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I am a South Dakota Bar Licensed Attorney practicing in the Sioux Falls area. My main area of focus is estate planning including trusts, wills, power of attorney documents, advanced directives, and more. I can also assist clients in estate administration and other areas of transactional law. I pride myself on building trusting relationships with my clients through communication and a genuine interest in the issues they may face. Please feel free to schedule a consultation. I would be happy to work with you to ensure your estate plan serves your needs and preserves your legacy!

JACOB W. TIEDE was raised on a farm near Parkston, South Dakota. He received his undergraduate degree from South Dakota State University and earned his law degree from the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Jake’s practice focuses on business acquisitions, planning and organization, real estate, agriculture and environmental issues, as well as farm succession and estate planning.

Elliot grew up on a ranch near Rapid City, South Dakota. While competing in collegiate athletics at Augustana College, he obtained a B.A. in Biochemistry in 2011. For the next three years, Elliot worked in the chemical industry where he designed and manufactured cleaning chemicals for food processing facilities. Elliot went on to graduate with Sterling Honors from the University of South Dakota School of Law in 2017. While in law school, he was vice-president of the USD Trial Team, a member of the Moot Court Board, and on the Transactional Law Team. After graduation, Elliot served as a law clerk for the South Dakota Supreme Court. Elliot joined Beardsley Jensen & Lee in 2018, and he focuses his practice on estate planning, estate administration, agricultural law, and general civil litigation.. Now back in his hometown, Elliot enjoys spending time with his wife, Bethany, their son, Newt, and working outdoors on the family ranch.

I cannot imagine anything better than helping clients protect themselves and their families in case of disability or death, achieving their dreams of starting a business or turning its keys over to the next generation, or solidifying a lasting legacy. Proper planning not only provides financial benefits for clients, but also strengthens families and businesses for generations to come.. After graduating from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Sciences, I continued my education and graduated from the University of South Dakota Beacom School of Business with a Master of Business Administration. In 2007, I graduated from the University of South Dakota School of Law. While I was in law school I was a member of the South Dakota Law Review, serving as the Managing Editor from 2006 to 2007. Following law school, I clerked for the South Dakota Second Judicial Circuit. Before founding Legacy Law Firm, P.C. I was a Partner at Cutler Law Firm, LLP.. I am a board-certified Estate Planning Law Specialist by the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils as well as an Accredited Estate Planner®, which is awarded only to estate planning professionals who meet special requirements of education, experience, knowledge, professional reputation, and character.. I am also the only board-Certified Elder Law Attorney certified by the National Elder Law Foundation in South Dakota; I am accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs; and I am a member of the Academy of Special Needs Planners and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. I have gone through the educational process of the certified value growth advisors and certified exit planner advisors for family or privately held businesses, and along with my Juris Doctor, I also have a Master in Business Administration and am a member of the State Bar of South Dakota’s Business Law Committee. I was the State Bar of South Dakota Young Lawyer of the Year, Super Lawyers® Great Plains Rising Star and Great Plains Super Lawyer, and Martindale-Hubbell® BV Distinguished.. My husband, Chad, and I have been blessed with four children who keep us on our toes. In our spare time, we go back “home” to Parkston, South Dakota, and enjoy helping with the family cattle business and being outdoors.

My passion is estate and business planning. I enjoy educating clients about the estate planning process and get satisfaction from seeing a plan implemented and working as intended. I strive to help families leave a legacy that will provide for their loved ones and give them peace of mind.. I work with individuals and business owners to help coordinate their estate and succession plans. I grew up on a farm in central South Dakota and enjoy working with farmers and ranchers in developing long-term succession plans for their families. Planning for the successful transition of a business is a challenging process, and I enjoy helping clients sort through the intricacies of the succession plan process.. South Dakota is one of the best states in the nation for dynasty trusts, asset protection trusts, and trust administration and I have worked with attorneys from across the nation on moving trusts to South Dakota to transfer wealth and minimize taxes.. Estate planning can be a difficult practice area but can also be very rewarding. This is one area of law that truly affects everyone, and I am honored to assist my clients with their estate planning journey.

My name is Doug Thesenvitz.  Practicing law has been privilege and blessing since 1988.  I have been a prosecutor, defense lawyer; practiced family law and other litigation until about 4 or five years ago.  You have probably heard all the lawyer jokes about evil and greedy lawyers.  The problem with those jokes is that most of them are true to some degree or another.  I used to do a lot of divorces where my clients would just as soon litigate for the sake of litigation and making the other side pay.  Sometimes in family law cases (a lot of litigation is like this) it would be the other lawyer making things worse than necessary.  Sometimes litigation involves serving motions late on a Friday to ruin the other attorney’s weekend.  I had to quit living the life of a litigator; there was too much animosity, disharmony and discord.. There had to be a more peaceful and enjoyable way to practice law.  The privilege of helping families prepare wills and trusts, counseling them on vitally important issues in their most personal lives is the highest best honor and blessing I have found.  I am thankful every day that I get to help people with these decisions.  Practicing law to help protect children, loved ones, values and assets is not work but honor.  The honor of helping people with their estate plans is why I focus my practice in the field of estate planning.

My practice at Legacy Law Firm focuses exclusively on estate and business planning. I am dedicated to helping my clients protect their loved ones, preserve their assets, and leave behind a lasting legacy. I have worked with hundreds of individuals, families, and businesses to plan for their futures. Whether I am preparing a client’s Last Will and Testament, helping a family create or administer a trust, or guiding a business owner through a corporate merger, I like to bring a common-sense approach to even the most sophisticated legal issues. At Legacy Law Firm, P.C., I enjoy being able to concentrate on the specific practice areas that I love, surrounded by a team that is devoted to providing first-rate legal representation and great client service. When I am not in the office, I spend most of my time with my wife, Heather, trying to keep up with our daughter, Joanna.. Areas of Practice. Bar Admissions. Education. Community Service. Memberships

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Alan focuses his practice in the area of estates, trusts, estate planning and administration, and Federal and State income, estate and inheritance taxes. He also has substantial experience in real estate and commercial transactions, condominium law and corporate matters.. Alan’s experience includes:. Alan has been an attorney with Levine Staller and its predecessor law firm since 1973 and has been a partner since 1977. He is a member of the Atlantic County, New Jersey State and American Bar Associations.

Attorney Paul J. Knierim practices in the areas of estate planning, probate, estate and trust administration, and resolution of probate disputes. Paul, a retired probate judge, brings unparalleled problem-solving strategies to bear on even the most complex of issues. He also serves as a mediator to help families to resolve disputes outside of court.. Paul's experience includes more than two decades of service in the judiciary. He served for 12 years as judge of the Simsbury Probate Court. In 2008, the Chief Justice appointed Paul to lead the state’s Probate Courts as Probate Court Administrator, a role he served until 2019.. Paul’s experience as a lawyer and judge is enormously valuable to his clients, but he adds even more value with his ability to bring a sense of calm to tense situations and his skill in facilitating creative solutions. A problem solver with deep knowledge of probate law and keen insight into family dynamics, Paul provides objective and practical guidance to help families resolve their conflicts quickly, cost effectively, and with as little drama as possible.. During his 11 years as head of the Probate Court system, Paul was responsible for policy leadership and operation of all 54 of the state’s Probate Courts. Among his many accomplishments, he. • Resolved decades-long debate over court reform by building consensus among judges, executive branch officials, legislators, and municipal leaders• Enacted stronger judicial ethics codes, expanded continuing education for judges and court staff, won passage of legislation to modernize probate law and overhauled the rules of procedure that govern probate cases• Established better support and oversight for conservators through free online training, legally binding standards of practice and random audits• Launched numerous initiatives to strengthen the professionalism of the Probate Courts, streamline court procedures and improve the customer experiencePrior to his role as Probate Court Administrator:• He served as Simsbury probate judge for 12 years• He practiced law in the areas of estate planning, probate, and family business at two Greater Hartford firms• He served 3 terms as State Representative in the General Assembly, where he was assistant minority leader and ranking member of the Education Committee