Bonnie Wittenburg’s primary focus is estate planning (Wills, Trusts, Health Care Directives, Powers of Attorney), probate, and trust administration.
Although drafting legal documents is important, Bonnie’s primary value to her clients is her counseling regarding Wills, Trusts, probate and other estate planning and estate administration topics and issues. Bonnie’s knowledge comes from her legal and business education, but also from her life and work experiences. Bonnie will listen to you, think through your existing or potential problem, and then help you choose a strategy.
When there’s no estate plan, or a badly drafted or outdated estate plan, the financial costs can be high. Bonnie knows of cases where the lack of an adequate estate plan resulted in legal fees and costs that ranged from roughly $10,000 to $40,000 for the transfer of assets after a death. And, those are just the dollar costs of poor planning! There’s also a big emotional cost to family relationships when plans are non-existent, not updated, or ill-conceived from the start.
Bonnie will explain your legal situation in plain English. She writes blogs, and she teaches Community Ed classes in Minnetonka, Hopkins, Eden Prairie, Bloomington, Richfield, St. Louis Park and Wayzata. (Click on the “Seminars” tab at the top of this website page to find links to the upcoming Community Ed classes.)
First and foremost, Bonnie treats her clients as she would want to be treated if she were you and facing the same circumstances that you are facing. For example, Bonnie:
Estate Planning: Estate planning is as much about your family and other loved ones as it is about you and your death. If you die without an estate plan, or you have an ill-prepared plan, you may burden your family with a big mess.
A well-designed plan, updated as your circumstances change, provides you with peace of mind in knowing that you did the best that you could for your loved ones. Similarly, your family is relieved that they know what you wanted.
Probate: Probate isn’t the onerous process in Minnesota that it is in some states, but Bonnie helps her clients avoid probate because doing so typically saves her clients time and money. When a probate court action is required, Bonnie works side-by-side with the Personal Representative (a/k/a executor) of the estate to settle the deceased’s affairs as efficiently as possible given the circumstances.
Trust Administration: Trusts are typically administered by the Trustee without court involvement. Bonnie provides counsel to the trustee.
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Wittenburg Law Office, PLLC
601 Carlson Parkway, Suite 1050
Minnetonka, MN 55305
952-649-9771
Email Bonnie bonnie@bwittenburglaw.com
The purple is a tribute to my mother, who died before I started my own law firm. Purple was my mother's favorite color.