Ben Francis

Associate Attorney – Estate Planning and Guardianship

BEN FRANCIS

WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS?

I graduated from Olivet Nazarene University in 2008 with a BA in Psychology. I went to Mitchell Hamline School of Law and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2022.

Since joining Safe Harbor, I have worked in Estate Planning, Guardianships and Conservatorships, Medical Assistance, Asset Protection, Estate Administration, and Adoptions. I also worked with firm attorneys in drafting, editing and revising the 2020 Minnesota Elder Law Handbooks for Medicare and Medicaid.

I previously worked seven years flipping houses in both the Phoenix and Twin Cities metro areas, holding a real estate salesperson and homebuilding license here in Minnesota. While my home flipping days are behind me I still hold long term investment real estate.

For four years my wife and I spent time working with a Christian non-profit focused on college aged young people and overseas outreach. This was a very impactful time in our lives learning and teaching the basics of the Christian faith as we worked in many places including Hawaii, Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia.

What Do You Like To Do In Your Spare Time?

My wife Jessica and I enjoy bike rides with our two children, going to parks and spending time up north. I love my family, playing guitar, camping, watching football with friends and family, traveling, remodeling, cryptocurrency, and hanging out with friends. I also enjoy talking about the big questions of life, teaching at church and overseas. I tease Jess and our kids whenever possible.

What Do You Like Most About Estate Planning And Elder Law?

I love this area of law because so much of it is helping clients avoid more complicated issues in the future. Each estate plan is as unique as the clients and their goals. I also find the complexity and importance of working through Asset Protection plans and MA applications to be interesting and engaging.

My father passed away when I was eleven and left behind me and four siblings in what could be described as an estate planning disaster. It caused years of unnecessary pain and heartache along with over a decade of litigation. Because of this, I am motivated to help families avoid similar situations by creating high quality estate plans.

Some have anxiety, others procrastinate,

but you still need to do what needs to be done to protect your family…

They are who really matter!!

“You will see why when you work with them!”

Every person at Safe Harbor Estate and Elder Law is helpful and professional, while being friendly and putting you at ease. They know that this is not an every day event for people, and that clients may be uncomfortable. Everyone there does everything they can to make the process easy and smooth sailing. Margaret and her team genuinely want to protect

Sue Ginsburg

“I appreciated how easily and professionally they guided me!”

Safe Harbor Estate Law first worked with me in 2017 to complete my Living Will and Estate Plan. They were very thorough and everything went smoothly. What really impressed me about them was how they worked to iron out the issues when I was refinancing with Wells Fargo. Safe Harbor’s lawyers interceded on my behalf to clarify the issues with the title

Mary Turnberg

“Really solid organization their process is well thought out”

Absolutely experts at what they do. Really solid organization their process is well thought out and well practiced. I had very similar work done several years ago by another firm and Safe Harbor Estate Law fixed their work and provided a much better result in both less time and money. Everybody at this firm completes their role very efficiently and

Budd Rutter

“We were surprised at how easy it turned out to be.”

We were very pleased with the service from Safe Harbor. After years of procrastinating, we finally decided we needed to move forward and get our estate planning completed, which involved setting up a living trust. We were surprised at how easy it turned out to be. Safe Harbor tailored our will and trust documents to some unique need we had and all is now

Deb Hj

I am now 100% comfortable and confident, as are my children!

I had put off getting a will done for 6 years, even after being diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma 4 years ago. Then I watched Safe Harbor’s webinar just to learn some will/estate planning information. That webinar answered so many questions for me and made me realize the big mistake I was making by not finalizing a will. So I scheduled a consultation immediately

Marcia Richards

“I appreciate all they’ve done and would highly recommend them!”

Safe Harbor Estate Law was recommended by a lawyer friend. From the very beginning I was impressed with the respect and compassion with which we were treated. My goal was to come away with a plan that would protect our assets. I now have that plan which is very thorough, providing me with peace of mind. Working with the team at Safe Harbor Estate Law was a positive experience. All of the attorney I worked with were very professional. Michael Teeter, especially, is knowledgeable, explaining all the complexities. He was also patient and responsive in answering my follow-up questions, often more than once.

Shirley Shimota

“I highly recommend Safe Harbor Estate Law.”

The process of creating our Trust
was incredibly smooth. From the initial zoom informational meeting to the meeting with the well versed attorney and the final signing, we felt confident and informed.

Midge Mogck

“I highly recommend them!”

I hired Safe Harbor Estate Law to do my estate plan including a living trust, power of attorney, and health care directive. They made the process easy by explaining everything clearly, being organized, and answering my questions.

Christy Ehlert-Mackie

“Safe Harbor people were friendly, knowledgeable and thorough.”

They listened to our wants and needs and drafted the documents we needed to feel secure in having the best estate plan possible for us and our family.

Laure LaFond

See what other Safe Harbor Estate Law clients are saying about their experience.

Guiding You Through The Process Of Protecting Your Family And Assets

The Four Cs - Our Unique Approach to Estate Planning in Minnesota

Care

We care, and it shows. You’re not just a number to us. We listen, and we ask questions. We strive to improve our client’s lives every day.

Communicate

Our firm goes above and beyond to make you feel comfortable throughout the process so you feel informed and confident every step of the way.

Customized

We help you leave a legacy that is smoother, less expensive, and less hassle for your loved ones with a plan that is uniquely tailored to your goals.

Complete

Our team is motivated to help you experience smooth sailing from start to finish so everything is done thoroughly and properly.

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Estate Planning Tools & Asset Protection Strategies

for Residents of St. Paul, MN and Western Wisconsin

Estate Planning Elder Law Medicaid Planning Asset Protection

Estate And Trust Administration

Wills Probate Special Needs Planning Power Of Attorney Trust Incapacity Planning Guardianship

how can we help?

Estate Planning & Asset Protection Workshops

I attended a free seminar to learn about getting a Will. I learned so much more than I expected! I then hired Safe Harbor Estate Law to create a Will, POA and Trust. The process was very simple!

I highly recommend everyone to contact Safe Harbor to help you too!

— Cindy Olson

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