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Most people assume they know what a will is. They have heard the term their entire lives. They know it involves dividing up property and naming who gets what. That general understanding is not wrong, but it is incomplete in ways that matter. This is the first post in the Estate Planning Library, a series […]
What happens if I die without a will in Missouri?
If you die without a will in Missouri, you are dying without written instructions that say who should receive your probate assets. Those written instructions are what most people mean when they say “a will.” If you die without one, Missouri law supplies a default plan for who receives your assets. That default plan plus […]
Does a Trust Avoid Probate in Missouri?
Many people ask this question. In Missouri, the answer is nuanced. A trust can help avoid probate, but the trust document alone doesn’t automatically avoid it. Probate is an asset by asset issue. What matters is how each asset is titled and how it transfers at death. A trust can be an effective probate-avoidance tool, […]
What happens to my house when I die in Missouri?
What happens to your house when you die in depends on how the title is held and whether you planned ahead. If the house is titled in your name alone and you have not used a trust or a beneficiary deed, it goes through probate. If you have a valid will, the court follows your […]
Do I really need a will if I don’t have a lot of assets?
This is a common question, and fair one.A lot of people assume wills are for people with significant wealth, multiple properties, or complicated finances. If that’s not you, it can feel unnecessary or like something you can deal with later. But the short answer is this – estate planning isn’t always about how much you […]
Estate Planning in 2026: Higher Exemptions, Same Responsibility
Welcome to 2026 This year brought a change that some expected, but not in the way they thought. There was talk of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expiring and the federal estate and gift tax exemptions being cut in half. That didn’t happen. Instead, Congress raised the exemptions and kept the current framework in […]