Kirstin E. Helmers

Throughout her practice, Kirstin Helmers has focused exclusively on probate and trust litigation. Inheritance disputes often involve high-tension, high stress situations. Kirstin utilizes a firm, creative and thoughtful approach to help clients navigate these emotionally charged situations and achieve optimal results in court, at mediation or in informal negotiations. Kirstin also writes and teaches about probate and trust litigation and helps plan the annual Minnesota Probate, Trusts and Estates Section Conference. She was the Chair of the Minnesota State Bar Association Probate, Trust and Estates Section for 2024-2025 and was Co-Chair of the Section’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Committee from 2018-2023. Kirstin graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Russian History and obtained her law degree from the University of Minnesota. In law school, she clerked at the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, taught legal writing, and was the head writer for the Theatre of the Relatively Talentless, the law school's annual musical. Since law school, Kirstin has enjoyed spending time in court, first as a law clerk for Hennepin County Judge Marilyn Rosenbaum (ret.), then as an associate with Rodney J. Mason, Ltd., and now at Mason & Helmers. Awards and Honors Super Lawyers® Selectees Kirstin E. Helmers included in a Super Lawyers® list Honors Selected to Super Lawyers, 2020 - Present Other Sources of Feedback About Kirstin E. Helmers Included on the 2026Minnesota Super Lawyers list Past Lists 2025 Minnesota Super Lawyers list 2024 Minnesota Super Lawyers list 2023 Minnesota Super Lawyers list 2022 Minnesota Super Lawyers list 2021 Minnesota Super Lawyers list 2020 Minnesota Super Lawyers list

• Hot Topics in Trust and Estate Litigation in 2025, Probate and Trust Section Conference, June 16, 2025
• Trust and Estate Litigation in Minnesota Deskbook and Seminar, Minnesota CLE, December 4, 2024 (co-editor and course chair)
• Trust and Estate Litigation in 2023 – We Are Not Alone, Minnesota CLE, March 28, 2023 (course chair)
• May the Fourth Be with You: Practice Pointers from the Hennepin County Probate Bench, Probate and Trust Section Conference, June 14, 2022 (moderator)
• Litigating Probate and Trust Disputes in 2022 – Let’s Get Technical, Minnesota CLE, March 29, 2022 (course chair)
• Litigating Probate and Trust Disputes in 2021 – A Brave New World, Minnesota CLE, March 18, 2021 (course chair)
• Just, Fair, Reasonable, and Necessary: The Current Landscape of Attorneys’ Fees in Probate Court Proceedings and Legal Quick Sheet, Probate and Trust Section Conference, October 16, 2020 (moderator and author)
• Probate Litigation Lessons for Real Estate Lawyers, Minnesota Real Estate Institute, November 1, 2019
• Just, Fair, Reasonable, and Necessary: The Current Landscape of Attorneys’ Fees in Probate Court Proceedings, Minnesota State Bar Association Probate and Trust Section, October 24, 2019 (moderator)
• Probate and Trust Disputes: The Litigator’s Guide to the Galaxy, November 28, 2018 (course chair)
• Homestead Sweet Homestead: A Guide to a Surviving Spouse’s Exempt Property Rights under the Minnesota Probate Code, Minnesota Real Estate Institute, November 1, 2018
• The Complete Estate, Probate, and Trust Lawyer book and seminar, Minnesota CLE, September 25, 2018 (co-author and presenter)
• Beneficiary Designations: Uses and Abuses, Probate and Trust Section Conference, June 4, 2018
• Special Proceedings and Probate, Minnesota CLE Webcast, May 7, 2018
• Protecting the PR’s Assets: An Overview for Lawyers, Minnesota State Bar Association Solo-Small Section, April 24, 2018
• Undue Influence and Capacity Issues in Real Estate Conveyances, Minnesota Real Estate Institute, November 3, 2017
• Beneficiary Designations: Uses and Abuses, Ramsey County Bar Association, October 12, 2017
• The Capacity Panel – Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Capacity but Forgot to Ask, Minnesota Probate and Trust Section Conference and Legal Quick Sheet, June 12, 2017 (co-author and panelist)
• Balancing Rights of Inheritance: Exempt Property, Family Allowances, Premarital Wills, and other Legislative Changes in 2016, Ramsey County Bar Association, March 29, 2017
• The Complete Estate, Probate, and Trust Lawyer book and seminar, Minnesota CLE, March 28, 2017 (co-author and presenter)
• When Family Love Turns to Family Feud: The Judges Speak, MSBA Probate & Trust Law Section Litigation Committee CLE, February 14, 2017 (moderator)
• Important Considerations for End-of-Life and Incapacity Planning panel, Minnesota Probate and Trust Section Conference, June 7, 2016
• Trusts 101: Ethical Considerations, National Business Institute, May 17, 2016
• Powers of Attorney: Uses and Abuses, Minnesota Continuing Legal Education Planning and Drafting for Small Estates Seminar, December 1, 2015

• Minnesota
• U.S. District Court District of Minnesota

• Minnesota State Bar Association (Member)
• Ramsey County Bar Association (Member)
• Hennepin County Bar Association (Member)
• Probate, Trusts and Estates Section, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2024 - 2025 (Chair)
• Probate, Trusts and Estates Section, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2023 - 2024 (Vice-Chair)
• Probate, Trusts and Estates Section, Minnesota State Bar Association, 2022 - 2023 (Secretary and Ramsey County Representative)
• Probate, Trusts and Estates Section, Minnesota State Bar Association, Litigation and Dispute Resolution Committee, 2018 - 2023 (Co-Chair)
• Ramsey County Bar Association Probate and Trust Law Section, 2021 - 2022 (Co-Chair)
• Minnesota Probate, Trusts and Estates Section Conference, 2025 (Chair)
• Minnesota Probate, Trusts and Estates Section Conference, 2017 - 2024 (Planning Committee Member)