Estate Planning Attorneys in Missouri

Even if you create a revocable trust in Missouri, you generally still need a will — most commonly a "pour-over" will that captures any assets you forgot to retitle into the trust. Missouri also allows transfer-on-death deeds for real estate, which can move property out of probate without a trust. Whether a trust adds enough value over a will-only plan depends on your situation: real property, blended families, and out-of-state assets are the most common reasons. The trust-or-will tool walks through the decision.

Estate planning attorneys in Missouri average $328 per hourClio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jan 1, 2025 for wills and estates work. Flat-fee packages run roughly $984–$1,968 for a simple individual will and $3,530–$5,295 for a basic revocable trust. Online and DIY services cost $30–$300 for the same documents — see the will cost calculator for a side-by-side comparison.

Missouri allows estates under $40,000 to use a simplified Small Estate Affidavit procedure, which is a form rather than a court case and typically doesn't require an attorney. For larger estates, formal probate is involved enough that retaining counsel is usually practical — the procedural work is what they're there for. Use the Missouri probate calculator to estimate the costs.

In Missouri, the situations where retaining counsel is typically worth the cost are: blended families with children from prior relationships; ownership of a business, rental property, or significant investment assets; special-needs dependents who need a special-needs trust to preserve benefits; substantial property held in multiple states. If none of these describe your situation, the simpler online and DIY tools are often enough.