Probate in Cascade County

Probate Court Record

Cascade County District Court

Cascade County · 8th Judicial District

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM

Office

415 2nd Avenue North, Great Falls, MT 59401

E-filing

Self-represented filing

Allowed

Self-help forms

How to file probate in Cascade County →

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

Do I need a lawyer for probate in Cascade County? →Settling an estate in Cascade County →

Probate Firms Serving Cascade County

Formerly Bjornson Jones Mungas, PLLC. Over fifty years of combined experience in transactional, business and corporate law, contracts, real estate law, estate planning and probate administration, finance, and tax law. Serves clients throughout Montana and Washington.

Serves the whole stateEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateTax PlanningBusiness Succession

Over 125 years of experience with more than 150 lawyers practicing from 11 offices in 3 states. Extensive experience in advising commercial and individual clients in complex probate and estate planning matters including wills, revocable trusts, financial and healthcare powers of attorney, charitable giving, and various trust planning alternatives.

Serves the whole stateEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder LawTax Planning+3

Serves western and central Montana from Missoula (Missoula County, Fourth Judicial District), handling probate administration, will and trust drafting, and estate settlement alongside its insurance-litigation practice. Attorneys guide personal representatives through asset inventory, creditor notice, and distribution. Free consultations available; the firm also maintains an Arizona office.

Serves the whole stateFree consultationEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation

Missoula elder-law practice handling probate and estate administration to transfer property and assets after death. Serves clients throughout Montana, including Billings, Bozeman, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell, and Missoula, with offices in Great Falls, Kalispell, Missoula, and Helena. Also covers estate planning, Medicaid planning, and guardianship.

Serves the whole stateEstate PlanningProbateElder LawGuardianshipMedicaid PlanningLong Term Care

Montana business, real estate, and estate planning attorneys serving clients throughout Montana including Billings, Great Falls, Havre, Livingston, Miles City, Sidney, and Glasgow. Merged with Josephson Law Firm in Big Timber. Offices in Bozeman, Helena, Big Timber, Butte, and Billings.

Serves the whole stateEstate PlanningProbateTax PlanningBusiness LawReal Estate

Providing Montana probate services, estate planning, wills and trusts, and elder law since 1995. Serves all counties in Montana from Kalispell and Columbia Falls offices, including Billings, Bozeman, Great Falls, Helena, Missoula, and Miles City. Offers a free 30-minute consultation and remote handling with no need for face-to-face meetings.

Since 1995Serves the whole stateFree consultationEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder LawGuardianship+3

All 11 Montana probate firms serving Cascade County →

Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Montana

Free Montana forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for Montana.

$12/month

Revocable Living Trust

Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.

Get Started
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.

Get Started

All Montana forms

Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Montana

Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in Montana: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool for Montana.

How Much Does Probate Cost?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in Montana costs an estimated $24,934MCA § 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. 2019Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 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 under a reasonable-compensation standard.

Calculate Costs

How Do I Settle an Estate?

Settling an estate in Montana: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 270 daysMCA §§ 72-3-607, 72-3-609Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 4 monthsMCA §§ 72-3-801, 72-3-803, 72-3-804, 72-3-805, 72-3-807Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 4 months to 6 months.

See the Steps

How Much Can an Executor Charge?

Montana pays executors reasonable compensationMCA § 72-3-631 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, typically 2.2%Estimated from the 16 state statutes that set an executor fee schedule (median and interquartile range at this estate value)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.8%Estimated from the 16 state statutes that set an executor fee schedule (median and interquartile range at this estate value)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate.

Calculate the Fee

Do I Need Probate?

In Montana, estates valued at $100,000MCA § 72-3-1101Verified Sep 8, 2026View source or less skip probate with the Collection of Personal Property by AffidavitMCA § 72-3-1101Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, 30 daysMCA § 72-3-1101Verified Sep 8, 2026View source after death.

Get the Answer

What Are the Creditor Claim Deadlines?

In Montana, creditors have 4 monthsMCA §§ 72-3-801, 72-3-803Verified Sep 8, 2026View source from first publication of the creditor notice to present claims; late claims are barred.

Check the Rules

Can I Self-File Probate?

In Montana, informal probate is availableMCA § 72-3-201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, and a self-represented executor can usually handle it for a simple, uncontested estate.

Get the Answer

All Montana tools