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Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska Wills Lawyers

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Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska Wills Lawyers

Multi-state Wills Attorneys in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska

It is hard to contemplate death or consider the possibility of becoming incapacitated. However, creating a plan for these situations is vital to ensure that your estate is distributed according to your wishes and that those you care about receive the support and assets you have worked so hard to accumulate.

The only avenue to ensure that your wishes for your estate are heard and followed after your death is to create a will that delineates how your assets will be divided. A will also allows you to appoint a guardian for any minor children after your death and to name an executor of the will, a person you trust to ensure the will is followed per your wishes. Finally, with the help of an estate planning lawyer, you can create a last will and testament that reflects your wishes for your estate following your death. Reach out to a Midwest wills attorney today.

We Can Help You Create an Estate Plan in one of our Multi-state locations

Estate planning is a broad legal term that involves creating legal documents and structures that allow your wishes for your estate to be fulfilled upon death. One of the most common elements of estate planning is the last will and testament, which specifies how you would like your estate to be divided and who will be the beneficiaries of that estate. Sometimes, estate and gift taxes also need to be taken into account.

Another type of estate planning that may be beneficial is a living will or durable power of attorney for health care, which specifies your desires regarding medical decisions should you become incapacitated and unable to make those decisions for yourself due to incapacity.

Trusts, such as a revocable living or an educational trust for your children, are other ways to plan for the management of your estate and your assets in the event of your incapacity or death. In general, the creation of a trust does not exclude the need for a will. A will can specify the distribution of assets that may not be held in trust, and it can nominate a guardian for minor children. In addition, a trust can often ensure that your assets are distributed outside the probate court.  

Do You Need a Last Will and Testament or an Estate Plan?

Everybody should consider making a will. However, a will is about much more than the division of a sizable estate, and making a will is not something that those with substantial assets.

If you die intestate, or without a will, the state in which you live will determine how your assets will be divided. In some cases, the laws of intestate succession may align with the decedent’s wishes, but in other cases, that would not be the situation at all. Most state law follows a default formula for intestate succession, giving the estate to a surviving spouse or dividing the estate between the spouse and children.

If you are unmarried, things may become more complex. For example, if you are unmarried without children, your parents inherit your estate without a will. An unmarried partner would likely receive nothing. It would be the same with stepchildren.  

The only way to ensure that those you love are provided per your wishes, rather than a formula dictated by state law, is to create a legally binding will with the help of a wills attorney that makes those wishes known.

Contact a Multi-state Wills Lawyer Today to Schedule an Initial Consultation

The best way to make a last will and testament that accurately reflects your wishes for your estate and avoids complications in probate is to consult a wills attorney who understands the laws in your state related to wills. To set up a consultation with Stange Law Firm, PC, please call 855-805-0595 or contact us online.  

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Helpful Information Regarding High Net Worth Divorce From our Webpage

To learn more about our work in the area of high net worth divorce, please follow the links below:
Do You Need a Last Will and Testament or an Estate Plan?
Everybody should consider making a will. However, a will is about much more than the division of a sizable estate, and making a will is not something that those with substantial assets.
Multi-state Trust Attorneys in the in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska
As Stange Law Firm, PC, we can determine the right type of trust for your needs and objectives and select the type of trust that best protects your interests.
Valuing professional practices and businesses
Valuing a professional practice can be extremely difficult because much of the value is in the individual's contribution, not in merchandise or interests that can be easily divided. If you have questions, we have answers.
Pensions, IRAs and 401(k)s
Missouri law significantly affects the division of retirement savings accounts. If many of your assets are in IRAs or 401(k)s, we can talk with you about your options.
Qualified Domestic Relations Orders
QDROs create or recognize the existence of an alternate payee's right to receive all or a portion of the benefits payable under a retirement plan. We can explain what this means for you.
Divorce Tax Issues
For some, they can have significant questions and concerns about how getting divorced might effect them from a tax perspective. We can help ensure that clients can get the tax advice they need from tax professionals.
Maintaining Lifestyle
Many individuals have spent their entire life working hard in order to maintain a lifestyle that they have sought out. We can help individuals going through divorce ensure that they are put in the best financial position possible after a divorce.
Business Owners
Many individuals have spent their whole life trying to create a successful business or they have assisted their spouse build up this interest. It can be stressful when that business interest becomes part of a divorce proceeding. However, we an help ensure that a business interests are fairly evaluated.
Prenuptial & Postnuptial Agreements
Prior to entering into a marriage, or after the wedding date, many individuals are interested in putting together a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement to ensure that there are not lengthy and contentious divorce proceedings later if the marriage ends in divorce In these instances, we can help.
Farm Divorce
In certain cases, parties going through a divorce may own a family farm. This can result in the farm itself, equipment, livestock and other valuable assets being put in play in a divorce. We can help you if this is the case.
Stocks and Bonds
Many married couples also have significant sums in stocks and bonds. It's vital to work with an attorney to have an accounting of what is out there and to ensure it is properly addressed in family court.
Vocational Examination
The income producing potential of a husband and wife can be an important issue in a spousal support or child support case. A vocational examination can be useful in many of these cases where the current income of a party does not appropriately reflect what they could make.
Real Estate Portfolios
Real estate can be an important issue in divorce cases where the parties own rental property and other valuable real estate. We can work with parties in these types of cases to make sure these assets are property valuated and apportioned.
Delayed Compensation
In some situations, a party may be compensated through delayed compensation. This is an important area that should not be over-looked in a divorce.
Overseas Assets
Overseas assets can be significant issue in certain cases. It is vital that you have an attorney who understands how to address this issue
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Serving the St. Louis Metropolitan Area, Kansas City, Columbia, Springfield, Wichita, Topeka, Tulsa and Beyond in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas and Oklahoma

From our webpage, you can also read articles about family law, view informational videos, seminar videos, listen to our podcast, download our mobile application or view support calculators for MissouriIllinois and Kansas.

If you are looking to find and hire a child custody lawyer, contact us online or by phone to schedule a consultation at any of our convenient locations.

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Stange Law Firm, PC

120 S. Central Avenue, Suite 450

St. Louis (Clayton), Missouri 63105

Toll Free: 855-805-0595
Fax: 314-963-9191
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