James William Martens

James William Martens

also known as Jim Martens

5.0
Rating: 9.4

Licensed for 17 years

Probate Lawyer at West Fargo, ND
Practice Areas: Probate, Oil & Gas, Real Estate ... +5 more

P.O. Box 744, West Fargo, ND

About James

Biography

Practice Areas

8

Practice Areas

Probate 25%

Testate & Intestate, Formal & Informal Administration, Judicial Determinations of Heirship, Subsequent Administrations (“Re-Opening”) & Ancillary/Domiciliary Foreign

25%
Business 15%

Assist clients with general business needs including Development/Formation (Corporations, Partnerships, LLC, LLP, LP, LLLP), Governance, Contracts/Agreements, Sales, Mergers & Acquisitions

15%
Estate Planning 15%

Assist clients in preparing and reviewing Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Advanced Healthcare Directives (Living Wills, Healthcare POA)

15%
Oil and Gas 15%

Title Opinions (Drilling, Division Order, Acquisition & Land/Mineral Owner), Title Curative (Probate, Judicial Determinations of Heirship, Stipulations, Conveyances & Quiet Title), Due Diligence, Document Preparation & Analysis, and Leases (Assignments, Stipulations, Deeds & Conveyances)

15%
Real Estate 15%

Farm/Ranch, Commercial & Residential, Title Opinions, Deeds, Leases, Landlord-Tenant, and Quiet Title

15%
Criminal Defense 5%

Felonies & Misdemeanors, DUI/DWI, Drug Crimes, Theft Offenses, Robbery, Breaking & Entering (Burglary), Assault, Terrorizing, Disorderly Conduct, and Game & Fish Violations

5%
DUI and DWI 5%

Assist clients charged with DUI/DWI, Actual Physical Control (APC), Refusal of Chemical Testing, and Administrative Action by Department of Transportation

5%
Guardianship 5%

Assist families in need of establishing guardianships and conservatorships for loved ones who do not have a plan/power of attorney in place

5%

Fees and Rates

We have not found any cost information for this lawyer


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Licenses

Licensed in North Dakota for 17 years

State: North Dakota

Acquired: 2008

Authorized to Practice Law

No misconduct found

Location

Martens PLLC

P.O. Box 744, West Fargo, ND, 58078

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James William Martens's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

5.0 /5.0

5 Client Reviews

Filter Avvo Reviews (5) Refine reviews to match your needs. Use the filters to quickly surface reviews that align with your case or priorities.

Showing 1 - 3 of 3 reviews | Practice Area Knowledge

Posted by Roger | August 29, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Wills & Living Wills

Wills

If you need a competent attorney to write up a will, including complicated trusts, James is your man. Highly recommend!

James Martens

Replied last August 29, 2019

Thank you for the kind words and recommendation. I'm glad you were pleased with the services provided and hope we may be of service to you again in the future.

Posted by Marleen | September 20, 2015 | Hired Attorney

2 wills....

Jim was excellent in handling 2 different legal affairs in ND for me....I would highly recommend his service to anyone who need a GOOD lawyer....Thanks Jim for all you did for me....

Posted by Bella | September 20, 2015 | Hired Attorney | Probate

Bella

James handled my husband's probate in North Dakota. I live in New Mexico so it was important that I have someone I could rely on. Each issue that arose was handled in a very timely manner and with very little fuss and furor.He was totally reliable and did an excellent job for me. I highly recommend J...ames for you legal needs.

See All Client Reviews

James William Martens's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse James
Nicholas Dwight Thornton headshot
Nicholas Thornton

Criminal defense lawyer | Oct 18

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Jim is a great criminal defense lawyer. He works tirelessly to get the best outcome for his clients. His hard work pays off, as he often gets fantastic results. If you or a loved one is in trouble, I strongly recommend hiring Jim to handle the case."

Elliott Albert Wilcox headshot
Elliott Wilcox

DUI and DWI lawyer | Jul 21

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I'm proud to endorse James as a lawyer who is serious about DWI defense. As a member of The National College for DUI Defense, James is committed to DWI defense, and will work hard to help you through this stressful situation. If you've been charged with a Bismarck DWI, call James and ask for help."

Aaron Seth Moses headshot
Aaron Moses

Oil and gas lawyer | Feb 10

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I had the pleasure of working with Jim on several oil and gas title opinions. He is a passionate and hard working attorney who has a broad knowledge of North Dakota law. I highly recommend Jim to anyone looking for a top notch probate, criminal defense or oil and gas attorney."

Christopher M. Redmann headshot
Christopher Redmann

Criminal defense lawyer | Sep 18

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"In addition to being one of the only lawyers I know who can pull off a bow-tie, Jim has a great reputation for going above and beyond for his clients. He is also incredibly personal with his clients and fights zealously for their cause."

Robert V. Bolinske Jr. headshot
Robert Bolinske

Unknown lawyer | Sep 17

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I have worked on cases with Jim and he is a very competent attorney. He is very detail oriented and thorough. He also takes a great deal of pride in the work he does & truly cares about the people he represents. If I could pick one area, above all others, that would make an attorney successful, it would be that they genuinely cared for their clients. Jim does this & it shows."

View All Endorsements
Mark R. Western headshot
Mark Western

Litigation lawyer

Nicholas Dwight Thornton headshot
Nicholas Thornton

Criminal defense lawyer

Elliott Albert Wilcox headshot
Elliott Wilcox

DUI and DWI lawyer

Aaron Seth Moses headshot
Aaron Moses

Oil and gas lawyer

Jeff L. Nehring headshot
Jeff Nehring

Criminal defense lawyer

Robert V. Bolinske Jr. headshot
Robert Bolinske

Criminal defense lawyer

Experience

Rating:  9.4 (Superb)

Honors

2025

Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers

2024

Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers

2023

Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers

2022

Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers

2021

Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers

2020

Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers

2016

Great Plains Rising Stars list, Super Lawyers

2015

2015 Client Satisfaction Award, American Institute of DUI/DWI Attorneys

Work Experience

2014 - Present

Attorney, Martens PLLC

2012 - 2016

Of Counsel, Burnett & Thomason

2011 - 2014

Attorney, Attorney At Law

2009 - 2012

Landman, Great Northern Energy

Associations

2015 - Present

DUI Defense Lawyers Association

Member

2010 - Present

American Association of Professional Landmen

Active Member

2010 - Present

Landman's Association of North Dakota

Member

2008 - Present

State Bar Association of North Dakota

Member

Education

2006

University of North Dakota School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

2003

Concordia College

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Languages

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

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Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution