Bozeman firm serving estate and probate clients throughout the Gallatin Valley. Guides personal representatives and trustees through Montana probate and post-death trust administration, from asset inventory to distribution to beneficiaries. The practice ranges from simple wills and living trusts to tax-driven and asset-protection planning.
Bozeman is in Gallatin County.
Probate in Gallatin County
Probate Court Record
Gallatin County District Court
Gallatin County · 18th Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
515 South 16th Avenue, Room 1041, Bozeman, MT 59715
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Gallatin County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Gallatin County? →Settling an estate in Gallatin County →
Forms for Planning Your Estate in Montana
Free forms for planning your estate in Montana: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for Montana.
$12/month
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
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Free
Pour-Over Will
In Montana, a pour-over will is signed before 2MCA § 72-2-522Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.
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Free
Transfer on Death Deed
In Montana, a transfer on death deed is signed before a notaryMCA 72-6-401 to 72-6-418Verified Oct 18, 2026View source, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathMCA 72-6-401 to 72-6-418Verified Oct 18, 2026View source. Montana does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.
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Free
Last Will and Testament
In Montana, a will is signed before 2MCA § 72-2-522Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyMCA § 72-2-522Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
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Tools for Planning Your Estate in Montana
Free tools for planning your estate in Montana: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for Montana and read its answer.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
In Montana, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 1.8%Modeled estimate under MCA § 72-3-634 (compensation of persons employed by the personal representative, including attorneys); § 72-3-632 (estate litigation); former § 72-3-633 repealed by Sec. 105, Ch. 313, L. 2019: the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.9%Modeled estimate under MCA § 72-3-634 (compensation of persons employed by the personal representative, including attorneys); § 72-3-632 (estate litigation); former § 72-3-633 repealed by Sec. 105, Ch. 313, L. 2019: the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.
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How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in Montana runs $3,620Estimate: 10 hours at $362, Clio's Montana Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $5,430Estimate: 15 hours at $362, Clio's Montana Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
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Do I Need a TOD Deed?
Montana authorizes transfer on death deedsMCA 72-6-401 to 72-6-418Verified Oct 17, 2026View source: a recorded, revocable deed that passes real property at death outside probate.
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Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?
Montana automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceMCA § 72-2-814Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.
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