Aaron Sandvig

Aaron was born somewhere in the middle of America but grew up in Phoenix, where he learned the timeless lesson that sports teams clad in purple possess a limitless capacity to break your heart. After attending college in Michigan and taking some extended vacations on the other side of the globe, courtesy of Uncle Sam and the U.S. Army, Aaron decided to move to Minnesota. Lured by a naïve understanding of the phrase “winter wonderland” and, equally so by a beautiful and bluntly persuasive central Minnesota girl, he eventually found himself the father of three and engaging in a surprising number of conversations about the weather.

When not busy wondering why the Weather People decided to start naming winter storms, Aaron spent the first ten years of his legal career “helping people have fights.” These came in many forms – business partners breaking up, companies squabbling about what the definition of “is” in a contract actually is, neighbors battling over a few inches of grass along a forty-year-old fence line, or the disintegration of relationships when a core family member dies with confusing or insufficient instructions. Although these wranglings – which lawyers in the mists of time dubbed “lawsuits” – come in all shapes and sizes, the vast majority stem from one key problem – a lack of planning. Not even from zero planning. But almost always inadequate planning. In fact, most lawsuits result from poorly drafted or poorly understood legal agreements. Whether written on a napkin at a bar amidst a lager-fueled fit of brilliance or penned whole cloth by an esquire in the high tower of a law firm, poorly thought-out agreements lead to more fights than a European “football” game.

Aaron now spends his time helping people avoid these fights. Through the estate planning process – and for business owners a LIFT assessment – Aaron helps families understand their circumstances and options. Building on this base of understanding, clients work with Aaron to create a plan that suits them and their particular needs. The client’s core needs take center stage, meaning this is never a “one-sized fits most” process. Each plan involves careful consideration and a combination of planning tools to help clients keep their families and business out of court and out of conflict.