Chris Tymchuck, Attorney Minneapolis, MN 55416

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Chris Tymchuck Partner

EMAIL: ctymchuck@schindelsegal.com

Areas of Practice:

Estate Planning: Wills and Trusts, Probate

Who is she?

Chris Tymchuck is one of those fortunate attorneys who loves what she does. Ms. Tymchuck works closely with her clients by helping families navigate the legal issues surrounding the illness or death of a loved one. Ms. Tymchuck applies her extensive knowledge to help clients with who need her guidance in planning an estate, obtaining a guardianship or conservatorship to care for ill relative or navigating the probate process after the death of a loved one.

Ms Tymchuck enjoys working with families who own and operate small business. Business decisions affect overall estate planning strategies. Through the creative and holistic approach I use, I can help small businesses make decisions and course corrections that are vital to their personal and financial wellbeing now and in the future. For small business owners, the legal matters I help them with on a day-to-day basis, are inextricably linked to building and protecting the wealth they have worked to hard to achieve by employing proactive estate planning.

Chris got her B.A. from Cal State University, Northridge and JD from Mitchell Hamline School of Law. She is licensed in the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Ms. Tymchuck’s Personal Commitment

Ms. Tymchuck has the experience to help you both as an attorney and as someone who has personally navigated the legal system. She worked through the probate process for her family after the death of her father and handled the adoption of her son.

As an attorney, Ms. Tymchuck has represented clients in a variety of matters from small civil disputes to multi-million dollar litigation cases and from estate planning for single mothers and widows to blended families and multi-millionaire business owners. As head of the SchindelSegal estate planning and probate practice, Ms. Tymchuck focuses on drafting custom plans based on the unique needs of each client using a transparent, flat fee, system so you have a plan custom designed to meet your needs with a known fee with no surprises.

Ms Tymchuck is uniquely qualified to handle the complex legal issues facing today’s modern family. Whether protecting your assets from a break-up, or protecting you in the case of incapacity or your loved one after a death, Ms. Tymchuck can assist you in making sure that you have the final say in all legal decisions.

Ms. Tymchuck has worked with numerous families to help them work through the difficult process of collecting and distributing assets after the death of a loved one and through the process of obtaining a guardianship or conservatorship because a loved one has become mentally or physically incapacitated. She has also assisted clients in closing real estate deals and helping small business get up and running.

As a qualified neutral in both civil and family matters, Ms. Tymchuck draws upon her extensive legal history working on complex matters that involve estate planning, family matters, and business disputes. It is this diverse background that helps her offer tailored mediation and other alternative dispute resolution strategies to those attempting to resolve complex and sensitive estate planning, probate or trust disputes.

My Story: Why Being More than “Just” an Attorney Matters

Ms. Tymchuck understands how stressful it can be to carefully plan a family and then worry about how to protect them against every unforeseen circumstance. She has been the nervous new parent testifying under oath during the hearing to adopt her kids, Athena and Chiron. Even though the day is a blur of emotions now, she still amusingly recalls the Judge asking her to promise to provide for her daughter’s “health, welfare and education,” which she solemnly swore to do.

Ms. Tymchuck’s kids call her “Mor,” pronounced “more” as her family is Danish and she grew up calling her grandmother Bedstemoder so it seemed a natural progression. Though it does cause some confusion when others call her Mom and ger daughter says proudly, “I call her Mor.” Insert “more what” joke here. This may backfire when she’s a teenager, but for now it works.

If you don’t catch Ms. Tymchuck in the office, you may find her our running on the amazing local paths we have in the Twin Cities unless it’s winter (no running on ice) where you will find her on the treadmill pretending to run fast while watching tv. That’s because she is an avid runner thanks to the “couch to 5k” program. She began by struggling to run 1 minute in order to reach the part where she got to walk for 1 1/2 minutes. But, nine weeks later she could run for 45 minutes with NO walking.

Two years after the couch to 5k program, Ms. Tymchuck completed the Red, White and Boom Half Marathon and yes she does have a “13.1” bumper sticker on her car because she earned it!

Now, she’s even managed to talk 7 of her closest friends (for now) into tackling the Ragnar Trail Relay race in the woods of Wisconsin in September. So, if you see her, ask how it went to have 8 friends stay in a camp for 48 hours while running 15+ miles on littl sleep!

I am now officially a runner though am still slow and spend a lot of the time thinking to myself “don’t sit down.” So, if you lap a runner who looks like me, please offer encouragement or, better yet, shout “don’t sit down!”

She is here to help you

Ms. Tymchuck knows how stressful and difficult it is to find time to plan for the future or deal with a death but wants to be sure you know she is here to help walk you through your options. She understands the strain of relying on another to handle your most important and sensitive family, business, and estate matters, which is why she promises to respond to communications from clients within 1 business day.

Not sure what estate planning is or what it’s like to work with an estate planning lawyer? If you are interested in her estate planning services, please read through the page entitled “The Planning Process” on this page to get a step-by-step explanation of what it’s like to work with her as your lawyer. You can also see first-hand what her clients say about their experience working with her here.

Education

William Mitchell College of Law, J.D.
University of California, Santa Barbara, B.A. (Go ahead and ask: Why did she move to MN? – everyone does)

Speaking Engagements and Press

Minnesota CLE, Keys to Settling Probate and Estate Matters in Mediation, 2018
National Business Institute Seminars, The Probate Process Start to Finish, 2017
National Business Institute Seminars, Trusts A to Z, Grantor Trusts, 2017
Minnesota CLE, Quick Answers to the Legal Questions That Friends, Relatives and Strangers Will
Ask You at Cocktail Parties, 2017
National Business Institute Seminars, Trusts A to Z, Special Trusts and Issues, 2017
National Business Institute Seminars, Trusts 101, Grantor Trusts, 2016
Professor, Inver Hills Community College Paralegal Studies Program, Probate Law 101, 2016
Aveda Institute, 2016, Presenter, What is an Estate Plan?
Western Insurance Company, 2016, Presenter, Estate Planning 101 and Your Employee’s Well Being
WestLegal CLE, 2013 Presenter, Same-Sex Marriage and Inheritance Rights: Moving toward Equality
Minnesota Lawyer 2012, interviewed and quoted on issue of same sex marriage and inheritance rights
Family Equality Council, 2012 Midwest (aka Rainbow Families) Conference, Minneapolis, Minnesota: Money Matters, Protecting Your Legal and Financial Future
William Mitchell Alumni 2012 CLE Series: The Intersection of Estate Planning and Family Law
2012 Justice Esther M. Tomljanovich Tea for Women in Law Panel: Diverse Voices: Representing and Working with People from Different Cultures
2011 Family Equality Council, Midwest (aka Rainbow Families) Conference, Minneapolis, Minnesota: Money Matters, Protecting Your Legal and Financial Future
Ramsey County Bar Association, 2010 St. Paul, Minnesota: Homophobia/Heterosexism/Sexual Stigma: An Exploration Through Experience, Listening and Talking
University of St. Thomas School of Law, 2010, Minneapolis, Minnesota: Does Size Matter
Understanding the Impact of Firm Size on Practice
As seen in The Women’s Press
As heard on am950 radio

Publications

A Procedural Quagmire: How to Proceed with an Action in Minnesota When a Client Dies En Pendente Lite, 33 Wm. Mitchell L. Rev. 1175 (2007)
Choice Moms, LLC: Monthly columnist providing legal analysis on topics affecting single moms.
The Gay Estate: Writer and editor of award-winning blog addressing estate planning issues for the LGBT community.

Past and Current Leadership Positions

Med-Diet Laboratories, Inc., Board of Directors, Board Member
First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis, Board of Directors, Foundation
William Mitchell Alumni Board of Directors, Board Member
Burger Inns of Court, Member
The Woman’s Club of Minneapolis, Member
Quorum, Vice President, Board Member
Rainbow Rumpus, Board Member
Federal Bar Association Diversity Committee
Minnesota State Bar Association Diversity Committee
Minnesota Lavender Bar Association, Board Member

OUR CORE VALUES

DILIGENCE

We are accountable to give 100% to our families, clients and colleagues. “Work hard, play hard” isn’t just a cliché for us, it is a way of life.

ZEAL

We are unwavering in our commitment to our profession, clients and colleagues. We relentlessly seek outcome-based solutions both internally and for our clients.

GENEROSITY

We share a desire to give back to our communities through volunteer and philanthropic activities.

COMRADERY

We build and cherish long-lasting relationships with our colleagues and clients. The spirit of friendship is always present in our professional and personal lives.

RESPECT

We strive to be patient, honest and kind to those with whom we come in contact. There is no hierarchy to respect.

Although we welcome the receipt of electronic mail, be advised that the act of sending e-mail either to SchindelSegal, PLLC or to a specific attorney or individual in the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship. An attorney-client relationship cannot be created until we consider potential conflicts of interest, have a chance to review a potential matter, and enter into an engagement letter. We will not accept requests for legal advice nor offer specific legal advice over the Internet and/or via e-mail. If you are looking to hire an attorney, we encourage you to contact us by telephone to discuss your situation. Thank you.