Articles

Written by: Attorney Scott Stork TL;DR Signing a document called a will doesn’t guarantee that a will is valid or that it will work as you intend.. In Missouri, a will has to meet specific requirements, and six common mistakes…

Written by: Attorney Raymond Chandler TL;DR A living trust only accomplishes its intended goals for assets it actually owns.. Many Missouri trusts were properly drafted and signed but never funded, meaning the home was never retitled and the accounts never…

Written by: Anne Harris TL;DR Missouri probate law offers two paths: independent administration, which runs with light court oversight and is faster and cheaper, and supervised administration, where the court signs off on major steps throughout, making it slower, costlier,…

Written by: Marcus Tecarro TL;DR Missouri probate usually takes six months to a year, and a big part of that is simply built into the law: creditors get a set window to come forward before an estate can close. What…

Written by: Raymond Chandler TL;DR A Missouri small estate affidavit provides a simplified prohttps://polarisplans.com/missouri-probate/bate process for qualifying estates, but not every estate is eligible. Whether you can use one depends on factors such as the value of the probate estate,…

Written by: Anne Harris TL;DR Missouri probate laws determine how a person’s estate is administered after death, including which assets go through probate, who inherits property, and the responsibilities of the personal representative. Understanding these laws can help families avoid…

Written by: Attorney Scott Stork TL;DR Understanding what happens in probate court in Missouri can make an overwhelming situation feel much more manageable. Probate is generally required when assets cannot transfer automatically after someone dies, and the process often takes…

Written by: Attorney Raymond Chandler TL;DR Losing a spouse is overwhelming, and probate often becomes one more responsibility during an already difficult time. The good news is that not every asset goes through probate, and Missouri law provides a clear…

Written by: Attorney Scott Stork Most St. Louis families spend decades paying off a mortgage, maintaining a home, and building equity they plan to leave behind for their children. What many do not realize is that without the right legal…

Written by: Attorney Marcus Tecarro Most people who have delayed estate planning do not think of themselves as having made a decision. They think of it as something they simply have not gotten around to yet. But under Missouri law,…