Serves St. Louis County and surrounding metro communities including Ballwin, Chesterfield, and Clayton. Represents executors, personal representatives, and heirs through probate and trust administration, from creditor notification and appraisals to intestate succession and contested will disputes over validity, undue influence, and testator capacity. Runs free public estate planning seminars.
Estate Planning for St. Louis City, Missouri Property Owners
For most St. Louis City 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 St. Louis City property owner, the biggest probate risk is the home itself. Real estate is what forces most families into the Circuit Court - Probate Division. The two tools that keep a St. Louis City home out of probate are a transfer-on-death deed recorded with the Recorder of Deeds, and a revocable living trust that holds title to the property.
Without a recorded beneficiary designation or a trust, St. Louis City property passes through the Circuit Court - Probate Division — even simple Missouri probates run 6+ months and start with $231 in filing fees. Missouri 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 St. Louis City
A beneficiary deed names a beneficiary who receives St. Louis City property automatically at the owner's death, without probate. It is recorded with the Recorder of Deeds during the owner's lifetime and can be revoked at any time.
Before recording, a Missouri beneficiary deed is signed with notary acknowledgmentRSMo 461.003 to 461.081Verified Oct 18, 2026View source. The deed takes effect only if it is recorded before the owner's deathRSMo 461.003 to 461.081Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
Where to Record Property Documents
Deeds and other real property documents for St. Louis City are recorded with the Recorder of Deeds at 1200 Market Street, City Hall Room 128, St. Louis, MO 63103. Phone: 1-314-622-4610. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM (land records recording).
The Recorder of Deeds charges $25 for the first page plus $5 for each additional page. Recording a 2-page beneficiary deed in St. Louis City comes to $30. No transfer tax applies to a beneficiary deed.
St. Louis City accepts electronic recording through CSC.
Recording Office Record
Recorder of Deeds
St. Louis City · Recorder of Deeds and Vital Records Registrar
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM (land records recording)
Office
1200 Market Street, City Hall Room 128, St. Louis, MO 63103
E-recording
available via CSC
Fees
Recording fees
| Base fee (first page) | $25 |
| Each additional page | $5 |
| Transfer tax on a TOD deed | No transfer tax applies to TOD deeds |
RSMo 59.313.6(1), 59.319, 59.321, 59.800
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Estate Planning Attorneys Serving St. Louis City
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.
Law Offices of Stephen J. Hoffmann, serving St. Louis County, St. Louis City, Jefferson County, and St. Charles County. Guides executors and administrators through full administration, small-estate procedures, and petitions to determine heirship, and handles will and trust contests and removal of a personal representative. Initial consultations are free.
Brentwood Boulevard office appearing in the St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and St. Charles County probate courts. Handles decedent estate administration, trust administration and trustee accountings, guardian and conservator estates, and contested matters such as trustee-beneficiary disputes and breach of fiduciary duty claims.
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.
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 Missouri statutes and official state code. How we research.
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.
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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
Codicil to a Will
In Missouri, a codicil is signed before 2RSMo § 474.320Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, like a will, and the self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyRSMo §§ 472.010(30), 474.337Verified Oct 25, 2026View source.
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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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HIPAA Release
In Missouri, a HIPAA release is the federal authorization alone: the state adds no category rule, and the document carries the elements federal law requires, among them an expiration date or an expiration event that relates to the individual45 CFR 164.508(c)(1)(v)Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
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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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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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Vehicle Transfer on Death
Missouri allows a transfer-on-death beneficiary designation on a vehicle titleMo. Rev. Stat. 301.681Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, filed through the Missouri Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Bureau using Form 108.
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Free
Living Will
In Missouri, the living will is the DeclarationMo. Rev. Stat. ch. 459, §§ 459.010-459.055 (Declarations, Life Support) and § 459.250 (Advance Health Care Directives Registry)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 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.
How Do I Sign Estate Documents?
In Missouri, a will is signed before 2RSMo § 474.320Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredRSMo § 474.320Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
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Will My Estate Documents Transfer?
Missouri recognizes a will signed under the law of the place where it was signedRSMo § 474.360Verified Oct 18, 2026View source; a will signed in Missouri itself needs 2RSMo § 474.320Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredRSMo § 474.320Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
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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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How Much Does a Will Cost?
An attorney-prepared will in Missouri runs $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 $299 up front with an online service, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $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.
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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 Missouri, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a will or a separate signed writingMo. Rev. Stat. §§ 475.045, 475.046Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18Mo. Rev. Stat. § 475.010(15)Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
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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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Missouri Estate Planning Articles
Estate planning articles for Missouri.
