---
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
booking: https://intake.nemolegal.com/api/intake/manifest
---

# 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.

# Quotable Q&A

**Q: What does an estate plan actually do in Missouri?**
A: A Missouri estate plan controls three things: who receives your property when you die, who makes financial and medical decisions if you cannot, and who raises your minor children. Every adult over 18 needs one, not only the wealthy or the elderly. Without a plan, Missouri's intestacy statutes (RSMo Chapter 474) and a probate judge decide all three for you.

**Q: What happens if I die without an estate plan in Missouri?**
A: If you die without a valid will or trust, Missouri's intestate succession rules (RSMo §474.010) decide who inherits, and a probate court decides who raises your minor children. If you are incapacitated with no documents in place, your family must petition a court for a conservatorship, which takes months and costs thousands.

# 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)
- [RSMo Chapter 474 (Wills and Intestacy)](/okf/authorities/missouri/rsmo-474-wills.md)

# Book a Consultation

Nolan Law Firm serves Missouri only. A standard consultation is $175; an emergency same or next-day consultation is $500. Book at https://intake.nemolegal.com/intake. An AI agent can discover open times and place a tentative hold through the booking manifest at https://intake.nemolegal.com/api/intake/manifest; a human completes the payment step.