Sep 17, 2025 | Estate Planning Litigation, Latest News
The maddest Lee said he’s ever been in the practice of law was when a widow came to his office and explained how she was now a pauper after being disinherited from her husband’s large estate! We have laws in South Dakota to protect widows and widowers when their...Jul 30, 2024 | Estate Planning Litigation, Latest News
On Thursday July 18, 2024, at the conclusion of a three-day jury trial, a Codington County jury returned a unanimous win for our client—the Estate of Dennis Schmeling. The jury reached its decision in less than 50 minutes. The challengers were two brothers and a...Jan 31, 2024 | Estate Planning Litigation
Our firm won in the South Dakota Supreme Court on behalf of one of the Redlin Family Trusts. South Dakota’s highest court unanimously adopted our position that the Trustee had acted properly and in accordance with directions in the trust document. The decision can be...May 1, 2023 | Estate Planning Litigation
Recently, Schoenbeck & Erickson, PC, defended the Will and Trust of Phillip and Alice Mack when challenged by their son, Robert Mack. Mr. Mack claimed to have had a “partnership” with his father and that “partnership” entitled him to half of the present value of...Apr 18, 2019 | Estate Planning Litigation
On April 15, 2019, Lee Schoenbeck and Joe Erickson completed a three-day jury trial in Sioux Falls over a Will. The jury found for our clients on all the issues. The Will was challenged as to whether it was correctly signed by the testator and the witnesses, and also,...Mar 21, 2017 | Estate Planning Litigation
At the end of the first day of a trial before Judge Portra in Brown County, the Judge granted our motion to require the return of $504,923.52 to a conservatorship. During the conservatorship, all of these funds were placed in accounts at the First State Bank of Roscoe...