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A basic revocable living trust in North Dakota costs roughly $3,540–$5,310 when drafted by an attorney, based on the typical 10-15 hours of attorney work at $354 per hourClio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jan 1, 2025. Online services offer trust packages for $300–$700, though they generally don't include attorney advice or review of your specific situation. See the North Dakota trust cost calculator for a detailed breakdown.
Even if you create a revocable trust in North Dakota, you generally still need a will — most commonly a "pour-over" will that captures any assets you forgot to retitle into the trust. North Dakota also allows transfer-on-death deeds for real estate, which can move property out of probate without a trust. Whether a trust adds enough value over a will-only plan depends on your situation: real property, blended families, and out-of-state assets are the most common reasons. The trust-or-will tool walks through the decision.
Estate planning attorneys in North Dakota average $319 per hourClio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jan 1, 2025 for wills and estates work. Flat-fee packages run roughly $957–$1,914 for a simple individual will and $3,540–$5,310 for a basic revocable trust. Online and DIY services cost $30–$300 for the same documents — see the will cost calculator for a side-by-side comparison.
North Dakota has a generous small-estate threshold of $100,000. Estates under that line can use the Small Estate Affidavit procedure, which is a form rather than a court case — most families can handle it without an attorney. For estates above the threshold, formal probate generally benefits from counsel because of the procedural overhead, even when nothing is contested. The North Dakota probate calculator estimates total costs based on estate value.
In North Dakota, the situations where retaining counsel is typically worth the cost are: blended families with children from prior relationships; ownership of a business, rental property, or significant investment assets; special-needs dependents who need a special-needs trust to preserve benefits; substantial property held in multiple states. If none of these describe your situation, the simpler online and DIY tools are often enough.
Search 4,004 estate law firms across 51 states.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to discuss your situation and verify their current practice areas and availability.
86 firms
Serving the Fargo-Moorhead area for more than 43 years. Advises individuals regarding real estate, estate planning, probate, family law, agricultural law, and other legal matters. Estate planning includes preparation of wills, durable powers of attorney, and health care directives.
Location
4132 30th Avenue South, Suite 100Fargo, ND 58104
Phone
(701) 235-3300
Established
1981
Fargo estate planning law firm specializing in wills, trusts, powers of attorney, guardianship and conservatorship, estate and probate administration, probate litigation, will contests, health care directives, and business law.
Location
5195 45th Street South, Suite 200Fargo, ND 58104
Phone
(701) 356-1287
Bismarck firm founded in 1998 representing individuals, families, and businesses across central and western North Dakota. Estate planning practice covers probate avoidance, planning for minor children, tax planning, and incapacity planning, with a separate probate administration practice that handles estate distribution and will contests.
Location
418 E. Broadway Avenue, Suite 240Bismarck, ND 58501
Phone
(701) 250-8968
Established
1998
Solo practice in Carrington serving Foster County and the south-central region. Thomas Aljets has 46 years of legal experience handling estate planning, family law, and real estate matters. He holds an AV Preeminent Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating.
Location
1405 Main StreetCarrington, ND 58421
Phone
(701) 652-3280
Burckhard Law provides legal representation in criminal defense, family law, civil litigation, and estate planning in Minot and surrounding Ward County communities.
Location
7 3rd Street SE, Unit 110Minot, ND 58701
Phone
(701) 864-3702
Founded in 1932, Camrud, Maddock, Olson & Larson, Ltd. delivers trusted counsel across North Dakota and Minnesota in business, litigation, family, real estate, and estate planning.
Location
401 DeMers Avenue, Suite 500Grand Forks, ND 58201
Phone
(701) 775-5595
Established
1932
Chad Anderson Law Firm specializes in probate, estate planning, and real estate services in Bismarck, helping clients with probate avoidance strategies and comprehensive estate plans.
Location
120 North 3rd Street, Suite 210Bismarck, ND 58501
Phone
(701) 214-5277
Cheryl Bergian Law Office provides estate planning services including wills, powers of attorney, health care directives, probate, and guardianships/conservatorships in the Fargo-Moorhead area.
Location
1712 Main Avenue, Suite 202Fargo, ND 58103
Phone
(701) 297-2501
Founded in 1879, Conmy Feste Ltd. attorneys have decades of experience protecting the wealth and assets of clients in Fargo-Moorhead, providing services including comprehensive evaluations, wills, trusts, powers of attorney, health care declarations, and asset management.
Location
3369 45th Street SouthFargo, ND 58104
Phone
(701) 353-0454
Established
1879
Established in 1895 with over 150 lawyers practicing from 11 offices in 3 states. The Bismarck office is the largest in North Dakota with 24 lawyers. Estate planning attorneys assist with estate and succession planning, tax minimization, and trust administration.
Location
100 West Broadway Avenue, Suite 250Bismarck, ND 58502
Phone
(701) 223-6585
Established
1895
Service Area
Statewide