Gregory Singleton

Bar / Professional Activity

• Hope Lodge - Co-Organizer, 2025
• Drafting Wills & Trusts Study Group - Co-Founder, 2025
• Medical Assistance Study Group - Co-Founder, 2025
• Wills for Heroes, 2025
• Hennepin County Probate Clinic, 2025
• 4th District Ethics Committee: Volunteer Investigator, 2025
• 4th District Ethics Committee: Volunteer Investigator, 2024
• Wills for Heroes - Volunteer Attorney L'NAA - Founding Member, 2023
• 4th District Ethics Committee: Volunteer Investigator, 2023
• Wills for Heroes, Volunteer Attorney 2022-current, 2022
• 4th District Ethics Committee: Volunteer Investigator, 2022
• 4th District Ethics Committee: Volunteer Investigator, 2021
• 4th District Ethics Committee: Volunteer Investigator, 2020
• 4th District Ethics Committee: Volunteer Investigator, 2019
• 4th District Ethics Committee: Volunteer Investigator, 2018
• 4th District Ethics Committee: Volunteer Investigator, 2017
• 4th District Ethics Committee: Volunteer Investigator, 2016
• 4th District Ethics Committee: Volunteer Investigator, 2015
• 4th District Ethics Committee: Volunteer Investigator, 2014

Verdicts / Settlements (Case Results)

• Estate of Robin Helgeson Goldstein 17-PA-PR-23-847 In this matter, the estate was set up with a revocable living trust, but not all of the assets had been funded into the trust. Consequently, the estate needed to be probated. One of the challenges of the matter was that there were potential incapacity issues with individuals who had priority over some of the assets, but did not want them. I very carefully navigated the inherent ethical issues of the case and was able to settle all outstanding matters. The probate is in the process of closing and should be closed this month., 2024
• Estate of Harry James Mathison, Jr. 19HA-PR-24-121 In this matter there was real property that needed to be sold rather quickly. Other attorneys had turned them down previously. I used a probate alternative called Summary Administration & Distribution and was ble to get an order from the court authorizing the sale of the property less than three months after the death of the decedent, only two months after the client initially contacted me., 2024
• Estate of Donald Wyman Moderie 19HA-PR-23-75 I was hired to administer the probate of Mr. Moderie. What stands out about this matter is that the Decedent had a "holographic will" - meaning it was handwritten and not properly executed. While holographic wills are accepted in some states, Minnesota is not one of them. I was able to negotiate with the heirs and reach an extrajudicial settlement that honored the wishes of the Decedent as set forth in the holographic will. , 2023

Videos

• I produce and post videos on estate planning, probate, trust administration, elder law, and other related legal fields on YouTube every two weeks. Topics include, for example: Essential Series (fundamental estate planning concepts), Probate & Trust Administration, Celebrity Estates, Problem Walk-Throughs, Case Law Update ... and more! Videos have been posted every two weeks since the beginning of 2022 and have been an essential tool for the public to learn more about estate law and related fields., Signature Law - Estate Planning & Probate, Families and Individuals, 2023
• I produce and post videos on estate planning, probate, trust administration, elder law, guardianships and conservatorships, and other related legal fields on YouTube. Topics include, for example: Essential Series (fundamental estate planning concepts), Probate & Trust Administration, Celebrity Estates, Problem Walk-Throughs, Case Law Updates ... and more! Videos have been posted approximately every two weeks since the beginning of 2022 and have been an essential tool for the public to learn more about estate law and related fields., Signature Law – Estate Planning, Probate and Elder Law, Families and Individuals, 2024

Representative Clients

• In addition to estate planning, I do a fair amount of work as outside counsel for small businesses, including their formation and operations. In MBN LLC2 I formed four LLCs to hold various real properties with varying ownership structures - two as sole owners, one with an equal partner, and one with unequal ownership interests of multiple partners. In order to allow for ease of operations, I built an umbrella LLC to manage the other LLCs. I have already been asked to do additional work for the client in the future., 2024
• I was approached by CBB to rewrite an old joint revocable trust. The original trust was over 140 pages long and an absolute mess. Which was scary, since the client had north of $9 million funded into the trust, including investments, businesses, real property, and some other unique assets. The trust was established as an ABC trust for tax planning purposes, and included a substantial charitable giving component. I ripped apart the old trust and redrafted it in its entirety, reducing it to a mere 42 pages and corrected the original faulty tax sheltering strategy., 2024
• I was approached by a client who was represented by another attorney in a formal probate. The attorney was dragging her feet, selected the most difficult and expensive (and unnecessary) procedure available and had made multiple errors. After being hired, I withdrew the probate and filed a petition for a decree of descent which was faster, more efficient, more defensible, and more economical. We completed the procedure - from initial consultation to issuance of the decree - in two and a half months. , 2023
• I conducted the probate for KS, personal representative for her good friend, BH. Upon tracking down BH's long lost son to give proper notice, the son contested the will as invalid. I was able to negotiate with opposing counsel and get the son to drop the contest without even a pittance of a settlement., 2021

Transactions

• Prepared Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, Buy/Sell Agreement, Transfer on Death Resolution, and other company formation documents for local dental supply company., 2025
• As part of my estate planning practice I do a fair amount of work with cabin legacy planning - forming companies and LLCs so that cabin properties can be kept in the family for generations. In AKB Cabin LLC I was hired by the parent (client) to structure an LLC for the three children. Three children who bickered constantly and could not agree on what color the sky was. In addition to drafting a rock solid LLC for the cabin, I essentially mediated the disagreements among the children until they finally came to an agreement about how the Cabin LLC would be structured and operated., 2024
• I prepared an estate plan for LV, a single woman who lived alone, had several adult children and many pets. She did not have a great relationship with her children, and her children had various mental health and compulsive behavior issues, but she wanted to make sure they got something. More importantly, she wanted to make sure her pets were taken care of were she to pass away. We established an estate plan that included several supplemental needs trusts along with a compulsive behavior trust that allowed the trustee to cut off funds if the beneficiary started using drugs again until the child went through rehab. For the pets we established some pet trusts - a relatively new trust in Minnesota - that balanced the needs of the pets with the limitations under the law. It was a difficult process but in the end, LV told me that for the first time she feels comfortable and secure in her legacy., 2023
• I was hired by AZ and WZ to prepare an estate plan that accounted for their unique circumstances: both on their second marriage, both had minor children from prior marriages, certain pertinent obligations from each of their divorces, substantial assets (taxable estate), and various pieces of real property with an array of ownerships. AZ and WZ were wonderful to work with, but there was a lot of untangling to be done. We took it step-by-step and mapped out all of the potential outcomes and what would happen in each. By the end of it we were able to put together a plan that covered all contingencies (death of one, death of both, remarriage, etc.), protected their assets, and protected each of their children., 2023
• I drafted the estate plan for KM, an individual who was going through a complex disinheritance of his family and instead was leaving his estate to several individuals he met in Africa. I put together the estate plan to protect his estate and to facilitate the international distribution. We also explored forming a non-profit organization for his ongoing philanthropic activities., 2022
• I drafted the estate plan for RD, an inmate at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Stillwater who, while incarcerated, received a sizable inheritance from a relative. I set up a trust for his assets that authorized his trustee to manage his assets while RD finished up his term, facilitated the sale of RD's house, and helped RD plan for when he will be released in ten years., 2022
• I was hired by DP and RP to update their estate plans - revocable living trust based plans with A/B trust structure and a complicated distribution plan. DP was an engineer by trade (very detail oriented) and English was not his first language. DP and RP had interviewed several attorneys, but each of them were apparently married to template language and none of them were able to write in a way that he could understand. My policy is that nobody signs anything until they understand it, no matter how long it takes. On a flat fee (not hourly billing) we worked for months to get everything in order and drafted in a way that he understood - no easy task with a large estate and complicated distribution plan. When we executed the estate plan he was very happy and offered me a substantial bonus for the work we did, but I declined - the price we agreed to is the price we agreed to. I did, however, accept the jar of homemade raspberry jam., 2022

Pro bono / Community Service

• Hennepin County Probate Clinic - participate in clinic offering free advice for probate matters., 2025
• Wills for Heroes - Volunteer Attorney: Offering pro bono estate plans for first responders., 2005
• Tools 4 Teens: Board Member. The organization works with disadvantaged youth to teach them about working with tools and related professions., 2024
• Wills for Heroes - Volunteer Attorney: Offering pro bono estate plans for first responders (firefighters, paramedics, police officers, etc.). This year I am on track to volunteer over 50 hours of pro bono service. Tools for Teens - Board Member: Tools for Teens is an organization that teaches trades (construction, welding, mechanics, etc.) to underprivileged youths. L'NAA - Founding Member: L'NAA (the League of Non-A**hole Attorneys) is a referral source to make sure the members have an attorney in their pocket to whom they can refer people who is (i) focused in one primary area of practice, (ii) really good at what they do, and (iii) has a customer service oriented and client centric practice., 2023
• Tools 4 Teens: Board Member. The organization works with disadvantaged youth to teach them about working with tools and related professions., 2023
• Wills for Heroes - Volunteer Attorney: Offering pro bono estate plans for first responders (firefighters, paramedics, police officers, etc.). This year I volunteered over 50 hours of pro bono service in 2022. Tools for Teens - Board Member: Tools for Teens is an organization that teaches trades (construction, welding, mechanics, etc.) to underprivileged youths., 2022
• Tools 4 Teens: Board Member. The organization works with disadvantaged youth to teach them about working with tools and related professions., 2022
• Tools 4 Teens: Board Member. The organization works with disadvantaged youth to teach them about working with tools and related professions., 2021
• Tools 4 Teens: Board Member. The organization works with disadvantaged youth to teach them about working with tools and related professions., 2020
• Tools 4 Teens: Board Member (2019-present). The organization works with disadvantaged youth to teach them about working with tools and related professions., 2019

Honors

• Top ranked attorney in Plymouth, Minnesota, Best of Plymouth - Attorney, Business Rate, 2025
• Provided at least 50 hours of pro bono service in the year., Minnesota North Star Lawyer, MSBA, 2023
• Provided at least 50 hours of pro bono service in the year., Minnesota North Star Lawyer, MSBA, 2022
• Provided at least 50 hours of pro bono service in the year., Minnesota North Star Lawyer, MSBA, 2016
• Provided at least 50 hours of pro bono service in the year., Minnesota North Star Lawyer, MSBA, 2015
• Public Service Award, University of Minnesota Law School, 2013
• Concentration: Business Law, University of Minnesota Law School, 2013
• Concentration: Labor & Employment Law, University of Minnesota Law School, 2013

Educational Background

• University of Minnesota School of Law., 2010-2013
• University of Washington, Bachelor of Arts, 1997-2001

Scholarly Lectures / Writings

• Speach on the interaction of estate planning and real estate., Speaker, Estate Planning, Probate & Trust administration, RE/MAX Results: John M. Mazzara, 2025
• Free online seminar discussing estate planning basics., Speaker, Estate Planning 101, Signature Law, PLLC, 2025
• Organized and led a panel about health care directives to estate planners who are members of Hope Lodge Study Group., Organizer & Host, Health Care Directives - Panel, Hope Lodge, 2025
• Free online seminar in which we discuss the five core estate planning documents: Wills, Revocable Living Trusts, Durable Powers of Attorney, Health Care Directives, and Guardianship Directives. We cover what the documents are trying to accomplish, how they interact, what constitutes good and bad drafting, and what are some strategies that can be employed when planning your estate. We touch on the difference between wills and revocable living trusts (without trying to cram trusts down your throat!). We also spend a fair amount of time talking about how to pick an attorney to do your estate plan – what are the qualities of a good attorney and of a bad one., Presenter, Estate Planning 101, Signature Law, PLLC, Families; Individuals, 2024
• Free online seminar in which we talk about strategies for structuring your will or revocable living trust. We discuss what a gift is and how to effectively leave them no matter your circumstances. We also talk extensively about trusts - not just the revocable living trust, but irrevocable trusts (such as Crummey Trusts and Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts) and testamentary/nested trusts (such as Supplemental Needs Trusts and Compulsive Behavior Trusts). We focus on how to approach your estate planning strategically, regardless of whether you elect to use a will or a revocable living trust as the primary estate planning document., Presenter, Wills & Trusts 101, Signature Law, PLLC, Families; Individuals, 2024
• Free online seminar in which we look at the documents that control your life when you are alive but incapacitated - the health care directive, the durable power of attorney, and the guardianship directive. These are the documents that many attorneys brush aside, but which are vitally important when needed. We'll also look at some ancillary documents that can be used to augment any estate plan., Presenter, Incapacity Planning 101, Signature Law, PLLC, Families; Individuals, 2024
• Free online seminar in which we discuss the five core estate planning documents: Wills, Revocable Living Trusts, Durable Powers of Attorney, Health Care Directives, and Guardianship Directives. We cover what the documents are trying to accomplish, how they interact, what constitutes good and bad drafting, and what are some strategies that can be employed when planning your estate. We touch on the difference between wills and revocable living trusts (without trying to cram trusts down your throat!). We also spend a fair amount of time talking about how to pick an attorney to do your estate plan – what are the qualities of a good attorney and of a bad one., Presenter, Estate Planning 101, Signature Law, PLLC, Families & Individuals, 2023
• Free online seminar in which we look at the documents that control your life when you are alive but incapacitated - the health care directive, the durable power of attorney, and the guardianship directive. These are the documents that many attorneys brush aside, but which are vitally important when needed. We'll also look at some ancillary documents that can be used to augment any estate plan., Presenter, The Living Documents 101, Signature Law, PLLC, Families and Individuals, 2023
• Free online seminar in which we talk about strategies for structuring your will or revocable living trust. We discuss what a gift is and how to effectively leave them no matter your circumstances. We also talk extensively about trusts - not just the revocable living trust, but irrevocable trusts (such as Crummey Trusts and Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts) and testamentary/nested trusts (such as Supplemental Needs Trusts and Compulsive Behavior Trusts). We focus on how to approach your estate planning strategically, regardless of whether you elect to use a will or a revocable living trust as the primary estate planning document., Presenter, Terminal Documents 101, Signature Law, PLLC, Families and Individuals, 2023
• Free online seminar in which we look at the world of probate and trust administration: how they are structured, the different levels of probate, and what are some of the requirements and pitfalls of probate and trust administration. Discover how revocable living trusts are not the only way to avoid probate, depending on how the estate is structured. We'll also have a discussion about how to pick your fiduciaries for your will, estate trust, ongoing trust, durable power of attorney, health care directive, and guardianship directive., Presenter, Probate and Fiduciaries 101, Signature Law, PLLC, Families & Individuals, 2023
• Free online seminar in which we discuss the five core estate planning documents: Wills, Revocable Living Trusts, Durable Powers of Attorney, Health Care Directives, and Guardianship Directives. We cover what the documents are trying to accomplish, how they interact, what constitutes good and bad drafting, and what are some strategies that can be employed when planning your estate. We touch on the difference between wills and revocable living trusts (without trying to cram trusts down your throat!). We also spend a fair amount of time talking about how to pick an attorney to do your estate plan – what are the qualities of a good attorney and of a bad one., Presenter, Estate Planning 101, Signature Law, PLLC, Families & Individuals, 2022
• Free online seminar in which we look at the documents that control your life when you are alive but incapacitated - the health care directive, the durable power of attorney, and the guardianship directive. These are the documents that many attorneys brush aside, but which are vitally important when needed. We'll also look at some ancillary documents that can be used to augment any estate plan., Presenter, Living Documents 101, Signature Law, PLLC, Families and Individuals, 2022
• Free online seminar in which we talk about strategies for structuring your will or revocable living trust. We discuss what a gift is and how to effectively leave them no matter your circumstances. We also talk extensively about trusts - not just the revocable living trust, but irrevocable trusts (such as Crummey Trusts and Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts) and testamentary/nested trusts (such as Supplemental Needs Trusts and Compulsive Behavior Trusts). We focus on how to approach your estate planning strategically, regardless of whether you elect to use a will or a revocable living trust as the primary estate planning document., Presenter, Terminal Documents 101, Signature Law, PLLC, Families & Individuals, 2022
• Free online seminar in which we look at the world of probate and trust administration: how they are structured, the different levels of probate, and what are some of the requirements and pitfalls of probate and trust administration. Discover how revocable living trusts are not the only way to avoid probate, depending on how the estate is structured. We'll also have a discussion about how to pick your fiduciaries for your will, estate trust, ongoing trust, durable power of attorney, health care directive, and guardianship directive., Presenter, Probate and Fiduciaries 101, Signature Law, PLLC, Families & Individuals, 2022

• Families
• Individuals
• Small Businesses