Patrick Nolan is an estate‑planning attorney serving families across Northeast Missouri. After a decade in criminal and family law and a prior career as an award‑winning journalist, he now focuses on preventative law by helping clients avoid court through wills, trusts, Medicaid and elder‑law planning, and VA pension and disability counseling and coaching. A veteran and community volunteer, Patrick combines personal insight with legal expertise to protect what you value most.
Quick Answer: A Missouri estate plan that only divides assets misses half the job. Real legacy includes the values that built the wealth, the stories behind the land, the charitable…
Quick Answer: Online estate planning forms look cheap and easy—until they don't work. In Missouri, a will signed without two disinterested witnesses is invalid under RSMo § 474.320. Generic powers…
Quick Answer: Estate planning in Missouri isn't reserved for the wealthy or the elderly—it's for anyone who wants to decide who acts for them when they can't, who raises their…
Quick Answer: Missouri law treats you and your business as separate legal entities—but only if you maintain that separation with discipline. Commingling personal and business assets can expose your home…
Quick Answer: A Missouri nursing home costs more than $85,000 per year, and Medicare covers almost none of it long-term. Without planning, families spend down virtually all assets to qualify…
Quick Answer: Leaving an inheritance outright in Missouri exposes it to your child's creditors, lawsuits, and divorcing spouses. A properly drafted spendthrift or lifetime trust under Missouri law (RSMo Chapter…
Quick Answer: At 18, Missouri law severs parental access to medical records, school records, and financial accounts—completely and immediately. Parents cannot speak for an 18-year-old in a medical emergency without…
Quick Answer: Missouri estate planning does more than divide assets—when families treat it as an ongoing conversation, it builds the financial habits, values, and decision-making skills that heirs carry for…
Quick Answer: Missouri asset protection planning works only when done before a lawsuit, creditor claim, or financial crisis arises. LLCs, irrevocable trusts, tenancy by the entirety, and Missouri homestead exemptions…
Quick Answer: Missouri businesses are vulnerable without an estate plan. Wills, trusts, buy-sell agreements, and succession plans are the tools that prevent probate delays, family disputes, forced sales, and tax…