St Louis Estate Attorney – St Louis Estate Planning Attorneys – St Louis Probate Attorney

Welcome and thank you for visiting our website. Our law firm helps St. Louis individuals and families prepare wills, trusts, powers of attorney and healthcare directives (sometimes called “living wills“). We also assist clients who are involved in the probate of a loved one’s estate.

As St. Louis Estate Planning Attorneys we help you plan today for the uncertainties of tomorrow. It is our goal to make your experience as easy and straightforward as possible. The following is a list of some of the practice areas we can help with. Click on any of those underlined to learn more, or scroll down to keep reading about estate planning.

Practice Areas:

• Wills
• Trusts (Revocable Trusts, Special Needs Trusts, Pet Trusts, etc.)
• Powers of Attorney for Financial Matters (General, Durable)
• Powers of Attorney for Healthcare Matters (sometimes called “healthcare proxies”)
• Advanced Healthcare Directives (sometimes called “Living Wills”)
• Probate Administration
• Personal Representative Advice and Representation
• Trustee Advice and Representation

What does estate planning mean? Simply, it means helping you plan for the time when you may be unable to care for yourself, your family, or your affairs because of illness, disability or death. For your attorney, it often involves drafting wills, powers of attorney, healthcare directives (sometimes called “advanced directives” or “living wills“), and may involve setting up a trust or other non-probate or probate avoidance transfer of your assets. It can include representing personal representatives (sometimes called “executors“), trustees, beneficiaries and heirs.

You may be wondering what will happen to your family or business interests if you become incapacitated or die unexpectedly. Without planning, you are leaving your loved ones and property in the hands of the state. This may result in family disputes, property distributions you did not intend or that are unfair, and possibly expensive court costs and estate taxes. We know it is hard to deal with the sensitive topics of death, disability and illness, but no matter what your age or your net worth, it is extremely important to have an estate plan drafted by your lawyer. Together with your lawyer, you can ensure that your loved ones are taken care of the way you want them to be, giving you peace of mind.

You may have questions like these:

• Do I need a will? What happens if I die without one?
• Why does someone need a trust?
• How do I choose someone to make medical decisions on my behalf?
• What is probate? Should it be avoided?
• How do I name a guardian for my children?
• How do I plan for my special needs child?
• Should I have a power of attorney if I am taking care of my elderly parents?
• How do I ensure my religious beliefs are adhered to in my medical care?
• How do I avoid estate taxes?
• I was named personal representative in my dad’s will — what do I need to do?
• Why should I use a lawyer instead of an online legal document company?

We are here to assist you in making the right decisions for your situation. We will also work closely with you to ensure that your assets are protected and preserved for your specific circumstances. Quality legal services, being responsive to clients, and quick turnaround are our top priorities.