The Hennepin County Probate Registrars recently released an updated guide to informal probates. The guide contains helpful information when preparing an informal probate, including customs unique to Hennepin County. I frequently used the old guide when preparing probates.
Overall, there isn’t much new compared to the old version. But if you practice in Hennepin County, you’ll want to have the most recent one on hand. I did note with interest that apparently pro se applicants must sign a “Waiver of Legal Advice” attached as the last page of the guide. I don’t know whether this is a new requirement or not. This, of course, doesn’t apply to clients we would represent, but is interesting in that it indicates the court’s reticence about helping pro se applicants. This is worth mentioning to potential clients of yours if they are trying to decide whether to hire you or go at it alone.
It doesn’t appear that the new guide is available yet on the Hennepin County Probate website, so I have made it available for download on my website at the link below. I will update the link to the court’s website when it becomes available. If you find the link before I do, let me know in the comments.
Download the guide here.
1/27/10: minor edits