Serves the Driftless region from offices in Winona, La Crosse (WI), and Alma (WI). Handles trust and probate estate administration, guardianships and conservatorships, and Medical Assistance planning, and drafts wills, revocable and credit shelter trusts, and powers of attorney.
Estate Planning for Winona County, Minnesota Property Owners
For most Winona County homeowners, the house is what drags an estate into probate. A transfer-on-death deed or a living trust keeps it out—here is how to set up either one and record it locally.
For a Winona County property owner, the biggest probate risk is the home itself. Real estate is what forces most families into the District Court. The two tools that keep a Winona County home out of probate are a transfer-on-death deed recorded with the County Recorder, and a revocable living trust that holds title to the property.
Without a recorded beneficiary designation or a trust, Winona County property passes through the District Court — even simple Minnesota probates run 4+ months and start with $320 in filing fees. Minnesota also lets owners name a transfer-on-death beneficiary on vehicle titles, which keeps cars out of the same process.
Record a Transfer-on-Death Deed in Winona County
A transfer on death deed names a beneficiary who receives Winona County property automatically at the owner's death, without probate. It is recorded with the County Recorder during the owner's lifetime and can be revoked at any time.
Before recording, a Minnesota transfer on death deed is signed with notary acknowledgmentMinn. Stat. 507.071Verified Oct 18, 2026View source. The deed takes effect only if it is recorded before the owner's deathMinn. Stat. 507.071Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
Where to Record Property Documents
Deeds and other real property documents for Winona County are recorded with the County Recorder at 202 West Third Street, Winona, MN 55987. Phone: 1-507-457-6340. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM.
The County Recorder charges $46 flat, regardless of page count. Recording a 2-page transfer on death deed in Winona County comes to $46. A transfer on death deed is exempt from transfer tax.
Winona County accepts electronic recording through CSC, Indecomm, ePN and Simplifile.
Recording Office Record
County Recorder
Winona County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
202 West Third Street, Winona, MN 55987
Website
Fees
Recording fees
| Flat fee (any length) | $46 |
| Well Disclosure CertificateNot required for a TOD deed | $54 |
| Transfer tax on a TOD deed | TOD deeds are exempt from transfer tax |
Minn. Stat. 357.18 (Abstract); Minn. Stat. 508.82 (Torrens)
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Estate Planning Attorneys Serving Winona County
Serves Olmsted and Winona counties from offices in Rochester and St. Charles, where it practices as Ryan Associates. Opens and closes informal and formal probate and small estates, and handles will contests, challenges to a personal representative's actions and family disputes over estate property. Its attorneys cite over 30 years of work with southeastern Minnesota families.
Serves Olmsted, Winona and Wabasha counties from Rochester, with offices in St. Charles, Winona and Lake City. Administers estates for personal representatives, from collecting assets to distribution, guides trustees through trust administration and its tax filings, and handles guardianship and conservatorship. Founded in 1973, with nine attorneys and a farm succession practice.
Serves Winona County and southeast Minnesota from Mankato Avenue in Winona. Guides families, banks and commercial clients through the full probate process after a death, and prepares wills, trusts, powers of attorney and health care directives. A second-generation family firm whose founder, Frank E. Wohletz, began practicing in Winona in the mid-1960s, led by attorney Gregory A. Wohletz.
Serves Renville, McLeod, Wright, and Olmsted counties from offices in Olivia, Hutchinson, Cokato, and Stewartville. Probate work covers collecting assets, paying debts and taxes, estate tax returns, court filings, and distribution to heirs; the firm also creates and administers trusts, handles guardianships and conservatorships, and does Medical Assistance planning.
Serves southern Minnesota from offices in Mankato and Madelia, and states that its lawyers serve the entire state. Handles probate and estate administration, trust administration, affidavits of collection, guardianship and conservatorship, and estate litigation including will contests and probate and trust disputes. The firm traces its origin to a Mankato law practice opened on July 1, 1893.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.
Legal Sources
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Data sourced from Minnesota statutes and official state code. How we research.
Forms for Planning Your Estate in Minnesota
Free forms for planning your estate in Minnesota: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for Minnesota.
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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.
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Codicil to a Will
In Minnesota, a codicil is signed before 2Minn. Stat. § 524.2-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, like a will, and the self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyMinn. Stat. §§ 524.1-201(62), 524.2-504Verified Oct 25, 2026View source.
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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.
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HIPAA Release
In Minnesota, a HIPAA release names who may receive your records and, as the state requires, names genetic informationMinn. Stat. § 13.386Verified Jun 19, 2026View source expressly before a provider releases it.
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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.
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Transfer on Death Deed
In Minnesota, a transfer on death deed is signed before a notaryMinn. Stat. 507.071Verified Oct 18, 2026View source, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathMinn. Stat. 507.071Verified Oct 18, 2026View source. Minnesota does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.
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Vehicle Transfer on Death
Minnesota allows a transfer-on-death beneficiary designation on a vehicle titleMinn. Stat. 168A.125Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, filed through the Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS), Department of Public Safety (applications made at deputy registrar offices) using Form PS2000A.
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Living Will
In Minnesota, the living will is the Health Care DirectiveMinn. Stat. ch. 145C (Health Care Directives), §§ 145C.01-145C.18Verified Sep 27, 2026View source, a written instruction that is valid with no agent named.
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Tools for Planning Your Estate in Minnesota
Free tools for planning your estate in Minnesota: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for Minnesota.
How Do I Sign Estate Documents?
In Minnesota, a will is signed before 2Minn. Stat. § 524.2-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredMinn. Stat. § 524.2-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
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Will My Estate Documents Transfer?
Minnesota recognizes a will signed under the law of the place where it was signedMinn. Stat. § 524.2-506Verified Oct 18, 2026View source; a will signed in Minnesota itself needs 2Minn. Stat. § 524.2-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredMinn. Stat. § 524.2-502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
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Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
In Minnesota, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 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; 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 Minnesota runs $3,530Estimate: 10 hours at $353, Clio's Minnesota Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $5,295Estimate: 15 hours at $353, Clio's Minnesota 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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How Much Does a Will Cost?
An attorney-prepared will in Minnesota runs $1,035Estimate: 3 hours at $345, Clio's Minnesota Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $2,070Estimate: 6 hours at $345, Clio's Minnesota Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $299 up front with an online service, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $26,108Minn. Stat. § 525.515 (just and reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage; review under § 524.3-721)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
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How Does SimplyTrust Compare to LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and Other Services?
Compare what it costs to make a trust official across SimplyTrust, LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Rocket Lawyer, and Quicken WillMaker.
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How Do I Name a Guardian for My Minor Children?
In Minnesota, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a will or a separate signed writingMinn. Stat. §§ 524.5-202, 524.5-204; execution per § 145C.03Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18Minn. Stat. § 645.451, subds. 1, 3Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
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Do I Need a Revocable Trust?
Probate in Minnesota takes 4 months to 6 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees of typically 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; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.
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Minnesota Estate Planning Articles
Estate planning articles for Minnesota.
