Estate Planning for Missouri and Kansas Families
Flat-fee wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and more — from a Liberty, MO attorney licensed in Missouri and Kansas
Estate planning is proactively and intentionally planning for two events in our lives: the possibility of incapacity and the certainty of death. A proper estate plan ensures the right people make decisions for you when you can't make them yourself and that your assets go where you intend when you're gone.
At Fulkerson Estate Planning & Elder Law LLC, we have over 20 years of experience preparing flat-fee estate plans for families across Kansas City. Every plan is tailored to your situation. We take the time to understand your family, your assets, and your goals before recommending any estate plan or course of action.
What's Included
A well-designed estate plan fits what's best for your family. Depending on your situation, your plan may include some or all of the following estate planning tools:
Last Will and Testament. A will directs how your probate assets are distributed after your death and names a representative to carry out your wishes. For parents of minor children, a will is also where you name a guardian for your children.
Revocable Living Trust. A trust allows your assets to pass to your beneficiaries without going through probate, which saves time, cost, and keeps your affairs private. A revocable trust also provides a management structure if you become incapacitated and at your death, allowing a successor trustee to take over rather seamlessly.
Durable Power of Attorney. This document names someone to manage your financial affairs if you become unable to do so yourself. Without one, your family may need to go to court to obtain that authority.
Healthcare Power of Attorney and Advance Directive. These documents name someone to make medical decisions on your behalf and document your wishes regarding life-sustaining treatment. Every adult should have these in place regardless of age or health.
Deeds. Depending on your plan, we may prepare a Beneficiary Deed or a Warranty Deed. A Missouri Beneficiary Deed (also called a Transfer on Death Deed in Kansas) allows real estate to pass directly to your named beneficiaries at death without going through probate. A Warranty Deed may be used to transfer real property into a trust or to correct how title is held. We prepare deeds as part of a comprehensive plan rather than as standalone projects.
Beneficiary Designations. Retirement accounts, life insurance, and certain bank accounts pass by beneficiary designation — not by your will or trust. In a Last Will plan, mismatched designations can override your will entirely. In a Trust plan, we often designate the trust itself as either the primary or contingent beneficiary, depending on your marital situation and how we are directing assets to your children. We review all of your designations as part of the planning process to make sure everything works together as intended.
Who We Help
Individuals & Couples
Most of our estate planning clients are single individuals or married couples who simply want to make sure their affairs are in order. Whether your situation is straightforward or complex, a proper plan ensures your assets go where you intend, the right people have authority to act for you if you can't, and your family is spared unnecessary confusion and cost.
Families with Young Children
If you have minor children, an estate plan is not optional — it is essential. Your plan names the people you trust to raise your children if something happens to you, and it protects their inheritance until they are old enough to manage it themselves. Dying without a plan leaves those decisions to a court.
Seniors & Retirees
For clients in or approaching retirement, estate planning intersects closely with elder law concerns — long-term care, incapacity planning, and making sure a surviving spouse is protected. We help seniors build plans that account for the full picture, not just asset distribution.
Blended Families
When spouses each have children from prior relationships, a standard estate plan may not produce the result you intend. Without careful planning, assets can end up passing entirely to a surviving spouse's children rather than your own. We help blended families structure plans that treat everyone fairly and reflect your actual intentions.
Adult Children Planning for Aging Parents
Sometimes the call comes from an adult child who realizes their parents have no documents in place. We work with families to get the right documents prepared before a health crisis makes planning more difficult or impossible.
Why Choose Us
20 Years of Experience. Brett Fulkerson has been helping Missouri and Kansas families with estate planning for over 20 years. That experience means your plan is built on a deep understanding of what clients actually need, what a sound estate plan looks like, and where plans actually break down when they are not carefully designed and properly executed.
Flat-Fee Pricing. We charge flat fees for estate planning work, not hourly rates. You know the cost before we begin, and you are not watching the clock during our meetings. Our goal is to make the planning process straightforward and stress-free.
Licensed in Missouri and Kansas. We prepare estate plans for residents of both states. Missouri and Kansas have different rules governing wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and beneficiary deeds. We make sure your documents comply with the law of the state where you live and own property.
Plain-Language Guidance. Estate planning documents can be dense and confusing. We take the time to explain what each document does, why it matters, and what happens if you don't have it. You will leave your appointment understanding your plan, not just signing a stack of papers.
Comfortable with Hard Conversations. Estate planning requires talking about death, incapacity, family conflict, and difficult dynamics — topics most people would rather avoid. Brett holds a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology, which means he is uniquely equipped to help clients work through these conversations with clarity and without judgment. You don't have to have everything figured out before you call.
Ready to Get Started?
Schedule a free thirty minute estate planning consultation to discuss your situation and find out what plan make sense for you and your family.
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