Estate Planning Services in Fenton and St. Louis, MO
Planning for what happens to your home, your savings, and your family after you're gone isn't easy to think about, let alone put on paper. Doskocil Law Firm helps Fenton, St. Louis County, and St. Louis City families build a clear, legally sound estate plan so their loved ones aren't left guessing.
Both officesBy appointment onlySpeak directly with attorney Chris Doskocil.
Fenton
476 Old Smizer Mill Rd, Ste 232 Fenton, MO 63026 Mon to Fri, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
St. Louis
3407 S Jefferson Ave St. Louis, MO 63118 Mon to Fri, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Why Families Need a Plan
What Our Estate Planning Attorney Handles
An estate plan is the set of legal documents that decides who receives your property, who speaks for you if you can't speak for yourself, and how much of your estate ends up tied up in Probate Court. As an estate planning attorney working with families across Fenton, St. Louis County, and St. Louis City, Chris Doskocil builds plans around your actual assets and your actual wishes, not a generic template.
Most clients come in needing a will, a durable power of attorney, a healthcare declaration, or some combination of the three. Others own a home, a small business, or investments complicated enough that a trust makes more sense. Either way, this is personal work, and you'll talk directly with the attorney handling your file from the first call through the final signature.
Whether you're starting from scratch or updating a plan that's years out of date, Missouri law and your family's circumstances both matter. That's the kind of detail an experienced attorney catches before it becomes a problem for your heirs.
How We Build Your Plan
The Estate Planning Process, Step by Step
Chris often meets clients in their own homes to plan an estate, since that's where your paperwork, statements, and deeds already are. Here's what that process looks like from start to finish.
1
Initial Case Evaluation
We start with a conversation about your family, your property, and what you want to happen to it. This first meeting, often in your own home, is where Chris learns your goals and answers your questions about wills, trusts, and Missouri probate.
2
Asset and Beneficiary Review
You'll gather information on how each asset is titled, who's listed as beneficiary, and roughly what it's worth. This includes bank and investment accounts, life insurance, vehicles, and your home. This homework step is what lets your plan actually match your wishes.
3
Drafting Your Documents
Based on your goals, Chris drafts the right combination of documents, typically a will, durable power of attorney, healthcare declaration, and beneficiary deed, or a trust for more complex situations. You'll review drafts and ask questions before anything is finalized.
4
Signing and Ongoing Support
Once your documents are signed and properly executed, your plan is in place. Chris remains available as your circumstances change, whether that's a new grandchild, a home sale, or a change in who you want to name as your beneficiaries.
The Doskocil Difference
Why Fenton and St. Louis Families Choose This Firm
Estate planning touches your family and your finances at the same time, so who you hire matters. Here's what clients get working with Doskocil Law Firm.
You Talk to the Attorney, Not Staff
When you call about your will or trust, you reach Chris Doskocil directly, not a paralegal or a secretary. Calls are typically returned the same day, often within minutes, because this is a one-attorney practice built around personal access.
Over 30 Years of Missouri Practice
Chris has practiced law in Missouri and Illinois since 1987 and holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, one of the field's highest peer-review honors. That experience covers straightforward wills as well as complex trust and estate administration attorney work.
Plans Built Around Your Family
There's no generic package here. Every will and trust attorney conversation starts with your assets, your family structure, and your goals, so the plan you sign actually reflects what you want, not a boilerplate form.
What Goes Into a Plan
Documents and Decisions to Consider
A typical estate plan includes several documents working together, each doing a different job. Here's what most Fenton and St. Louis clients need to think through:
Will: Filed in Probate Court after you die, a will directs where your assets go. A well-built plan aims to reduce what actually has to pass through probate.
Durable power of attorney: Names someone to manage your finances and affairs if you're physically or mentally unable to, ending automatically at death.
Healthcare declaration: States your wishes about being kept alive by artificial means if two doctors confirm you're otherwise unable to recover.
Beneficiary deed: A revocable deed, filed with the recorder of deeds, that transfers your home to named beneficiaries when you die, often bypassing probate entirely.
Trust: Useful for more complex transfers, keeping assets and beneficiaries private, and generally faster than probate for passing on wealth.
Asset titling and beneficiary designations: How an account or policy is titled often controls where it goes, regardless of what your will says, so this needs to be checked, not assumed.
Common Questions
Estate Planning FAQs
Here are answers to questions Fenton and St. Louis clients bring up most often when they first meet with an estate planning lawyer.
Do I need a will or a trust?
It depends on your assets and goals. A will is often enough for simpler estates, while a trust tends to make more sense for complicated transfers, privacy concerns, or avoiding Probate Court altogether. Chris walks through your specific situation before recommending either.
What happens if I die without an estate plan?
Missouri's intestacy laws decide who inherits your property, which may not match what you would have wanted. Your family also faces a longer, more expensive Probate Court process without a will or trust in place to guide it.
Can a will or trust be contested after I die?
Yes. A disgruntled heir or someone left out of a will can challenge it in court, which is where a will contest attorney gets involved. Working with an estate planning attorney to draft your documents correctly from the start reduces that risk significantly.
How is a beneficiary deed different from a will?
A beneficiary deed transfers your home directly to named beneficiaries when you die, often without going through probate at all. A will, by contrast, is filed in Probate Court and covers the rest of your estate, so most complete plans use both.
Related Legal Services
Other Ways We Help Fenton and St. Louis Families
Estate planning often overlaps with other legal needs, from a probate case after a loved one passes to a family law matter that affects who inherits what. Here's where else Doskocil Law Firm can help.
Whether you're facing an uncontested divorce or need help with custody and support, our family law services focus on resolving matters efficiently and directly with the attorney.
If you're serving as executor or personal representative, our probate attorney guidance walks you through estate administration from filing to final distribution.
When a dispute over property, a contract, or an estate can't be resolved outside of court, our civil litigation attorney experience helps protect your interests at trial.
Explore
Where We Serve
Estate Planning Services Across the St. Louis Region
Doskocil Law Firm helps clients plan wills, trusts, and estates throughout Fenton, St. Louis County, and St. Louis City, meeting by appointment at either office location.
Protect Your Family With a Plan That Actually Reflects Your Wishes
Don't leave your heirs to sort out a difficult probate case without a plan. Schedule a consultation with Chris Doskocil to start building a will, trust, or complete estate plan built around your family, by appointment at either the Fenton or St. Louis office.
