---
type: Concept
title: What Every New Parent Needs to Know About Wills in Missouri
description: The five things new parents should understand about wills, guardians, and beneficiaries.
resource: https://nemolegal.com/5-things-every-new-parent-needs-to-know-about-wills/
tags: [wills, new-parents, guardian, minor-children, missouri]
timestamp: 2026-06-22
jurisdiction: Missouri
author: Patrick Nolan
---

# Summary
For a new parent, the most important part of a will is often not the money but naming a guardian for a minor child. A will lets you nominate that guardian and an executor, but it cannot override beneficiary designations on financial accounts, and leaving money directly to a minor forces the court to manage it. Without clear instructions, the state's plan controls.

# Quotable Q&A
**Q: What is the most important part of a will for a new parent?**
A: Naming a guardian for a minor child. If you die while your child is a minor with no will, a judge who does not know your family decides who raises them. With a will, you nominate a trusted guardian and the judge gives that choice strong weight when deciding the child's best interests.

**Q: Will my will control my life insurance and retirement accounts?**
A: No. Bank, retirement, and life insurance accounts pass to the beneficiary named on the account, even if your will says otherwise. If you name your parents on an account and your child in your will, your parents inherit that account. Review your designations so they match your plan.

**Q: Should I leave money directly to my minor child in a will?**
A: Usually not. If you leave money directly to a minor, the court appoints someone to manage it until the child is a legal adult. A testamentary trust or a revocable living trust lets you control how and when the child receives the inheritance, and a living trust also avoids probate.

# The Five Things
The firm's post lays out five points for new parents. First, naming a guardian may be the most important part of the will. Second, name an executor, also called a personal representative, who is trustworthy and organized, since without a will state law decides who has priority. Third, beneficiary designations on financial accounts pass directly and override the will, so review them with your advisor and attorney. Fourth, a will is not always the right tool: a testamentary trust created through the will becomes public record after death and goes through probate, while a revocable living trust takes effect immediately, controls how and when the child inherits, and avoids probate. Fifth, without clearly stated intentions the court applies the state's plan, so the estate plan is your voice for your child.

# Decision rule
If you want control over who raises your child and how a modest inheritance is managed, then name a guardian and use a testamentary or revocable living trust rather than leaving assets directly to a minor. If you rely on a bare will alone, then beneficiary designations and court-managed minor accounts may defeat your intent.

# Related
- [Wills and Will Requirements](/okf/estate-planning/wills.md)
- [How to Make a Will in Missouri](/okf/wills-execution/how-to-make-a-will.md)
- [Why Simple Wills Are Not as Simple as They Look](/okf/wills-execution/simple-wills-not-simple.md)
- [Will or Trust](/okf/estate-planning/will-or-trust.md)
- [Revocable Living Trust](/okf/estate-planning/revocable-living-trust.md)
- [About Nolan Law Firm](/okf/firm.md)