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Wisconsin Estate Lawyer Wills · Trusts · Probate
/ Practice Areas · Probate /

When a loved one passes.

Clear guidance through Wisconsin probate, from the first filing to the final distribution.

When probate is required in Wisconsin

Not every estate goes through probate. In Wisconsin, probate is generally required when the person who died owned more than $50,000 in their name alone, or solely owned Wisconsin real estate. Smaller estates can often skip court entirely using Wisconsin’s transfer by affidavit procedure.

  • Informal probate is the most common path: administered through the county probate registrar without ongoing court supervision.
  • Formal probate is supervised by a judge and required when there are disputes, and Wisconsin law requires an attorney for it.
  • Most estates close within six to twelve months. Wisconsin expects estates wrapped up within a year to eighteen months.

If you’re the personal representative

Being named personal representative is a job: inventorying assets, publishing notices, dealing with creditors, filing tax returns, and distributing what remains, with personal responsibility if it’s done wrong. You can hire us to guide you through it step by step, or to take the heavy lifting off your plate entirely.

After a death

There is no legal deadline in the first days. Take care of your family and yourself first. When you’re ready, one conversation will map out everything that needs to happen and in what order.

Avoiding this for the next generation

Most people who administer an estate come away with one conclusion: they don’t want their own family doing this. Trusts, transfer-on-death deeds, and beneficiary designations can move nearly everything outside probate. When the estate you’re handling closes, we can make sure yours never opens.

/ Free Consultation /

Let’s take this off your plate.

Thirty minutes, no obligation. You’ll leave knowing exactly what your family needs and what it costs.

  • Free 30-minute consultation
  • Flat-fee quote on the spot
  • Anywhere in Wisconsin, in person or by video
Prefer to talk now? (608) 555-0123

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