Probate in Codington County

Probate Court Record

Codington County Circuit Court

Codington County · 3rd Judicial Circuit

Hours

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

Office

14 1st Avenue Southeast, Watertown, SD 57201

Filing in person

Walk-ins accepted

Self-represented filing

Allowed

How to file probate in Codington County →

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

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

Trust Litigation Firms Serving Codington County

Serves clients across South Dakota from its office in Huron. Attorney Aaron Pilcher handles formal and informal probate, trust administration, small estate affidavits, and guardianships, and litigates trust, probate, and fiduciary disputes. Also serves businesses as outside general counsel and registered agent.

Solo PracticeServes the whole stateTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust LitigationGuardianship

Serves clients throughout South Dakota from its office in Sioux Falls. Litigates will contests, probate disputes, claims against estates, cases involving personal representatives, trust contests, beneficiary disputes, and breach-of-fiduciary-duty claims against trustees. The firm does not draft wills.

Serves the whole stateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation

Serves Lawrence, Meade, Butte and Pennington counties and the rest of South Dakota from Spearfish, and takes probate matters in North Dakota and Wyoming. Handles testate and intestate probate, estate and trust administration, contested wills and trust disputes, and guardianship and conservatorship petitions, including for out-of-state families. Attorney Dylan Wilde is also a licensed CPA.

Solo PracticeServes the whole stateEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+6

All 4 South Dakota trust litigation firms serving Codington County →

Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in South Dakota

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

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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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Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in South Dakota

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

How Do I Settle a Trust?

Settling a trust in South Dakota happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's trust statuteSDCL § 55-1-1 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 60 daysSDCL 55-2-13Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.

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What's Fair Trustee Compensation?

In South Dakota, trustee compensation follows "reasonable compensation" (UTC § 708 or equivalent)SDCL § 55-3-14Verified Sep 18, 2026View source unless the trust instrument sets a different amount.

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How Do I Settle an Estate?

Settling an estate in South Dakota: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 180 daysSDCL 29A-3-706Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 4 monthsSDCL §§ 29A-3-801, 29A-3-803, 29A-3-805Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 4 months to 6 months.

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