Experienced St. Louis Estate Planning and Probate Legal Services
Estate Planning
In regard to estate planning, a contradiction exists. Everyone should plan for their estate to protect assets and to help family members. Yet, year after year, the wealth and assets of millions of Americans remains unprotected by estate planning legal tools, and remain vulnerable to legal challenges, unwanted distributions, estate and death taxes, and excessive probate expense.
At the Clayton and St. Louis, Missouri, Law Office of Christopher P. Cox, L.L.C., we have successfully helped hundreds of Missouri and Illinois families with their estate planning concerns and goals.
Attorney Christopher Cox offers clients a planning conference, in which they discuss their concerns regarding their estate, from the care of minor children and vulnerable adults to the naming of beneficiaries and the creation of trusts to hold property and income.
Once goals are identified and a plan is agreed upon, we can implement all elements of your estate plan. Legal tools we regularly work with include:
- Wills
- Trusts, including revocable living trusts and irrevocable trusts
- Powers of attorney
- Health care directives
- Structuring beneficiaries
- Payable on death designations
- Probate administration
- Guardianships and conservatorships
Probate and Estate Administration
In addition to estate planning, we are also experienced in providing probate services, handling the distribution of a decedent's estate, and fighting for our clients' rights to inherit property. Over the past 20 years, we have encountered a broad range of estate and probate issues and have provided creative and effective solutions for our clients.
In general terms, probate and estate administration governs the way a decedent's estate (e.g., their property) is administered and distributed after they die. In effect, it carries out the wishes that were set forth in that person's estate planning documents. We work to ensure that the estate property is distributed per the terms of the decedent's will or trust. If there is no will or trust in existence, the state probate law will provide the distribution scheme and method for administering the estate. We can help to ensure that the proceedings follow the law and treat all of the beneficiaries fairly.
Our office guides the relatives, beneficiaries and personal representatives through the sometimes complex maze of probating and administering a decedent's estate. We handle all of the legal aspects of this estate administration in an attempt to make this process as streamlined and easy as possible. Contact our office to learn more about estate planning and probate, or to discuss your estate-related legal concerns.
Contact Us
If you have questions regarding estate planning and probate, please contact our office. We accept credit cards, are located one block from the St. Louis County Courthouse, and charge reasonable fees. To contact us, call 314.450.8039 or 866.882.2556.
