Grand Forks firm founded in 1932, practicing in North Dakota and Minnesota. Its wills and trusts group handles probate and estate administration, trust administration and drafting, gifting of assets, Medicaid eligibility, and elder law; trust and estate litigation is carried in-house by the commercial litigation group rather than referred out. Mineral succession planning is a named service.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Pembina County, North Dakota
How probate works in Pembina County: the District Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Pembina County District Court
Pembina County · Northeast Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
301 Dakota Street West, Room 10, Cavalier, ND 58220
Website
E-filing
Filing in person
Walk-ins accepted
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
E-filing
Required for attorneysAttorneys file probate documents electronically through Odyssey File & Serve. Self-represented filers may file on paper, and those who choose to e-file use the same system. A filing fee on an electronic filing is paid by credit or debit card when the document is filed. On paper: Self-represented litigants and prisoners are exempt and may file paper documents in person, by mail, or by commercial carrier (N.D.R.Ct. 3.5(a)(3)); Original wills, codicils and other documents of independent legal significance may be filed as paper documents (N.D.R.Ct. 3.5(a)(4)).
Filing in person
Walk-ins acceptedSelf-represented filers may file paper probate documents at the Clerk of District Court counter during courthouse hours, or by mail or commercial carrier (N.D.R.Ct. 3.5(a)(3)).
Self-represented filing
AllowedNorth Dakota follows the Uniform Probate Code, so informal probate appoints a personal representative without a court appearance or hearing when the proper forms are filed. The State Court Administrator publishes the Informal Administration of an Estate guidebook with its forms. No forms exist for formal probate, which requires hearings.
Self-help center
- Self-help service1-701-328-1852 · ndselfhelp@ndcourts.govThe North Dakota Legal Self Help Center, a division of the Supreme Court Law Library, answers questions about civil court process from people representing themselves, by phone and email. It does not give legal advice or help with criminal matters.
Fax
1-701-265-4876
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Pembina 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 Pembina County, probate runs through the District Court at 301 Dakota Street West, Room 10, Cavalier. The court sits in the Northeast Judicial District.
The personal representative opens the case, gives notice to heirs and creditors, files an inventory of the estate's assets, settles outstanding debts and taxes, and then distributes the remainder under the will — or under North Dakota intestacy law when there is no will.
Most North Dakota estates take 6 months to 12 months to move through this process. Creditors have 3 monthsN.D.C.C. §§ 30.1-19-01, 30.1-19-03, 30.1-19-05, 30.1-19-06Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the first publication of the notice to creditors.
What Probate Costs in Pembina County
What probate costs in Pembina County, North Dakota comes down to a handful of line items — the court filing fee, attorney and executor compensation, publication, and sometimes a bond — scaled by the estate's size and whether the will is contested. The case itself runs through the District Court at 301 Dakota Street West, Room 10, Cavalier. The court is part of the Northeast Judicial District.
North Dakota charges $160N.D.C.C. § 27-05.2-03(1)(a)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source to open probate, the same in every county. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
Attorney fees in North Dakota are negotiated, typically 1.8%Modeled estimate under N.D.C.C. § 30.1-18-21 (court reviews the reasonableness of attorney compensation; no statutory percentage schedule); § 30.1-18-20 (estate pays reasonable attorney's fees): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.9%Modeled estimate under N.D.C.C. § 30.1-18-21 (court reviews the reasonableness of attorney compensation; no statutory percentage schedule); § 30.1-18-20 (estate pays reasonable attorney's fees): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates.
North Dakota allows executors 'reasonable compensation' — around 2.2%–3.8% of a $500,000 estate, judging by what the states with statutory schedules payN.D.C.C. § 30.1-18-19 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
Probate in North Dakota typically runs 6 months to 12 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the District Court
Probate cases in Pembina County, North Dakota are filed at the District Court. The court sits in the Northeast Judicial District.
The North Dakota Legal Self Help Center, a division of the Supreme Court Law Library, answers questions about civil court process from people representing themselves, by phone and email. It does not give legal advice or help with criminal matters.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
In North Dakota, informal probate is availableN.D.C.C. § 30.1-14-01Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, and a self-represented executor can usually handle it for a simple, uncontested estate.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Pembina County Self-Filing Assessment.
What to Bring
Filed with the opening petition at the District Court: Certified copy of the death certificate (guidebook lists it under documents you "may also need to file", not the always-required set); Original will (and any codicils), when testate (N.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-14); Proposed Statement of Informal Probate of Will and Appointment of a Personal Representative (Form 3, testate) / Statement of Informal Appointment of a Personal Representative – Intestacy (Form 18, intestate) — the applicant fills these in and files them unsigned; the judge signsN.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-14 (informal probate & appointment), ch. 30.1-15 (formal testacy & appointment); 30.1-12-03 & 30.1-17-01 (necessity of appointment, qualification, issuance of letters)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Coroner in Pembina County
In Pembina County certified copies of the death certificate come from North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services - Vital Records.
Vital Records Office Record
North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services - Vital Records
Pembina County · State vital records office
Phone
Office
State Capitol, Judicial Wing, 1st Floor, 600 East Boulevard Avenue, Bismarck, ND 58505-0250
Website
Certified copies
From North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services - Vital Records
Vital Records
600 East Boulevard Avenue
Dept. 325
Bismarck, ND 58505-0250
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $15 |
| Each additional copy ordered at the same time | $10 |
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Coroner
Pembina County · Pembina County Coroner
Phone
Website
Verified November 3, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in Pembina County
Clearing title to real estate after a death, whether by a personal representative’s deed, an affidavit of survivorship, or a court order, happens at the County Recorder.
Deeds and other real property documents for Pembina County are recorded with the County Recorder at 301 Dakota Street West, Room 10, Cavalier, ND 58220. Phone: 1-701-265-4373.
The County Recorder charges $20 for 1-6 pages, $65 for 7-25 pages, $65 plus $3 for each page beyond 25.
Recording Office Record
County Recorder
Pembina County · County Recorder and Clerk of Court
Phone
Office
301 Dakota Street West, Room 10, Cavalier, ND 58220
Website
Fax
1-701-265-4876
Recording fees
| 1-6 pages | $20 |
| 7-25 pages | $65 |
| 26+ pages | $65 |
| Transfer tax on a TOD deed | No transfer tax applies to TOD deeds |
N.D.C.C. § 11-18-05(1)(a) (recording fee by page band); § 11-18-05(1)(a)(2)-(4) (font, legal description, 3-inch first-page header space); § 11-18-05(1)(d) (1-inch margin rule and $10 nonconformance fee); § 11-18-05(2) (filing fee); § 11-18-05(3) (copy fees)
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Probate Attorneys Serving Pembina County
North Dakota allows informal probate, so many families settle straightforward estates in Pembina County without hiring an attorney. A probate attorney earns the fee when the estate is contested, includes a business or out-of-state real estate, has unclear or insolvent debts, or when beneficiaries disagree.
Probate attorney fees in North Dakota are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a Pembina County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the District Court, publishes the required creditor notices, prepares the inventory and accounting, handles creditor claims and tax filings, and guides the final distribution. They represent the personal representative — not the beneficiaries — a distinction that matters if a dispute develops.
Grand Forks firm, formerly Zimney Foster P.C., with roots to 1932. Estate administration covers notifying heirs and creditors, inventorying and valuing assets, transferring property, paying debts and taxes, and distributing. Creditor claim resolution is its own service line — validating claims and protecting estate assets from improper ones.
Grafton firm providing probate support across northeast North Dakota and northwest Minnesota. Represents personal representatives in locating assets and heirs, managing estate finances, and distributing — and represents heirs against a representative, including will and trust contests, routed first through alternative dispute resolution. Initial consultations are not free.
Grand Forks firm serving the region since 1898, with lawyers licensed in North Dakota and Minnesota — it makes the difference between the two states’ probate rules its stated focus. Probate administration runs from appointing the personal representative through gathering asset and debt information, paying final expenses, and distributing. Farm succession and guardianship are named practices.
Serves both sides of the river from Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, licensed in North Dakota and Minnesota state and federal courts. Handles probate, estates and trusts, simple and complex wills, powers of attorney, and health care directives, with the firm’s litigation team available for disputes arising out of estate matters. Initial consultations carry no attorney’s fee.
Serving North Dakota since 1909 from Minot, with a Grand Forks office. Estate administration and probate is aimed particularly at families owning farm and mineral property, where much of the estate is real estate or business assets. Handles administration of estates and trusts, fiduciary work, trust drafting, estate tax installment options, and probate litigation.
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
(9)·
- N.D.C.C. § 27-05.2-03(1)(a)
- N.D.C.C. § 30.1-14-01
- N.D.C.C. § 30.1-18-19 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)
- N.D.C.C. §§ 30.1-19-01, 30.1-19-03, 30.1-19-05, 30.1-19-06
- N.D.C.C. ch. 30.1-14 (informal probate & appointment), ch. 30.1-15 (formal testacy & appointment); 30.1-12-03 & 30.1-17-01 (necessity of appointment, qualification, issuance of letters)
- N.D.C.C. § 11-18-05(1)(a) (recording fee by page band); § 11-18-05(1)(a)(2)-(4) (font, legal description, 3-inch first-page header space); § 11-18-05(1)(d) (1-inch margin rule and $10 nonconformance fee); § 11-18-05(2) (filing fee); § 11-18-05(3) (copy fees)
- Pembina County District Court, official page
- Pembina County Recorder, official page
- Pembina County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
Data sourced from North Dakota statutes and official state code. Fee percentages are modeled estimates; each figure's note says how. How we research.
Tools for Settling an Estate in North Dakota
Free tools for settling an estate in North Dakota: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in North Dakota: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 180 daysN.D.C.C. §§ 30.1-18-06, 30.1-18-07, 30.1-18-08Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 3 monthsN.D.C.C. §§ 30.1-19-01, 30.1-19-03, 30.1-19-05, 30.1-19-06Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 4 months to 6 months.
See the Steps
How Do I Settle a Trust?
Settling a trust in North Dakota happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust CodeN.D.C.C. § 59-09-01 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 60 daysN.D.C.C. § 59-16-13Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
See the Steps
Can I Self-File Probate?
In North Dakota, informal probate is availableN.D.C.C. § 30.1-14-01Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, and a self-represented executor can usually handle it for a simple, uncontested estate.
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