St. Charles practice serving St. Charles, St. Peters, O'Fallon, Lake St. Louis, Wentzville, Maryland Heights, and St. Louis. Guides personal representatives through Missouri probate and its court filings, and helps successor trustees manage and distribute trust assets. Amy E. Fennell limits her practice to elder law and estate planning; consultations are free.
Probate in St. Louis County
Probate Court Record
St. Louis County Circuit Court - Probate Division
St. Louis County · 21st Judicial Circuit
Phone
1-314-615-2629 (press 0)
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
105 South Central Avenue, 5th Floor, Clayton, MO 63105
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
How to file probate in St. Louis County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in St. Louis County? →Settling an estate in St. Louis County →
Estate Law Firms Serving St. Louis County
Park Hills firm serving the Farmington area and the Missouri Parkland, with attorneys Eric C. Harris and Ashlee F. Harris. Handles filing wills with the probate court and probate matters, adult and minor guardianships, and the drafting of wills and trusts alongside real estate and family law. Ashlee F. Harris served as 2016 president of the 24th Judicial Circuit Bar Association.
Serves St. Charles County from Lake St. Louis, with offices in St. Charles and O'Fallon (by appointment). Guides executors through Missouri probate, from filing the will and creditor notice to court-approved distribution, and handles contested will and trust disputes, guardianships, and conservatorships. Founder Charles J. Moore has practiced since 2005; consultations are free.
Founded in Ste. Genevieve, with additional offices in Festus and Perryville reaching Jefferson and Perry counties. Handles trust and probate administration for families settling an estate, along with revocable trust planning, wills, powers of attorney, asset protection, estate tax and Medicaid planning, and business succession. James M. Kreitler directs the estate planning practice.
Serves Warren, Lincoln, Montgomery, St. Charles, and Franklin counties from Warrenton and Washington. Handles Missouri probate (proving the will, resolving claims, paying debts, filing tax returns, distributing assets) and guides trustees of a decedent's trust through notices and asset sales. Brian and Nicole Mense focus exclusively on estate planning, elder law, and long-term care.
Hermann office of a Washington, Missouri firm practicing since 1983, drawing clients from Gasconade, Warren, and Montgomery counties. David Politte handles decedents' estates, will administration, small estate administration, guardianships and conservatorships, and will and trust contests. He has served as Hermann's city attorney since 2004.
Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Missouri
Free Missouri forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. 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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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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Free
Healthcare Power of Attorney
Missouri requires 2RSMo § 459.015 (optional living will form only)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses and notarizationRSMo § 459.015 (optional living will form only)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source for a healthcare power of attorney.
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Free
Financial Power of Attorney
Missouri requires explicit durability language for a power of attorney to survive incapacityRSMo §§ 404.700-404.735Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and it is signed before a notaryRSMo §§ 404.700-404.735Verified Sep 18, 2026View source.
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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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Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Missouri
Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in Missouri: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool for Missouri.
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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Do I Need a Revocable Trust?
Probate in Missouri takes 6 months to 12 months for a simple estate and charges 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; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.
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How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Missouri costs an estimated $28,815RSMo § 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. Attorney fees are statutory (set by law)RSMo § 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.
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What Are the Estate Laws in My State?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Missouri costs an estimated $28,815RSMo § 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 and takes 6 months to 12 months for a simple estate, with 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. Estates under $40,000RSMo § 473.097Verified Sep 8, 2026View source can use a small-estate procedure instead.
Check the Rules
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Missouri: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 30 daysRSMo §§ 473.233, 473.240Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 6 monthsRSMo §§ 473.033, 473.360, 473.380, 473.397, 473.403, 473.444Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 12 months.
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What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable 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 and a simple will $984Estimate: 3 hours at $328, Clio's Missouri Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $1,968Estimate: 6 hours at $328, Clio's Missouri Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
Calculate Costs
