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.
Estate Planning for Leavenworth County, Kansas Property Owners
For most Leavenworth 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.
For a Leavenworth 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 Leavenworth 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 $132 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 Leavenworth County
A transfer on death deed names a beneficiary who receives Leavenworth 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.
Where to Record Property Documents
Deeds and other real property documents for Leavenworth County are recorded with the Register of Deeds at 300 Walnut Street, Leavenworth, KS 66048. Phone: 1-913-684-0424. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.
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 Leavenworth County. No transfer tax applies to a transfer on death deed.
Leavenworth County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile.
Recording Office Record
Register of Deeds
Leavenworth County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
300 Walnut Street, Leavenworth, KS 66048
E-recording
Fees
Recording fees
| Base fee (first page) | $21 |
| Each additional page | $17 |
| Transfer tax on a TOD deed | No transfer tax applies to TOD deeds |
K.S.A. 28-115(a)(5), (b), (i)
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Estate Planning Attorneys Serving Leavenworth County
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.
Leavenworth solo practice serving Leavenworth, Johnson, Wyandotte, and Atchison counties and Platte County, Missouri. Kelly Malm works with executors and others involved in an estate through Kansas or Missouri probate, including disputed estates, and prepares wills and trusts alongside a family law practice. She earned her law degree from the University of Kansas over 20 years ago.
Established in 1919, Foulston Siefkin runs an Estate Planning and Probate group from its Wichita, Topeka and Overland Park offices. The group administers large estates and trusts, represents fiduciaries, beneficiaries, guardians and conservators, and litigates will contests and trust construction suits. It also plans farm and closely held business succession.
Wichita firm founded in 1951, with estate administration attorneys in its Wichita and Overland Park offices. Takes estates through probate court from filing to distribution, guides successor trustees, prepares fiduciary income, estate and gift tax returns, and represents trustees and beneficiaries in trust and probate disputes. Also handles adult guardianships and conservatorships.
Patton & Patton prepares wills, trusts, powers of attorney, living wills and guardianship designations from its Topeka and Lenexa offices, and meets Wichita clients by appointment. Attorney Mike Patton handles estate planning, and the firm guides families through probate after a death, with a free consultation for probate matters. It also handles personal injury and workers compensation.
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.
Legal Sources
(2)·
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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Free
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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Free
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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Free
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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Free
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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Kansas Estate Planning Articles
Estate planning articles for Kansas.
