What does an estate plan cost in Missouri?

People ask this like they’re pricing out a set of tires. It doesn’t work that way. The number only makes sense once you know what kind of plan you actually need — and what kind of mess you’re trying to avoid.

A will-based plan for a married couple usually runs about $1,950. That’s the entry point. It’s the route people take when they’re watching every dollar, or when they assume a “simple will” means “cheap.” Sometimes it is cheaper — half or even a third of what a trust plan costs — but you pay for it later in court time. And families always pay in time.

A trust-based plan is closer to $4,500, and it goes up if real estate has to be retitled. Deeds don’t move themselves. You’re not paying for paper; you’re paying to avoid the two probate cases that would otherwise come when each spouse dies. Probate can cost thousands. Sometimes tens of thousands. I’ve watched families burn through inheritances just trying to access what should already be theirs.

Ask five lawyers for a price and you’ll get five answers. Some even dodge the question if you lead with cost, because they know they’ll have to revise it after learning your situation. It’s like walking into a doctor’s office and asking, “Doc, I’m sick — how much to fix me?” Any real doctor is going to examine you first. Same idea here. What does an Estate Plan cost in Missouri?

If a trust isn’t financially realistic, a will-based plan at least gives you structure. Plenty of people are stretched thin. But when you work with a firm like Nolan Law Firm, you at least get a straight number up front. No surprises. Everything is fixed in writing before anything starts.

There’s also the DIY route. Some estates are simple enough that you might get away with doing it yourself. But knowing where that line actually is? That’s the part people guess wrong. You can buy forms that get you “close,” but close doesn’t always stand up when your family needs it most. Doing nothing and hoping the state handles things kindly is a mistake. It won’t.

Most firms will talk to you for free. NLF does the first meeting over Zoom. No charge. That’s where you figure out what you truly need — not what you Googled, not what your neighbor did, but your situation.

The cost question isn’t the real question.
The real one is: “What do I need to keep my family out of court and out of trouble?”

Once you answer that, the price finally makes sense.