Estate Planning for Johnson County, Kansas Property Owners

For most Johnson County homeowners, the house is what drags an estate into probate. A transfer-on-death deed or a living trust keeps it out—here is how to set up either one and record it locally.

Record a TOD deedWhere to recordLocal attorneys

For a Johnson County property owner, the biggest probate risk is the home itself. Real estate is what forces most families into the District Court. The two tools that keep a Johnson County home out of probate are a transfer-on-death deed recorded with the Register of Deeds, and a revocable living trust that holds title to the property.

Skipping this planning step means the District Court decides who receives the property: a simple Kansas probate takes 6+ months and opens with $133 in court filing fees. Kansas also lets owners name a transfer-on-death beneficiary on vehicle titles, which keeps cars out of the same process.

Record a Transfer-on-Death Deed in Johnson County

A transfer on death deed names a beneficiary who receives Johnson County property automatically at the owner's death, without probate. It is recorded with the Register of Deeds during the owner's lifetime and can be revoked at any time.

Before recording, a Kansas transfer on death deed is signed with notary acknowledgmentK.S.A. 59-3501 to 59-3507Verified Oct 18, 2026View source. The deed takes effect only if it is recorded before the owner's deathK.S.A. 59-3501 to 59-3507Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.

Create a Kansas TOD deed →Johnson County signing requirements →

Where to Record Property Documents

Deeds and other real property documents for Johnson County are recorded with the Register of Deeds at 111 South Cherry Street, Suite 1200, Olathe, KS 66061. Phone: 1-913-715-0775.

The Register of Deeds charges $21 for the first page plus $17 for each additional page. A 2-page transfer on death deed costs $38 to record in Johnson County. No transfer tax applies to a transfer on death deed.

Johnson County accepts electronic recording through CSC, Mobilis, iCounty, Simplifile and ePN.

Recording Office Record

Register of Deeds

Johnson County · Treasury, Taxation and Vehicles Department

Office

111 South Cherry Street, Suite 1200, Olathe, KS 66061

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Fees

Recording fees

Base fee (first page)$21
Each additional page$17
Transfer tax on a TOD deedNo transfer tax applies to TOD deeds

K.S.A. 28-115(a)(5), (b), (i)

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

Estate Planning Attorneys Serving Johnson County

FirmKansas City, KS

Colgan Law Firm LLC

Serves 8 counties

Kansas City, Kansas firm on Parallel Parkway handling probate administration for families in Wyandotte, Leavenworth and Johnson counties. Also drafts wills and special needs trusts, does Medicaid planning, and petitions for guardianship and conservatorship. One partner spent over a decade at a regional bank working in trust and probate administration.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawConservatorshipand 4 more

Office
11006 Parallel Parkway, Suite 202Kansas City, KS 66109

Solo PracticePrairie Village, KS

Dreiling Law

Serves 2 counties

Michael P. Dreiling's Prairie Village practice handles probate in Johnson and Wyandotte counties, and he is licensed in Kansas and Missouri. Takes formal and informal probate, small estate procedures, heirship determinations and disputes between heirs and beneficiaries, plus wills, living trusts and estate and trust income tax returns. He holds a Master of Laws in Taxation.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationTax PlanningWills Trusts

Office
2516 W 79th StreetPrairie Village, KS 66208

FirmOverland Park, KS

Gates Shields Ferguson Swall Hammond P.A.

Serves 1 county

Gates Shields works from Overland Park in Johnson County, with a second office in Liberty, Missouri. Its attorneys open probate estates, distribute estate and trust assets, guide trustees, and handle will contests, guardianships and conservatorships for estates of all sizes. The initial consultation on estate planning and probate matters is free.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 3 more

Office
10990 Quivira Road, Suite 200Overland Park, KS 66210
Free consultation

FirmOverland Park, KS

Gaughan & Connealy Estate Planning Attorneys

Serves 5 counties

Overland Park estate planning and elder law firm of Chris Gaughan and Casey Connealy, serving the Kansas City area in Kansas and Missouri. Represents trustees and beneficiaries in trust administration after a death, handles probate, and plans living trusts, special needs trusts, Medicaid eligibility and business succession. The two co-wrote Midwest Estate Planning: A Guide for Your Family.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 6 more

Office
4400 College Boulevard, Suite 190Overland Park, KS 66211

Solo PracticeOverland Park, KS

Harvest Law KC

Serves 1 county

Kyle E. Krull's Overland Park estate planning practice serves the greater Kansas City area, including Johnson County; Krull is also admitted in Missouri. He prepares wills, revocable living trusts, irrevocable and special needs trusts, powers of attorney, and charitable, estate tax and business succession plans. He has written for Trusts & Estates magazine and Kiplinger's Personal Finance.

PracticesEstate PlanningTax PlanningSpecial Needs PlanningAsset Protectionand 4 more

Office
5209 W 164th StOverland Park, KS 66085

FirmOverland Park, KS

Heartland Estate Law, LLC

Serves 2 counties

Small Overland Park estate firm serving the Kansas City metro area; Thomas H. Sullivan also keeps an office in Phillipsburg. Handles probate and trust administration and represents families in estate litigation over contested wills, undue influence, and executor or trustee breaches of fiduciary duty. Most services are billed at a flat fee, and the initial consultation carries no charge.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 6 more

Office
10955 Lowell Ave, Suite 810Overland Park, KS 66210
Free consultation
See all 30 firms serving Johnson County →

Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.

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Legal Sources

Data sourced from Kansas statutes and official state code. How we research.

Forms for Planning Your Estate in Kansas

Free forms for planning your estate in Kansas: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for Kansas.

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Last Will and Testament

In Kansas, a will is signed before 2K.S.A. § 59-606Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyK.S.A. § 59-606Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.

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Codicil to a Will

In Kansas, a codicil is signed before 2K.S.A. § 59-606Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, like a will, and the self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyK.S.A. § 59-606Verified Oct 25, 2026View source.

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Healthcare Power of Attorney

Kansas allows a choice for a healthcare power of attorney: 2K.S.A. 58-632Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.

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HIPAA Release

In Kansas, a HIPAA release names who may receive your records and, as the state requires, names mental health recordsK.S.A. 65-5602(a)Verified Jun 19, 2026View source expressly before a provider releases it.

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Financial Power of Attorney

Kansas requires explicit durability language for a power of attorney to survive incapacityK.S.A. §§ 58-650 through 58-665Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and it is signed before a notaryK.S.A. §§ 58-650 through 58-665Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.

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Transfer on Death Deed

In Kansas, a transfer on death deed is signed before a notaryK.S.A. 59-3501 to 59-3507Verified Oct 18, 2026View source, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathK.S.A. 59-3501 to 59-3507Verified Oct 18, 2026View source. Kansas does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.

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Vehicle Transfer on Death

Kansas allows a transfer-on-death beneficiary designation on a vehicle titleK.S.A. 59-3508 et seq. (see also K.S.A. 8-135(c)(10))Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, filed through the Kansas Department of Revenue, Division of Vehicles (issues the certificate of title); applications are made at the local county treasurer's motor vehicle office using Form TR-212a.

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Living Will

In Kansas, the living will is the DeclarationK.S.A. 65-28,101 to 65-28,109 (natural death act)Verified Sep 27, 2026View source, a document of its own, apart from the healthcare power of attorney.

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Tools for Planning Your Estate in Kansas

Free tools for planning your estate in Kansas: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for Kansas and read its answer.

How Do I Sign Estate Documents?

In Kansas, a will is signed before 2K.S.A. § 59-606Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredK.S.A. § 59-606Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.

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Will My Estate Documents Transfer?

Kansas recognizes a will signed under the law of the place where it was signedK.S.A. § 59-609Verified Oct 18, 2026View source; a will signed in Kansas itself needs 2K.S.A. § 59-606Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredK.S.A. § 59-606Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.

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Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?

In Kansas, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 1.8%Modeled estimate under K.S.A. 59-1717 (fiduciary and attorney compensation "just and reasonable"; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.9%Modeled estimate under K.S.A. 59-1717 (fiduciary and attorney compensation "just and reasonable"; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; 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 Kansas runs $3,310Estimate: 10 hours at $331, Clio's Kansas Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $4,965Estimate: 15 hours at $331, Clio's Kansas 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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How Much Does a Will Cost?

An attorney-prepared will in Kansas runs $978Estimate: 3 hours at $326, Clio's Kansas Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $1,956Estimate: 6 hours at $326, Clio's Kansas Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $299 up front with an online service, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $25,212K.S.A. 59-1717 (fiduciary and attorney compensation "just and reasonable"; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.

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How Does SimplyTrust Compare to LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and Other Services?

Compare what it costs to make a trust official across SimplyTrust, LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Rocket Lawyer, and Quicken WillMaker.

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How Do I Name a Guardian for My Minor Children?

In Kansas, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a will or a separate signed writingK.S.A. 59-30,133(b); see also 59-30,128, 59-30,130Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18K.S.A. 38-101Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.

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Do I Need a Revocable Trust?

Probate in Kansas takes 6 months to 9 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees of typically 1.8%Modeled estimate under K.S.A. 59-1717 (fiduciary and attorney compensation "just and reasonable"; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.9%Modeled estimate under K.S.A. 59-1717 (fiduciary and attorney compensation "just and reasonable"; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.

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