An estate plan that says exactly what you mean, when it matters most.
Hartley Law Office helps individuals and families in the north metro put their wishes in writing: wills, living trusts, powers of attorney, and health care directives, along with probate and estate tax guidance when the time comes.
The documents in a complete plan
Estate planning, from the first draft to the final distribution
We focus on one area of law so that we can do it thoroughly. Each topic below explains what the document or process does and when it applies.
Wills
A last will and testament names who inherits, who manages your estate, and who cares for minor children.
Read more →Living Trusts
Revocable and irrevocable trusts that hold and pass on property outside of probate.
Read more →Power of Attorney
A durable power of attorney lets someone you trust handle finances if you become incapacitated.
Read more →Health Care Directives
Living wills, health care proxies, and advance directives that record your medical wishes.
Read more →The Probate Process
How an estate is opened, administered, and closed in Minnesota court after a death.
Read more →Executors & Trustees
Practical guidance for personal representatives and trustees carrying out a plan.
Read more →Estate, Gift & GST Taxes
Federal and Minnesota estate tax, the gift tax, and the generation-skipping transfer tax.
Read more →Retirement Benefits
Planning with IRAs and 401(k)s, including beneficiary designations and the 10-year rule.
Read more →Asset Protection
Lawful strategies to shield savings and property from creditors and long-term-care costs.
Read more →Three meetings, one plan
Tell us about your family and your property
In the first meeting we listen: who is in your life, what you own, what worries you, and what you want to happen. Bring account statements and any documents you already have.
Review a plan built for you
We recommend the right combination of will, trust, power of attorney, and health care directive, explain the trade-offs in plain language, and send drafts for you to read at home.
Sign, fund, and keep it current
Documents are signed and witnessed at the office. We help retitle assets and update beneficiary designations so the plan actually works, then review it with you as life changes.
Practical planning for north metro families
Most of our clients are not wealthy in the way estate tax law imagines. They own a home, have retirement savings, perhaps a cabin, and want to be sure their spouse is cared for and their children are treated fairly. A well-drafted estate plan does that, and it spares the family a court process at the hardest possible time.
- Parents naming a guardian for minor children
- Couples protecting each other and planning for blended families
- Retirees coordinating IRAs and 401(k)s with the rest of the plan
- Families facing the Minnesota estate tax on a home, cabin, and savings
- Personal representatives and trustees who need guidance after a death
- Phone
- (763) 789-4394
- Address
- 3988 Central Ave NE, Columbia Heights, MN 55421
Plus code: 2QR2+7X Columbia Heights, Minnesota
| Sunday | Closed |
| Monday | 8 AM – 5 PM |
| Tuesday | 8 AM – 5 PM |
| Wednesday | 8 AM – 5 PM |
| Thursday | 8 AM – 5 PM |
| Friday | 8 AM – 5 PM |
| Saturday | Closed |