Janette Jones, Erica Griffith Brown
Butch Krutzfeldt

Krutzfeldt & Jones
Attorneys at Law

Krutzfeldt & Jones is a small town law firm, and as such, we realize the importance of providing exemplary legal services in an environment of complete trust.

Serving eastern Montana including the communities of Miles City, Hysham, Colstrip, Forsyth, Jordan, Terry, Sidney, Glendive, Baker, Ekalaka and Broadus since 1971

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Our Services

Real Estate Transactions

At Krutzfeldt & Jones, we are highly experienced in representing clients in real estate transactions – as both buyers and sellers. We offer myriad legal services to our real estate transaction clients, and provide those which the client believes best suit the transaction. Review of contracts and terms, title company dealings and ensuring that repairs required (or suggested) in the Home Inspection Report are funded properly are just a few of the available services. Whether you’re a buyer or a seller, we will represent your interests from start to finish, and protect you from the often devastating consequences of a mishandled real estate transaction.

Probate Legal Matters

Navigating the waters of Montana’s governing laws for probate can be a complicated, and often frustrating, adventure. Quite often, it can also be emotionally and psychologically draining for those involved in legally and equitably fulfilling the final wishes of the decedent. We remain acutely aware of the personal elements involved in probate issues, while achieving the optimum outcomes for our clients. We are experienced in successfully handling numerous legal probate issues including: assets owned in the decedent’s sole name; assets owned as a tenant in common; predeceased beneficiaries; no designated beneficiaries; when the decedent didn’t have a valid Last Will and Testament; when the decedent has a valid Last Will and Testament.

Contracts

Contracts are agreements that create obligations that can be enforced by law. Despite the fact that there are really only four basic components to contracts, careful attention must be paid to every detail in order for the contract to be genuinely enforceable – for either party concerned. One side of the contract promises something in exchange for what the second side of the contract promises in return: money for services, for example. Contracts are common in everyday life and run the gamut from auto repair to credit cards to bank loans. Most contracts are standardized, but many are not. Unique contracts, as well as contracts involving substantial promises such as home or business construction, the sale of real estate and so forth should be carefully written and reviewed. This due diligence with contracts helps avoid undesirable confusion and misunderstanding. It is also critical in the event that remedies for breach of contract must be sought. Such remedies include general damages, consequential damages, reliance damages and specific performance.

Estate Planning

Proper estate planning is no longer the domain of the wealthy. The adverse effects of various taxes and other potential expenses can be minimized to ensure that your final wishes are expediently and accurately fulfilled. Proper estate planning maximizes the value of your estate, and ensures that your legacy is administered in accordance with your instructions. A comprehensive review of your estate, regardless of its size, will allow you to make informed decisions regarding wills, trusts, insurance, final arrangements and many other considerations. Your estate planning will also allow you to dictate the handling of your affairs, including health care, in the event of your incapacitation. Comprehensive estate planning is your final gift to those who survive you, as well as a means of protecting yourself in the event of a catastrophic occurrence.

Business Services

Krutzfeldt & Jones has been serving the legal needs of eastern Montana business owners for over four decades. Eastern Montana has a broad range of business types that require an even broader range of legal services. At Krutzfeldt & Jones, we have assisted our clients with everything from incorporation and contracts through labor law compliance and arbitration. The agglomeration of laws affecting and governing eastern Montana business is constantly being altered and added to. We here at Krutzfeldt & Jones monitor these ever-evolving laws, and ensure that our clients avoid negative situations and entanglements by complying with all applicable statutes.

Guardianships & Conservatorships

While guardianships and conservatorships are quite similar in manner ways, they differ in just as many ways. Both guardianships and conservatorships provide for the protection of an individual by one or more parties, but the legal limitations of conservatorships may be desirable in many instances. The key to creating the correct instrument for the protected person is to determine what will most satisfactorily fulfill the existing needs, as well as any foreseeable future needs. After that critical decision is made, we at Krutzfeldt & Jones will help with establishing the correct parameters of the guardianship or conservatorship including matters such as: the management of property; control of financial affairs; therapeutic treatments; health; habilitation and support.

Oil & Gas

For over forty years, Krutzfeldt & Jones has handled oil and gas legal matters for countless clients. The accumulation of decades of experience in oil and gas related legal matters, including oil and gas leases, ensures that our clients enjoy premium protections. Whether you are a lessee or a lessor, in matters involving oil and gas rights, the protection of your property, as well as your equipment, privacy and future assets merit the most vigilant and informed attention. At Krutzfeldt & Jones, we can provide the expertise and counsel required to insulate you and your interests from undue harm, while helping you maximize the value of your assets. Oil and gas leases should be thoroughly reviewed by an experienced oil and gas attorney, and explained in detail to the property owner before they are executed.

Special Interest – General Practice

Krutzfeldt & Jones provides legal services and counsel that cover an extensive range of topics in a variety of legal arenas. The breadth of the firm’s experience and expertise stems from over five decades of fulfilling the diverse legal needs of the eastern Montana community of businesses and families. If you have a legal question or dilemma, even if it falls outside of the legal services you see listed on this website, Krutzfeldt & Jones stands ready to help you decipher and resolve your situation. And, of course, complete confidentiality, as well as an understandable and manageable legal process, are afforded to each and every client.

FAQs

Q: Does Krutzfeldt & Jones handle cases in Glendive & Sidney?
A: Yes, we handle cases throughout Montana, with special focus on eastern Montana and the communities of Miles City, Hysham, Colstrip, Forsyth, Jordan, Terry, Sidney, Glendive, Baker, Ekalaka and Broadus.

Q: Is there really any difference between a guardianship and a conservatorship?
A: Yes, indeed there are differences. Because there are so many similarities between guardianships and conservatorships, people often mistakenly think they are the same things. In fact, the first, and possibly most important decision regarding the afforded protections, may well be determining which is best: a guardianship or a conservatorship?

Q: We are going to buy a home from a man who owns his home and lot outright. We are making a down payment and then we will make mortgage payments to him for 15 years. Can you create a contract for something like this?
A: Yes, we have extensive experience in real estate legal and financial matters and can create a binding contract, including rent-to-own agreements. We may also suggest other steps for your protection, such as a title search.

Q: My uncle has been approached by a company that wants to do some exploration for minerals on his property. They want him to sign a “standard” agreement for doing this. Should he just sign that?
A: We would strongly suggest that he have our firm, or any firm experienced in oil and gas matters, review the agreement before he signs it. There is, possibly, no reason for him not to sign it. However, once he signs it, if he has relinquished certain rights, reacquiring those rights might become difficult and costly, or even impossible. In matters of such great importance, a legal opinion from an experienced attorney is always advisable.

Q: Does Krutzfeldt & Jones handle divorce cases?
A: No, we do not handle divorce cases.

Q: Does Krutzfeldt & Jones handle criminal cases?
A: No, we do not handle criminal cases.