Estate Planning Attorney in St. Louis, Missouri
Securing Your Legacy: 40+ Years of Estate Planning for Missouri Families
Protect What You’ve Built. Provide for Who You Love.
You’ve put in the work of building a home, grown your savings, and created memories. Now you deserve one thing above all: peace of mind. Estate planning exists for that very purpose. It’s about making sure everything you’ve built in your life stays safe, and that the people you love most are looked after.
At Butler Law Group, we’ve been helping Missouri families for over 4 decades design estate plans that address and support every area of their lives with the goal to provide for them when needed. Whether you’re starting fresh or updating an old plan, we make it simple, clear, and manageable.
The Necessity of Planning
When you don’t plan ahead, someone else decides how your money is handled, who raises your children, and what happens to your property. That “someone else” might be a judge following state law, a distant relative the court appoints, or even a public administrator who’s never met your family.
Without clear legal documents in place, Missouri courts take over—and its version of “fair” might look very different from yours.
The right estate plan gives you total control. You have it spell out precisely what happens, when it happens, and who should be involved. No one has to guess anything, nothing is left to chance—just assurance that your wishes are respected and your family is protected.
Estate Planning Services We Provide in St. Louis
Wills
A Will lets you clearly state your wishes, as simple as saying, “This is what I want to happen after I pass away.” You decide who receives your assets, who cares for your children, and who manages your financial and legal matters if you’re unable to do so yourself—like paying bills, managing bank accounts, handling property, or dealing with other personal and financial responsibilities. Without a Will, Missouri law decides for you, which leaves the power of choice out of your hands and potentially causes disputes between family, wrongful asset distribution, and more.
At Butler Law Group, we help you craft a straightforward, legally sound Will so your wishes are honored exactly as you intend.
Trusts
A Trust takes estate planning a step further into security. It ensures your family avoids probate (a famously drawn-out, expensive, and public court process) and ensures that everything you’ve built, from assets to charitable intentions, is handled privately and correctly.
Trusts also give you stronger control over how your assets are distributed. You can set conditions for inheritances, provide ongoing support for children or grandchildren, or protect assets from creditors.
There are two main types of trusts to choose from:
Revocable Trusts – Flexible and adaptable, a revocable trust allows you to make changes over time while still avoiding probate. Perfect for families who want control and privacy.
Irrevocable Trusts – Offers stronger protection and potential tax advantages, but once it’s established, it cannot be changed. Ideal for protecting assets from creditors or planning for long-term legacy goals.
Without a properly drafted Trust, your loved ones could face legal delays to assets, disagreements, or even loss of assets that could have been maintained. We make sure your trust is customized, legally sound, and designed to keep your legacy secure for generations.
Powers of Attorney
Life has the potential to be unpredictable, but your financial and medical decisions don’t have to be. A Durable Power of Attorney allows someone you personally appoint and trust to manage your finances and medical wishes if you become unable to do so yourself (incapacitation).
Without it, your loved ones might face court proceedings just to make simple decisions on your behalf. With it, your intentions are clear, and your family can act confidently and correctly for you.
Guardianships for Minors
Planning for the unexpected means thinking about who will care for your minor children if you’re unable to. A guardianship gives you full control over choosing to legally appoint someone you trust to step in and take over your role to care for your children, ensuring they are protected, loved, and provided for if you are unable to.
Without a clear guardianship in place, Missouri courts may decide who takes care of your kids—sometimes resulting in delays, disputes, or decisions made by someone you wouldn’t have chosen to make those choices. By establishing a guardianship ahead of time, you give your children stability, the way you would’ve wanted.
At Butler Law Group, we help you carefully select and document guardians, define their responsibilities, and outline care instructions. From minor day-to-day decisions to long-term welfare, we make sure your wishes are legally enforceable so your children are cared for exactly as you intend.
Asset Protection Planning
Having a home, savings, investments, and businesses takes immense amounts of time and money. Asset protection planning ensures that your wealth is totally protected from creditors, lawsuits, or unexpected financial challenges, so your family can enjoy the life you’ve built.
Without proper planning, your assets could be vulnerable, leaving your loved ones exposed to unnecessary risks (listed above). By implementing strategic legal asset tools, we help you protect your assets while keeping your plans flexible and aligned with your estate goals.
At Butler Law Group, we design customized asset protection strategies for Missouri families, combining trusts, insurance planning, and other legal tools. Our goal is simple: preserve your wealth, protect your family, and give you confidence that your legacy will endure.
Crafted for Your Family
Every family is different. Maybe you’re starting out fresh. Maybe you’re part of a blended family. Maybe you’ve built something unique that you want extra protection for. No matter your situation, we tailor your plan to your story—not someone else’s.
At Butler Law Group, we leave out the legal jargon, explain things clearly, and let you decide what kind of future you want—not what happens by default.
The Steps To Success
Step 1: We listen. You tell us about your family, your assets, your goals, and your concerns.
Step 2: Now we start the design. We explain your options, pick the fit that works for you, and customize the documents to match.
Step 3: We finalize. You review, we polish, we sign, we make it legal.
Step 4: We provide you with ongoing support. When your life changes, we change with it. New child, new business, new chapter—we update.
Your Next Chapter Begins Today
Estate planning isn’t just for someone else. It’s for you. It’s for the now and the later. With our team, you’ll get more than a document. You’ll get clarity, a legal partner for life, and a sense of calm about what comes next.
Call us at 314-208-0318 or reach out online today.