Estate planning services refer to the process of managing and distributing one’s assets and properties after their death, in a way that ensures the smooth transfer of wealth to the intended beneficiaries while minimizing taxes and other expenses. Estate planning services may include drafting legal documents such as wills, trusts, and powers of attorney, as well as providing guidance and advice on strategies for asset protection and wealth transfer. These services may be provided by lawyers, financial advisors, or other professionals with expertise in estate planning. Effective estate planning can help individuals achieve their long-term financial goals and provide peace of mind for themselves and their loved ones.
Clients often ask what steps can be done to protect their assets. My typical response: “what type of asset protection are you interested in?” Most clients aren’t quite sure how to respond… they are unaware that there are different types of asset protection available. The 3 most common types of asset protection I help clients […]
We are happy to work with your financial advisor. In fact, comprehensive estate planning often requires that we work with your financial advisor, accountant, and insurance professional. One local financial advisor breaks down wealth management into 13 parts. We are actively involved or responsible for 8 of the 13 parts (as shown by the *). […]
A significant number of my clients have rental properties. Many are casual landlords with just a few rental properties. Others have dozens of rental properties. In both scenarios, the owner of the rental properties can take some common sense steps to limit liability and protect their assets. First, the landlord should obtain adequate insurance. Our […]
Recently we sold my wife’s car via Craigslist. As part of that transaction, I drafted a Bill of Sale which may be of use to others. It is in Microsoft Word format and can be downloaded by clicking here: Missouri Bill of Sale. I used this document to supplement the documents required by Missouri law, and […]
A Power of Attorney is a legal document that allows one individual to act on another’s behalf. The person granting the powers is called the principal. The person authorized to act on the principal’s behalf is called the agent or attorney in fact. The Power of Attorney document spells out the powers that you are […]
At its heart, a revocable living trust is an agreement. Revocable means that the agreement is able to be revoked or amended during the Grantor’s life. Living means that the agreement is made while the individual is alive, as opposed to a testamentary trust which is made through a deceased individual’s Will. The trust agreement […]
In Missouri, there are 5 requirements for a will to be valid: It must be in writing; It must be signed by the testator (the person making the Will) or by someone by his direction and in his presence; Testator must be over age 18; Testator must be of sound mind; and It must be […]
From my perspective, as the attorney, the best part of estate planning is the people. Daily, I get to meet and help great people. And part of estate planning is that it isn’t only about the client – client’s plan for themselves as well as their children, grandchildren, and loved ones. Estate Planning brings out […]
Tenants by the Entirety is based on the longstanding idea that when a man and woman marry, they create a new entity, a marital unit. Thus, husband can own property, wife can own property, and the marital unit can own property as tenants by the entirety. Tenants by the entirety is separate and distinct from […]
Missouri has made it easy and inexpensive to set-up a Limited Liability Company (LLC). The Missouri Secretary of State’s website (www.sos.mo.gov) has a system called the “Missouri Online Business Filing System” where one can file an LLC’s Articles of Organization in less than 10 minutes. An LLC’s Articles of Organization creates the LLC. The Articles […]
