John A. Wehrly
Top rated Estate & Trust Litigation attorney in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Steinhagen, Crist, Wehrly & Kufus PLLP
Practice areas: Estate & Trust Litigation, Estate Planning & Probate; view more
Licensed in Minnesota since: 2012
Education: University of St. Thomas School of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2023 - 2026 
Selected to Rising Stars: 2021 - 2022 Call today:
612-564-7123
Steinhagen, Crist, Wehrly & Kufus PLLP
5001 Chowen Avenue SouthMinneapolis, MN 55410 Visit website
A trust and estate attorney at the law firm of Steinhagen, Crist, Wehrly & Kufus PLLP in Minneapolis, Minnesota, John A. Wehrly represents clients in and around the Twin Cities. He assists them with legal matters involving trusts and estates, estate planning, related litigation, and guardianships/conservatorships.
Mr. Wehrly is a former Adjunct Professor of Wills, Trusts, and Estates at the University of St. Thomas School of Law. He maintains professional affiliations with the American Bar Association, the Hennepin County Bar Association, and the Ramsey County Bar Association. Additionally, he has served as a moderator of continuing legal education for panels of judicial officers regarding probate, trust, estate, and guardianship issues.
Earning his law degree from the University of St. Thomas School of Law, Mr. Wehrly has been licensed to practice in Minnesota since 2012. During law school, he served as the associate editor of the Journal of Law and Public Policy and was the recipient of the President’s Scholarship and the Dean's Award. He also played an active role in the university’s Elder Law Clinic.
After graduation, Mr. Wehrly worked as an attorney at a law firm in the Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul area, practicing in trusts, estates, probate and conservatorships, before joining his current firm. Active in the legal community, he is a member of the governing council for the Minnesota State Bar Association’s Probate & Trust Law Section, and he is co-chair of the Legislation Committee of the Probate & Trust Law Section. He has served as a co-chair in the Probate & Trust Law Section of the Hennepin County Bar Association and co-chair of the Probate & Trust Law Section of the Ramsey County Bard Association. He previously served on the board of directors for the Minnesota Association for Guardianship & Conservatorship.
Practice areas
Estate & Trust Litigation, Estate Planning & ProbateFocus areas
Guardianships & Conservatorships, Living Wills, Power of Attorney, Probate & Estate Administration, Trusts, Will Contests, Wills
- 60% Estate & Trust Litigation
- 40% Estate Planning & Probate
First Admitted: 2012, Minnesota
Professional Webpage: https://www.steinhagen-crist.com/john-wehrly
Bar / Professional Activity
- Member of Governing Council, Probate & Trust Law Section, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2024
- Co-Chair of Legislation Committee of MSBA Probate & Trust Law Section, 2024
- Member of Governing Council, Probate & Trust Law Section, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2023
- Board of Directors, Minnesota Association of Guardianship and Conservatorship (MAGiC), 2023
- Co-Chair, Probate & Trust Law Section, Hennepin County Bar Association, 2022
- Ramsey County Bar Association, 2023
- Hennepin County Bar Association, 2023
- Minnesota State Bar Association, 2023
- Real Property, Trust, and Estate Section, American Bar Association
- Co-Chair, Probate & Trust Law Section, Hennepin County Bar Association, 2021
- Adjunct Professor of Law (Wills, Trusts, and Estates), University of St. Thomas School of Law, 2019
- Former Co-Chair, Probate & Trust Law Section, Ramsey County Bar Association, 2019
Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)
- $800,000 settlement for client-plaintiff on claims of breach of fiduciary duty against trustee who originally denied all liability, 2022
- Represented beneficiaries in suit against trustees who spent $300,000+ of trust money on themselves. Favorably settled after discovery, 2024
- Represented Respondent's spouse in a conservatorship action related to an estate valued in excess of $5,000,000. After two days of trial, Court granted motion to dismiss, dismissing the entire case in our favor, 2024
- Represented beneficiary in clawing back assets that were wrongfully removed from his father's name shortly before his death; favorably settled after written discovery, 2023
- Represented nominated personal representative in litigation defending validity of Decedent's last will and testament, 2023
- Represented neutral, court-appointed personal representative in contentious and complex insolvent estate administration involving several creditors, multiple pieces of ancillary litigation, and multiple corporations owned by decedent, 2023
- Defended personal representative of estate in formal litigation alleging several breaches of fiduciary duty and seeking removal of personal representative, 2023
- $600,000 settlement for client-plaintiff on intrafamily loan dispute after defendant originally denied all liability, 2022
- Represented beneficiaries in suit against fiduciary who absconded with nearly $250,000 of non-probate assets that were intended for beneficiaries. Shortly after commencing litigation and prior to any discovery, defendant-fiduciary settled for full value of claim , 2022
- Represented Plaintiff-Trustee in a slayer statute action against Defendant-Beneficiary who killed settlor of the Trust. Obtained court order terminating Defendant-Beneficiary's inheritance share, resulting in $400,000+ benefit to Trust , 2022
Pro bono / Community Service
- Member of Governing Council, Probate & Trust Law Section, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2024
- Co-Chair of Legislation Committee, MSBA Probate & Trust Law Section, 2024
- Member of Governing Council, Probate & Trust Law Section, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2023
- Member of Governing Council, Probate & Trust Law Section, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2022
- Board of Directors and Chair of Annual Statewide Conference, Minnesota Association of Guardianship and Conservatorship (MAGiC), 2022
- Board of Directors and Chair of Annual Statewide Conference, Minnesota Association of Guardianship and Conservatorship (MAGiC), 2023
- Board of Directors and Chair of Annual Statewide Conference, Minnesota Association of Guardianship and Conservatorship (MAGiC), 2021
- Board of Directors and Chair of Annual Statewide Conference, Minnesota Association of Guardianship and Conservatorship (MAGiC), 2020
Scholarly Lectures / Writings
- Moderator of CLE with Hennepin County Probate Court's Judicial Officers, Moderator, "A View from the Bench", Hennepin County Bar Association Probate & Trust Law Section, 2022
- Moderator of Panel of Judicial Officers regarding Guardianship and Conservatorship, Moderator, "A view from the Bench", Minnesota Association of Guardianship and Conservatorship (MAGiC), 2022
- Moderator of CLE with Hennepin County Probate Court's Judicial Officers, Moderator, "The View From the Bench", Hennepin County Bar Association Probate & Trust Law Section, 2021
- Moderator of Panel of Judicial Officers regarding Guardianship and Conservatorship, Moderator, "A View from the Bench", Minnesota Association of Guardianship and Conservatorship (MAGiC), 2021
These comments were made by fellow attorneys during the annual nomination process.
“John is an up and coming probate/trust litigator who has a broad knowledge of applicable statutes through his work on the MSBA Probate/Trust Section legislative committee.”
“Dedicated to being a master of the law, dedicated to public service through the bar association, incredibly capable”
“Sharp and detail oriented.”
“Creative and ambitious lawyer.”
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2023 - 2026
- Rising Stars: 2021 - 2022
