Estate Planning Blog

Missouri law does not automatically hand medical decision-making to your spouse or your oldest child. Naming the person yourself, in writing, is what keeps that choice out of a courtroom and out of a family argument.

Per stirpes is one small phrase on a beneficiary form, and it quietly decides whether a grandchild inherits or receives nothing. Here is what it means, what Missouri assumes when a form is silent, and why the wording is worth a second look.

Per stirpes is one small phrase on a beneficiary form, and it quietly decides whether a grandchild inherits or receives nothing. Here is what it means, what Missouri assumes when a form is silent, and why the wording is worth a second look.

Two women in one family died a year apart with nearly identical assets. One estate closed in about six months. The other took seventeen. Here is what made the difference.

A will is a good start, but it does not do everything people assume. Here is a plain-English look at the probate myths that quietly cost Missouri families time, money, and peace of mind.