Probate is Complicated – You Don’t Have to Handle It Alone.
If you’ve lost a loved one and been appointed executor, you’re likely facing legal responsibilities you’ve never dealt with before.
TrustFully helps Missouri families and executors navigate probate and estate administration from start to finish — ensuring the estate is handled correctly, efficiently, and with as little stress as possible.
How We Help
We offer Full-Service Probate and Estate Administration
If you’re unsure what probate even involves, you can review what executors must do immediately after death in Missouri.
Experience matters
Why Hire a Probate Attorney?
Many executors assume they can handle probate alone — until they see the paperwork and legal deadlines involved, but if you need to open a probate estate, and its assets are more than $40,000 you will have to retain an attorney to file for letters in Missouri.
As an executor and fiduciary, you still have many personal risks, including;
Creditor Claims
Failure to pay creditors may give you personal liability to the creditor, but paying an improperly filed claims by a creditor could expose you to liability from the beneficiaries of the estate.
asset handling
Failing to collect or handle assets resulting in a reduced value to beneficiaries could cause you personal liability.
Taxes
As executor, you are ultimately liable for for the decedent’s state and federal taxes. You will have to ensure the decedent’s personal tax returns are filed, but you will also have to file estate tax returns for any income the estate gains after your deceased passed. If there are taxes owed, you are personally responsible.
distributions
Beneficiaries will likely push for a distribution as soon as possible, but you are responsible for estate debts and taxes. You will want to time your distributions to appease the beneficiaries, but also ensure enough money is held in reserve to make sure obligations are paid. An experienced attorney protects you in this situation.
Having legal guidance protects both the estate and the executor.
If you want to understand executor liability more deeply, read how fiduciary duties impact estate administration.
How We Help You
Probate is not a joke, it is a role you were thrust into, experience matters, and we can help.
Initial ConsultationÂ
We review all estate documents, and immediately start advising you on your potential liabilities and obligations.
We help you determine whether probate must be opened — or avoided.
Court Filing and Appointment
We prepare and file all pleadings to secure your appointment as Personal Representative and obtain Letters Testamentary.
Asset Identification and Publishing notices
We ensure all notices to beneficiaries, to creditors, and everything else is published. We also help you bring in all assets into an estate account, prepare inventories and file everything you need to with the courts.
Distribution & Closing
We help you calculate the initial distribution to satisfy the beneficiaries, but hold back enough to cover creditors, fees and taxes. We also help you ensure everyone releases you of liability before you make a final distribution.
Overwhelmed by your responsibilities?
We don’t expect you to navigate the probate process alone. We can help. I have been helping executors and trustees navigate complex, and not so complex probate matters since 2011. I have been an attorney and a corporate trustee who worked on estates in the hundreds of millions of dollars. My firm can help you;
- Understand your duties
- Avoid liabilities
- Complete court filings
- Distribute assets properly
What will this cost my decedent’s estate?
In Missouri, the costs for an attorney are codified by statute, and both the attorney, and the personal representative are entitled to a statutory fee. The fee is as follows;
- 5% of the first $5,000
- 4% of the next $20,000
- 3% of the next $75,000
- 2.75% of the next $300,000
- 2.5% of the next $600,000
- 2% on anything over this amount
We request an initial deposit of $500 to cover filling fees, which you pay from estate assets, this is also deducted against our statutory fee. Other than that, you have no costs until we make distributions, and until you (or the beneficiaries are paid), we are not paid.
In short, we help you ensure you are protected, and it won’t cost you anything.
Let us help you settle the estate properly
If you’ve lost a loved one and are responsible for handling probate, you don’t have to navigate the process alone.
TrustFully provides experienced legal guidance so you can focus on your family — while we handle the legal administration.