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Colby M. Lessmann - Sioux City, IA
613 Pierce Street Sioux City, IA 51101
Tigges, Bottaro & Lessmann, LLP
Sioux City Estate Planning Lawyer
Overview
Attorney Colby M. Lessmann was born and raised in Sioux City, Iowa, and is a graduate of Sioux City North High School. Colby graduated from the University of South Dakota School of Business (B.S., 1996) and School of Law (J.D., 1999). During his law school education, he published a casenote in the South Dakota Law Review (1998) and was both the Managing Editor and the Production Editor for Volume 44 of the South Dakota Law Review (1998-1999). After graduating from Law School, Colby clerked for Justice Robert Amundson of the South Dakota Supreme Court in Pierre, South Dakota. In August 2000, upon completion of his clerkship, Colby returned to practice law in Sioux City, Iowa, where he practices in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota in the areas of General Litigation, Estate Planning, Wills, Trusts, Probate, Landlord Tenant Law, and Collections.
Colby is a member of the State Bar Associations for Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. He is a member of the Probate Section for the Iowa Bar Association, the Woodbury County (Iowa) and Dakota County (Nebraska) Bar Associations, as well as a member of the Iowa Trust and Estate Council and the Iowa Association for Justice (formerly Iowa Trial Lawyers Association). He is also licensed to practice in the United States District Courts for the Northern District of Iowa, the District of Nebraska, the District of South Dakota, the United States Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, the United States Court of Federal Claims, and the United States Supreme Court.
About Colby M. Lessmann
Practice Areas
- Estate Planning
- Probate
- Will Contests
- Real Estate Property
- Landlord-Tenant
- Business Collections
- Personal Injury
- Guardianship/Conservatorship
- Judgment Enforcement and Collection
- Collections
- Business Law
- Collection Litigation
- Commercial Litigation
- General Litigation Matters
- Car Accidents
- Wrongful Death
- Dog Bites
Litigation
- 25%
Current Employment Position(s)
- Partner
Languages
- English (Primary)
Qualifications
Bar Admissions
- South Dakota, 2000
- Iowa, 2000
- Nebraska, 2002
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Iowa, 2002
- U.S. District Court District of South Dakota, 2002
- U.S. District Court District of Nebraska, 2002
- U.S. Court of Appeals 8th Circuit, 2005
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims, 2003
- Supreme Court of the United States of America, 2005
Specialties and Certifications
- Estate Planning, National Association of Estate Planners & Councils, 2020
Other Affiliations
- District 3B Judicial Nominating Commission, 2024 - Present (Elected member)
- Iowa State Bar Association – Probate, Property and Trust Law Section, 2006 - Present
- Iowa Academy of Trusts and Estate Counsel, 2013 - Present
- Siouxland Estate Planning Council, Inc., 2019 - Present
- National Association of Estate Planners & Councils (NAEPC), 2020 - Present (Member)
- Nebraska State Bar Association, 2002 - Present
- Iowa Association for Justice, 2002 - Present
- American Association for Justice, 2002 - Present
- Woodbury County Bar Association, 2000 - Present
- South Dakota State Bar Association, 2000 - Present
- Siouxland Center for Active Generations, 2019 - Present
Education
- University of South Dakota School of Law, Vermillion, South Dakota, May, 1999
Juris Doctorate
Law Review: South Dakota Law Review, 1998 - Present
Law Review: South Dakota Law Review, Managing and Production Editor for Volume 44, 1998 - 1999 - University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota, May, 1996
B.S., Bachelor of Science
Major: Business Administration
Past Positions
- South Dakota Supreme Court, Clerk, August 1, 1999 - July 31, 2000
- Munger, Reinschmidt & Denne, LLP, Associate Attorney, August 1, 2000 - August 31, 2010
- Vriezelaar, Tigges, Edgington, Bottaro, Boden & Ross, LLP, Associate/Partner Attorney, September 1, 2010 - Present
Pro Bono Activities
- Izaac Walton League of America – Woodbury County Chapter, Member, 2015 - Present
- Cubmaster – Cub Scout Pack 225, 2012 - 2020
- Siouxland Fly Fisherman’s Club, Member, 2014 - Present
Classes and Seminars
- Iowa Middle School Mock Trials, Iowa State Bar Association, November 19, 2024
- Estate Planning, Probate, Trusts & Wills, Siouxland Center for Aging, May 8, 2019 - Present
- Elective Share in Iowa Probate, Iowa State Bar Association - Annual Meeting, June 15, 2013 - Present
- Lessons Learned in Efiling in Iowa, Iowa State Bar Association - Annual Meeting, June 15, 2012 - Present
- Guardianship / Conservatorship Update: New Procedural Hurdles to Settling Cases For Minors and Incapacitated Clients, IAJ Personal Injury Seminar, March 4, 2022
Achievements
Other Sources of Feedback About Colby M. Lessmann
Honors
- Great Plains Super Lawyers: Top-Rated Estate Planning & Probate Attorney, 2025
- Best Lawyers®: The Best Lawyers in America for Trusts and Estates, 2024 - 2025
- Expertise.com: Best Probate Lawyers in Sioux City, 2022 - 2025
- Avvo - Clients' Choice Award, 2024
- Martindale-Hubbell - AV Preeminent, 2021 - Present
- Avvo - Clients' Choice Award, 2023
- Best Lawyers - Best Law Firm - Trusts & Estates Law (Metropolitan Tier 2), 2023
- Best Lawyers - Best Law Firms – Personal Injury Litigation-Plaintiffs (Metropolitan Tier 2), 2023
- Best Lawyers - Top-Listed City Awards (Total Lawyers in Sioux City: 5 lawyers), 2023
- Martindale-Hubbell - Client Champion - Gold, 2022
- Best Lawyers - Best Law Firm - Trusts & Estates Law (Metropolitan Tier 2), 2021 - 2022
- Best Lawyers - Top-Listed City Award, 2021 - 2022
- National Association of Estate Planners & Councils - Accredited Estate Planner (AEP) Designation, 2020
- Martindale-Hubbell - Client Champion - Silver, 2020
- Avvo - Clients' Choice Award, 2019
Office Information
Address
613 Pierce Street Sioux City, IA 51101
Phone
Fax
- 712-252-4873
Payment Plans Accepted
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Office Hours
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Websites
- https://siouxcitylawyers.com/ (Firm Website)
Publication
Articles
- Your Minor Child Was Recently In a Car Accident - How Do You Resolve Your Child's Personal Injury Claim?, Firm bLAWg, March, 2022
Are you going after the negligent party to recover money for the damages your son or daughter sustained in the crash? If your answer to these questions is YES, there are several things you need to consider in pursuing the claim for your child. - Challenging A Will aka Will Contest, Firm bLAWg, August, 2021
It is not enough to set aside or contest a Will because a person thinks it is unfair. Rather, there are certain grounds which must be timely raised by the claimant, and the claimant has the burden of proving those contestable grounds exist. - Common Estate Planning Questions, Firm bLAWg, December, 2020
We have all heard stories and experiences of families fighting over real estate or personal property after a loved one has passed away. Creating a plan for the smooth transition of your Estate and to make sure your loved ones are taken care. - Estate Planning for Unmarried Couples & Common Law Spouses, Firm bLAWg, June, 2020
The love of your life passed away before you were able to get married. Now, his family is pushing you out and is taking over all of his assets, and is not allowing you to retrieve your personal belongings out of the home. - Bad Faith Refusals to Settle in Nielsen v. Boos, South Dakota Law Review, Volume 43; Issue 3, 1998
Representative Cases
- In the Matter of the Estate of Strong, 791 NW2d 427 (Iowa 2010)
- Condon Auto Sales & Service v. Siouxland Auto Auction, et al, 715 NW2d 769 (Iowa 2006)
- Doug Wiggs v. Northwest Iowa Power Cooperative, 695 NW2d 506 (Iowa 2005)
- Paseka v. Weaver Farms Limited Liability Company, 682 NW2d 81 (Iowa 2004)
- Zepeda v. Zepeda, 632 NW2d 48 (South Dakota 2001)
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