Serves Cavalier and Pembina counties from Cavalier, with a second office in Walhalla open by appointment. Handles settling a loved one’s estate and navigating probate court, and treats guardianship as a specialty — contested and uncontested, adults and minors, including annual reports and modifying or terminating one. Four attorneys, 80-plus years combined.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Towner County, North Dakota
How probate works in Towner County: the District Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Towner County District Court
Towner County · Northeast Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-5:00 PM
Office
315 2nd Street, Cando, ND 58324
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.
P.O. Box 517
Cando, ND 58325
Fax
1-701-968-4344
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Towner 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 Towner County, probate runs through the District Court at 315 2nd Street, Cando. 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 Towner County
What probate costs in Towner 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 315 2nd Street, Cando. 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 Towner 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 Towner 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 Towner County
In Towner 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
Towner 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
Towner County
Published contact
None published by the county. The office is created by N.D. Cent. Code § 11-19.1-02.
Verified November 4, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in Towner 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 Towner County are recorded with the County Recorder at 315 2nd Street, Cando, ND 58324. Phone: 1-701-968-4340 ext. 2005. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM.
Documents submitted by mail go to P.O. Box 517, Cando, ND 58324.
The County Recorder charges $20 for 1-6 pages, $65 for 7-25 pages, $65 plus $3 for each page beyond 25.
Towner County accepts electronic recording.
Recording Office Record
County Recorder
Towner County
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Office
315 2nd Street, Cando, ND 58324
Website
E-recording
P.O. Box 517
Cando, ND 58324
Fax
1-701-968-4344
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 Towner County
North Dakota allows informal probate, so many families settle straightforward estates in Towner 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 Towner 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.
Serves north-central and northeastern North Dakota from Devils Lake and Park River, for nearly 20 years. Guides personal representatives through compiling the inventory, notifying and paying creditors, and distributing assets. Attorney Tracy Laaveg has extensive experience establishing guardianships and conservatorships; the firm also does title opinions, title insurance, and farm leases.
Mondragon Law Office
Solo practice in Langdon, one of two law offices in the Cavalier County seat. Angelo Mondragon has been admitted in North Dakota since 2020 and took over R. Scott Stewart’s practice at the same address; the firm is registered as R. Scott Stewart P.C. d/b/a Mondragon Law Office. He also serves as Cavalier County State’s Attorney. No website; contact by phone.
Serves rural North Dakota from Devils Lake, with meeting space in Grand Forks and Fargo. Handles probate and trust administration, Medicaid asset protection, special needs and life insurance trusts, and farm and business succession for families, farmers, and small businesses. An attorney and a CPA are both on staff, so estate accounting and tax work stay in one office.
Serves Cass, Traill, and Benson counties from five offices in West Fargo, Casselton, Hillsboro, Page, and Maddock. Addresses newly named personal representatives and successor trustees directly: cataloging and valuing assets, filing court documents, paying creditor claims and estate taxes, and distributing to heirs, with litigation when disputes arise.
Bismarck office of a regional firm, the largest of its North Dakota offices, with a second office in Williston. Guides personal representatives and trustees through asset management, estate and gift tax returns, fiduciary accountings, elective share and allowances, and beneficiary and creditor claims, and carries trust and estate disputes through appeal.
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)
- Towner County District Court, official page
- Towner County Recorder, official page
- Towner 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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