Practice areas
Four kinds of work for people and businesses in Vernon, La Crosse, Monroe and Crawford counties. What each includes, who handles it, and what it costs.
Estate planning and probate
Marit Halvorsen, Viroqua office
Wills, trusts and powers of attorney, written so your family is not left guessing. We also guide families through probate after a death, and help farm families plan who takes over the land.
Request a consultation about estate planning and probate
Estate planning in detail, with the will-or-trust questionnaire
What we help with
- Wills and revocable living trusts
- Powers of attorney for finances and for health care
- Transfer-on-death deeds and beneficiary reviews
- Probate and trust administration after a death
- Farm succession plans
What it costs
Flat fees. Will package $650 for one person, $950 for a couple. Trust package from $2,100. Probate is quoted after the first meeting.
Good to know in Wisconsin
- Wisconsin is a marital property state: most of what a married couple earns or buys during the marriage belongs to both spouses equally, whatever name is on it.
- A Wisconsin will has to be signed by you and by two witnesses. A handwritten will with no witnesses is not valid here.
- Wisconsin has no state estate tax and no inheritance tax.
Real estate
Marit Halvorsen for farmland and Vernon County; Owen Reed for homes in La Crosse County
Buying or selling a home or land, land contracts between neighbors and relatives, and the title, boundary and easement questions that come with rural property.
What we help with
- Reviewing offers to purchase and closing papers
- Land contracts, drafted and recorded
- Deeds, easements and boundary agreements
- Title problems and quiet title actions
- Farm and recreational land sales
What it costs
Flat fees for most work: offer review $300, deed preparation $375, land contract drafted and recorded from $850.
Good to know in Wisconsin
- Most Wisconsin home sales use the standard WB-11 Residential Offer to Purchase. Once it is accepted it is binding, so have it read before you sign, not after.
- Most sellers of Wisconsin homes must give buyers a Real Estate Condition Report.
- A land contract should be recorded with the county Register of Deeds so the buyer's interest is on the public record.
Family law
Owen Reed, La Crosse office
Divorce, legal separation, custody and placement, child support, and changes to existing orders. We settle what can be settled and are ready for court when it can't be.
What we help with
- Divorce and legal separation
- Legal custody and physical placement
- Child support and maintenance
- Changing an existing order
- Marital property agreements
What it costs
Hourly at $240, with an advance deposit set in your engagement letter. You get a written estimate before you decide.
Good to know in Wisconsin
- To file for divorce in Wisconsin, one spouse must have lived in the state for at least six months and in the county for at least 30 days.
- A court cannot grant a Wisconsin divorce until at least 120 days after the other spouse was served or a joint petition was filed.
- Wisconsin law says physical placement instead of visitation. Legal custody means who makes the major decisions.
Small business
Owen Reed, La Crosse office (farm businesses with Marit Halvorsen)
Setting up an LLC properly, leases and contracts you can actually read, buying or selling a business, and agreements between partners signed before anything goes wrong.
What we help with
- Forming LLCs and corporations
- Operating and partnership agreements
- Commercial leases and contracts
- Buying or selling a business
- Farm entities and transition plans
What it costs
LLC formation with an operating agreement, flat $900 plus the state filing fee. Contract or lease review from $350.
Good to know in Wisconsin
- Wisconsin LLCs are formed by filing Articles of Organization with the Department of Financial Institutions, which also requires an annual report.
- Wisconsin does not require an operating agreement, but without one, default state rules decide what happens when members disagree or one leaves.
- If you sell taxable goods or services you need a seller's permit from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.
What we do not handle
Criminal defense, personal injury, bankruptcy and immigration. If that is what you need, call anyway. We will point you to a lawyer who does that work, or to the State Bar of Wisconsin's Lawyer Referral and Information Service.
General information, not legal advice. This explains Wisconsin law in general terms. Your situation may differ, and reading it does not make us your lawyers.
Not sure which one you need?
Tell us what is going on in a sentence or two. We will send it to the right attorney, and they call you back within one business day.
