Practices from West Pleasant Street in Portage, Columbia County, where the firm opened in 1971. Takes on probate and estate disputes: a will that favors one relative, assets re-titled payable on death late in life, an attorney-in-fact who has not accounted. Also drafts wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, and powers of attorney, and offers a free half-hour consultation.
Portage is in Columbia County.
Probate in Columbia County
Probate Court Record
Columbia County Circuit Court
Columbia County · 5th Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
400 DeWitt Street, Portage, WI 53901
Website
Files probate
Register in Probate
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Columbia County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Columbia County? →Settling an estate in Columbia County →
Forms for Planning Your Estate in Wisconsin
Free forms for planning your estate in Wisconsin: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for Wisconsin.
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Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
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Pour-Over Will
In Wisconsin, a pour-over will is signed before 2Wis. Stat. § 853.03Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.
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Free
Transfer on Death Deed
In Wisconsin, a transfer on death deed is signed before a notaryWis. Stat. 705.15Verified Oct 19, 2026View source, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathWis. Stat. 705.15Verified Oct 19, 2026View source. Wisconsin does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.
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Last Will and Testament
In Wisconsin, a will is signed before 2Wis. Stat. § 853.03Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyWis. Stat. § 853.03Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
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Tools for Planning Your Estate in Wisconsin
Free tools for planning your estate in Wisconsin: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for Wisconsin.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
In Wisconsin, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 1.8%Modeled estimate under Wis. Stat. § 851.40(1) (just and reasonable compensation for services under chs. 851-879, incl. ch. 865 informal administration; no statutory percentage for attorneys): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 9, 2026View source to 2.9%Modeled estimate under Wis. Stat. § 851.40(1) (just and reasonable compensation for services under chs. 851-879, incl. ch. 865 informal administration; no statutory percentage for attorneys): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 9, 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 Wisconsin runs $3,320Estimate: 10 hours at $332, Clio's Wisconsin Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $4,980Estimate: 15 hours at $332, Clio's Wisconsin 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?
Wisconsin authorizes transfer on death deedsWis. Stat. 705.15Verified 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?
Wisconsin automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceWis. Stat. § 854.15Verified 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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