Margaret Barrett

CEO and Founder

Life experiences, training, gifts, and passions have all come together in my current career.

I’ve been through many of the same challenges my clients face, which helps me understand what will truly help them. Twenty-five years ago, I lost my first husband in a tragic car accident. That experience, along with supporting my children, navigating a long estate battle, and later caring for my father with dementia, shaped my desire to help families plan for the future with clarity and peace of mind. As both a parent and a business owner, I know the importance of making sure things run smoothly for loved ones when illness or death eventually come.

Professionally, I’ve worked in accounting and finance, practiced litigation at a large law firm, served as a women’s ministry director, and pursued Medicaid reimbursement for a medical device company. Since founding Safe Harbor Estate Law in 2013, I now serve as CEO, leading a team of dedicated attorneys and staff. I’m active in the Minnesota State Bar Association Elder Law Section, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), and the Christian Legal Society of Minnesota. I graduated summa cum laude from the University of St. Thomas in 1981 and cum laude from William Mitchell College of Law in 1991, and I’m admitted to practice before Minnesota and Federal District courts.

I enjoy spending time with my family, including my 93-year-old mom, my three adult children (two married), and my three grandchildren. Being “Mimi” is one of my greatest joys!

I was raised to value serving others and continue that today through church leadership and other nonprofit work, where I love empowering people to walk in the freedom God designed for them.

Outside of work, I love hosting, traveling, and staying active outdoors—hiking, biking, boating, and cross-country skiing. My love of transformation even extends to homes: I’ve overseen the building or remodeling of seven!

I also love helping families protect their assets and their loved ones—meeting their goals while minimizing expense, conflict, and hassle. The best reward is hearing clients say they feel relieved and even enjoyed the process of completing their estate plan.

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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