Estate Planning & Probate in Hennepin County, Minnesota
Most Hennepin County estate questions come down to one fork: avoid probate before a death, or work through it after one. Start with your situation below; both paths use Hennepin County's actual court and recording details.
Someone died — settling an estate
Filing probate at the District Court, what it costs, transferring property, and local attorneys.
What to do when someone dies in Hennepin County →Planning ahead as a property owner
Keep a Hennepin County home out of probate with a transfer-on-death deed or a living trust.
Estate planning in Hennepin County →The Probate Process in Hennepin County
Probate is the court-supervised process of settling someone's estate after they die — validating the will, paying debts and taxes, and transferring what's left to the heirs. In Hennepin County, probate runs through the District Court at 300 South 6th Street, C-400, Minneapolis. The court sits in the Fourth Judicial District.
Full Hennepin County probate guide: cost, how to file & attorneys →Probate Court Record
Hennepin County District Court
Hennepin County · Fourth Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Hennepin County →
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Recording Office Record
County Recorder
Hennepin County · County Recorder and Registrar of Titles
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
Recording fee
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Vital Records Office Record
County Vital Records Office
Hennepin County · Hennepin County Vital Records Office
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
Certified copies
Order online
Certified copy fee
Full death certificate details →
Verified November 1, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Medical Examiner
Hennepin County · Hennepin County Medical Examiner's Office
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
Cremation authorization
Full coroner or medical examiner details →
Verified November 1, 2026 · Source
Local Procedures at the District Court
Formal estates (commencing) on Mondays; formal estates (subsequent) Wednesday mornings; trusts Wednesday afternoons.
The Statewide Self-Help Center answers probate questions by phone and through an online contact form; staff give legal information and court forms, not legal advice. The Government Center Self-Help Center on floor A-20 handles civil, family and housing matters.
Other refusals: a distribution to a special needs trust, a minor bequest to an unnamed custodian, minor child, surviving spouse and homestead in intestacy, and nominations or renunciations not all filed. A refused application can still proceed formally. Exhibits must be submitted via the Minnesota Digital Exhibit System (MNDES), effective January 1, 2025.
Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Minnesota
Free Minnesota forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for Minnesota.
Last Will and Testament
In Minnesota, a will is signed before 2Minn. Stat. § 524.2-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyMinn. Stat. § 524.2-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
Pour-Over Will
In Minnesota, a pour-over will is signed before 2Minn. Stat. § 524.2-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
Minnesota allows a choice for a healthcare power of attorney: 2Minn. Stat. § 145C.16Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.
Financial Power of Attorney
Minnesota requires explicit durability language for a power of attorney to survive incapacityMinn. Stat. §§ 523.01, 523.02, 523.05, 523.07, 523.075, 523.08, 523.17, 523.18, 523.20, 523.23, 523.231, 523.24Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and it is signed before a notaryMinn. Stat. §§ 523.01, 523.02, 523.05, 523.07, 523.075, 523.08, 523.17, 523.18, 523.20, 523.23, 523.231, 523.24Verified Oct 22, 2026View source.
Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Minnesota
Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in Minnesota: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool for Minnesota.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Minnesota: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 180 daysMinn. Stat. §§ 524.3-706, 524.3-708Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 4 monthsMinn. Stat. §§ 524.3-801, 524.3-803, 524.3-805, 524.3-806Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 4 months to 6 months.
How Do I Settle a Trust?
Settling a trust in Minnesota happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust CodeMinn. Stat. § 501C.0101 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
Do I Need Probate?
In Minnesota, estates valued at $75,000Minn. Stat. § 524.3-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source or less skip probate with the Affidavit for Collection of Personal PropertyMinn. Stat. § 524.3-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, 30 daysMinn. Stat. § 524.3-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source after death.
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Without a will in Minnesota, a surviving spouse takes the entire estateMinn. Stat. § 524.2-102Verified Oct 21, 2026View source when every child of either spouse is a child of both, and descendants divide what passes to them per stirpesMinn. Stat. § 524.2-106Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Minnesota costs an estimated $26,108Minn. Stat. § 525.515 (just and reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage; review under § 524.3-721)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 1.9%Modeled estimate under Minn. Stat. § 525.515 (just and reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage; review under § 524.3-721): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.1%Modeled estimate under Minn. Stat. § 525.515 (just and reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage; review under § 524.3-721): 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.
Minnesota Estate Planning Articles
Articles about estate planning, probate, and trusts relevant to families in Hennepin County.
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