Cape Girardeau firm serving clients throughout Southeast Missouri. Guides personal representatives through probate — filing the will, Letters Testamentary, inventory, creditor claims, and distribution — in both supervised and independent administration, and handles farm and business succession. Kelvin Birk is both an attorney and a CPA, and consultations are free.
Cape Girardeau is in Cape Girardeau County.
Probate in Cape Girardeau County
Probate Court Record
Cape Girardeau County Circuit Court - Probate Division
Cape Girardeau County · 32nd Judicial Circuit
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
203 North High Street, Suite 129, Jackson, MO 63755
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Cape Girardeau County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Cape Girardeau County? →Settling an estate in Cape Girardeau County →
Forms for Planning Your Estate in Missouri
Free forms for planning your estate in Missouri: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for Missouri.
$12/month
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
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Free
Pour-Over Will
In Missouri, a pour-over will is signed before 2RSMo § 474.320Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.
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Free
Transfer on Death Deed
In Missouri, a beneficiary deed is signed before a notaryRSMo 461.003 to 461.081Verified Oct 18, 2026View source, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathRSMo 461.003 to 461.081Verified Oct 18, 2026View source. Missouri does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.
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Free
Last Will and Testament
In Missouri, a will is signed before 2RSMo § 474.320Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyRSMo § 474.320Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
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Tools for Planning Your Estate in Missouri
Free tools for planning your estate in Missouri: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for Missouri and read its answer.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
In Missouri, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees set by statute as a percentage of the gross estateRSMo § 473.153(3) (statutory minimum: 5% first $5K, 4% next $20K, 3% next $75K, 2.75% next $300K, 2.5% next $600K, 2% over $1M); § 473.153(1) (base: personal property administered)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.
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How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in Missouri runs $3,570Estimate: 10 hours at $357, Clio's Missouri Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $5,355Estimate: 15 hours at $357, Clio's Missouri Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
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Do I Need a TOD Deed?
Missouri authorizes transfer on death deedsRSMo 461.003 to 461.081Verified Oct 17, 2026View source: a recorded, revocable deed that passes real property at death outside probate.
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Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?
Missouri automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceMo. Rev. Stat. § 461.051Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.
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