---
type: Concept
title: Estate Planning Overview (Missouri)
description: Estate planning in Missouri controls who gets your property, who decides if you cannot, and who raises your children.
resource: https://nemolegal.com/estate-planning-missouri/
tags: [estate-planning, missouri, intestacy, incapacity]
timestamp: 2026-06-18
jurisdiction: Missouri
author: Patrick Nolan
---

# Summary

Estate planning in Missouri controls three things: who receives your property when you die, who makes decisions for you if you are incapacitated, and who raises your minor children. Every adult over 18 needs a plan, not only the wealthy or the elderly.

# Without a plan

If you die without a plan, Missouri's intestate succession statutes (RSMo Chapter 474) decide who inherits. A probate judge decides who raises your children. If you are incapacitated with no documents in place, your family must petition a court for a conservatorship to manage your affairs, a process that takes months and costs thousands.

# A plan is a system

The documents work together. A will without a power of attorney leaves a gap. A trust without funding is an expensive piece of paper. The goal is a coordinated set of tools covering death, incapacity, and everything between.

# Decision rule

Every Missouri adult over 18 needs at least the core documents. If you own real estate or have minor children, add a revocable living trust.

# Related

- [The Six Core Documents](/okf/estate-planning/core-documents.md)
- [Will or Trust: Which You Need](/okf/estate-planning/will-or-trust.md)
- [What Estate Planning Costs in Missouri](/okf/estate-planning/pricing.md)