Serves eastern South Dakota from offices in Brookings and Watertown. Handles uncontested probate of a will, intestate administration, trust administration for successor trustees of revocable living trusts, business interests in probate, and estate administration for personal representatives who live outside South Dakota. The Brookings practice traces back more than 100 years.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Brookings County, South Dakota
How probate works in Brookings County: the Circuit Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Brookings County Circuit Court
Brookings County · 3rd Judicial Circuit
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
314 6th Avenue, Suite 6, Brookings, SD 57006-2085
Website
E-filing
Filing in person
Walk-ins accepted
Self-represented filing
Allowed
E-filing
Required for attorneysAttorneys have filed electronically in every civil case type, probate included, since July 1, 2014 (SDCL 16-21A-2). A self-represented filer may file electronically but is not required to; the attorney system, eFile & Serve, is not open to self-represented filers. The UJS Guide and File interviews for self-represented filers cover guardian and conservator inventories, reports and accountings, and no estate filing. On paper: Original wills deposited for safekeeping under SDCL 29A-2-515 are not accepted for e-filing; Trial and hearing exhibits, sealed documents, and oversized documents (SDCL 16-21A-2(4)); Self-represented filers may file on paper instead (SDCL 16-21A-2(2)).
Filing in person
Walk-ins acceptedPaper filings are accepted at the clerk of court counter during office hours.
Self-represented filing
AllowedAn application for informal probate or appointment is made to the clerk of court (SDCL 29A-3-301). A self-represented applicant files it on paper at the counter or by mail, since the attorney e-filing system is not open to self-represented filers. The UJS self-help forms include guardianship but no estate filing.
Self-help center
- Self-help service1-855-784-0004 · ujssrlhelp@ujs.state.sd.usThe UJS Legal Form Help Line answers questions about the UJS self-help forms and Guide and File by phone, email or an online question form. It gives no legal advice, and the UJS forms include guardianship but no estate filing.
About the court
- 3rd Judicial Circuit administrative office located here.
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Brookings 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 Brookings, probate runs through the Circuit Court at 314 6th Avenue, Suite 6, Brookings. The court sits in the 3rd Judicial Circuit.
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 South Dakota intestacy law when there is no will.
Most South Dakota estates take 6 months to 12 months to move through this process. Creditors have 4 monthsSDCL §§ 29A-3-801, 29A-3-803, 29A-3-805Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the first publication of the notice to creditors.
What Probate Costs in Brookings County
What probate costs in Brookings County, South 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 Circuit Court at 314 6th Avenue, Suite 6, Brookings. The court is part of the 3rd Judicial Circuit.
South Dakota charges $122SDCL § 16-2-29(1); SDCL § 16-2-39; SDCL § 14-6-1Verified 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 South Dakota are negotiated, typically 1.8%Modeled estimate under SDCL § 29A-3-719(a) (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage for attorneys): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.8%Modeled estimate under SDCL § 29A-3-719(a) (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage for attorneys): 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.
South Dakota sets executor compensation by statute — about $12,585 on a $500,000 estate, roughly 2.5%SDCL § 29A-3-719(c) (5% on first $1K, 4% on $1K-$5K, 2.5% on amounts over $5K for personal property; real property court-determined as just and reasonable)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 South Dakota typically runs 6 months to 12 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the Circuit Court
Probate cases in Brookings County, South Dakota are filed at the Circuit Court. The court sits in the 3rd Judicial Circuit.
The UJS Legal Form Help Line answers questions about the UJS self-help forms and Guide and File by phone, email or an online question form. It gives no legal advice, and the UJS forms include guardianship but no estate filing.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
South Dakota has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is availableSDCL § 29A-3-301Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Brookings County Self-Filing Assessment.
What to Bring
Filed with the opening petition at the Circuit Court: Verified application (informal) or petition (formal) stating the contents required by SDCL 29A-3-301 / 29A-3-402 (decedent, applicant interest, heirs/devisees, venue, will status); Original will and any codicils, if testate — the custodian must "deliver it with reasonable promptness to an appropriate court or to a person able to secure its probate" (SDCL 29A-2-516), and the application must state that the original is in the court's possession or accompanies it (SDCL 29A-3-301(a)(2)(i)); Certified copy of the death certificate (standard filing requirement)SDCL ch. 29A-3 (UPC Article III); §§ 29A-3-301 to 29A-3-311 (informal application & appointment); §§ 29A-3-401, 29A-3-402, 29A-3-414 (formal testacy/appointment)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Coroner in Brookings County
In South Dakota a death is registered locally, and in Brookings County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Register of Deeds, Brookings County as well as by South Dakota Department of Health - Vital Records.
Vital Records Office Record
Register of Deeds
Brookings County · Register of Deeds
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
520 3rd Street, Suite 120, Brookings, SD 57006
Website
Certified copies
At the counter
Fax
1-605-696-8245
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $15 |
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Coroner
Brookings County · Brookings County Coroner
Phone
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in Brookings 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 Register of Deeds.
Deeds and other real property documents for Brookings County are recorded with the Register of Deeds at 520 3rd Street, Suite 120, Brookings, SD 57006. Phone: 1-605-696-8240. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.
The Register of Deeds charges $30 for the first 50 pages plus $2 for each page beyond 50.
Recording Office Record
Register of Deeds
Brookings County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
520 3rd Street, Suite 120, Brookings, SD 57006
Website
Fax
1-605-696-8245
Recording fees
| Base fee (first 50 pages) | $30 |
| Each page beyond 50 | $2 |
| Transfer tax on a TOD deed | TOD deeds are exempt from transfer tax |
SDCL 7-9-15 (recording fees); SDCL 7-9-7 (certificate of value; TOD deeds exempt under subd. (5)); SDCL 43-28-23 (document format standards); SDCL 43-4-21 (real estate transfer fee); SDCL 43-4-22 (transfer fee exemptions)
Verified October 17, 2026 · Source
Forms that put a death on the title
- Free forms: Affidavit of Death Form
Probate Attorneys Serving Brookings County
South Dakota allows informal probate, so many families settle straightforward estates in Brookings 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 South Dakota are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a Brookings County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Circuit 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 Brookings and the surrounding area from its Sixth Street office. Assists personal representatives, executors, and beneficiaries with probate and estate administration from the initial review through final distribution, including creditor claims and disputes over unclear instructions. Also handles elder law planning and business and farm succession planning.
Serves clients from Sioux Falls and Brookings, with two more offices in Sheldon and Sioux Center, Iowa. Handles probate and trust administration and modifies existing trusts under South Dakota law, alongside wills, trusts, business succession, charitable giving and asset protection planning. In Sioux Falls since 1887, with attorneys who also practice in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and North Dakota.
Serves the Sioux Falls area from its office on S Phillips Avenue. Handles probate and estate administration and will disputes, alongside wills, trusts, asset titling, and powers of attorney. Founded in Sioux Falls in 1995.
Serves Sioux Falls and clients throughout South Dakota from its office on East 8th Street. Guides executors and trustees through probate and trust administration, from settling debts and estate taxes to transferring assets, and handles wills, trusts, and guardianships. Founded in 1894 and kept small by design, so clients work directly with their attorney; initial consultations are free.
Practices from Sioux Falls. Takes probate from appointment of the personal representative to closing the estate, assists trustees with trust administration and trustee removal or appointment, and handles guardianships, conservatorships, trust and estate litigation and will contests. Its attorneys are licensed in six states, from South Dakota to Kansas.
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)·
- SDCL § 16-2-29(1); SDCL § 16-2-39; SDCL § 14-6-1
- SDCL § 29A-3-301
- SDCL § 29A-3-719(c) (5% on first $1K, 4% on $1K-$5K, 2.5% on amounts over $5K for personal property; real property court-determined as just and reasonable)
- SDCL §§ 29A-3-801, 29A-3-803, 29A-3-805
- SDCL ch. 29A-3 (UPC Article III); §§ 29A-3-301 to 29A-3-311 (informal application & appointment); §§ 29A-3-401, 29A-3-402, 29A-3-414 (formal testacy/appointment)
- SDCL 7-9-15 (recording fees); SDCL 7-9-7 (certificate of value; TOD deeds exempt under subd. (5)); SDCL 43-28-23 (document format standards); SDCL 43-4-21 (real estate transfer fee); SDCL 43-4-22 (transfer fee exemptions)
- Brookings Circuit Court, official page
- Brookings County Register of Deeds, official page
- Brookings County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
Data sourced from South 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 South Dakota
Free tools for settling an estate in South 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 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.
See the Steps
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.
See the Steps
Can I Self-File Probate?
South Dakota has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is availableSDCL § 29A-3-301Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
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