash assets to beneficiaries. Be aware that the specific laws surrounding probate requirements vary from state to state.