Lee's Summit Estate Planning Attorney
Practical Planning to Protect the People You Love
Thoughtful Guidance Through Every Step
Every estate planning client also receives our signature red binder containing organized, tabbed copies of their completed documents. It is designed to help families quickly find important information during emergencies or difficult moments, providing peace of mind for you and for the people who may one day need to step in and help.
Estate Planning Services Include
Every family is different, which means every estate plan should be different too. Some clients need a relatively simple plan. Others may benefit from a trust and several supporting documents working together.
Ridings Law can help you determine which tools make sense for your situation.
Wills
A will allows you to provide instructions for how certain property should be distributed after your death.
It can also allow you to name the person you would like to handle your estate and, for parents of minor children, nominate the people you would want to serve as guardians.
A will is an important part of many estate plans, but it is only one piece of the planning process.
We help clients understand what a will can accomplish, what it cannot accomplish, and whether additional planning may be appropriate.
Trusts
Trusts can provide additional flexibility and control over how property is owned, managed, and ultimately distributed.
For some families, a trust can make it easier to manage assets during incapacity and provide a clear process for distributing property after death.
Trusts can also be particularly useful for parents who do not want children receiving an inheritance all at once, families with more complicated assets, business owners, blended families, and people who want additional control over how their assets are handled.
Creating the trust is only part of the process. Assets also need to be coordinated with the estate plan so the plan works the way it was intended to work.
Ridings Law helps clients understand both the documents and the practical steps that come after signing them.
Powers of Attorney
Estate planning is not only about what happens after you die.
It is also about making sure someone you trust can step in if you are alive but unable to manage important matters yourself.
A financial power of attorney allows you to designate someone to handle certain financial and legal matters on your behalf.
Without proper planning, your family may have fewer options and more complications if you suddenly become unable to manage your own affairs.
We help you choose the right people, understand the authority you are giving them, and put the proper documents in place.
Healthcare Powers of Attorney
A healthcare power of attorney allows you to designate someone you trust to make medical decisions for you if you are unable to make or communicate those decisions yourself.
For many families, having this decision made ahead of time can remove uncertainty during an already difficult situation.
Your loved ones should not have to wonder who is supposed to make decisions or what you would have wanted.
Living Wills and Advance Medical Directives
Advance medical planning gives you an opportunity to document your wishes regarding certain healthcare and end of life decisions.
These documents help communicate your preferences when you are unable to speak for yourself.
The purpose is simple: provide clarity for your loved ones and medical providers when clear instructions matter most.
Asset Titling and Deed Planning
Estate planning documents and your assets should work together.
Simply creating a trust or signing a will does not automatically mean every asset will be handled according to the plan you intended.
How real estate and other property are titled can have a significant impact on what happens later.
Ridings Law helps clients review relevant ownership information, prepare deeds when appropriate, assist with deed recording, and make sure the estate planning process does not end when the documents are signed.
Estate Planning for Parents With Young Children
For parents, estate planning can be especially important.
It is not just about deciding who receives your property.
It is about deciding who you would trust to care for your children if you were no longer able to do so and how the assets you leave behind should be managed for them.
Many parents do not want a child receiving a significant inheritance immediately upon reaching adulthood. A properly structured estate plan can provide instructions for how assets should be managed and distributed over time.
It can also give the people caring for your children access to resources needed for education, healthcare, housing, and everyday life.
These are difficult questions to think about.
Our job is to make them easier to answer.
A Full Service Estate Planning Process
Our firm handles the details that many people do not realize come with estate planning.
We coordinate signing appointments around your schedule, handle notarization, assist with deed preparation and recording when appropriate, and provide fully prepared documents so clients are not left trying to figure out what comes next on their own.
Estate planning should not feel like receiving a folder of documents and a list of homework.
We want you to leave the process understanding what you signed, why you signed it, where everything is located, and how your plan is supposed to work.
Request a Free Consultation
Helping individuals and families plan with clarity, confidence, and peace of mind.
Ridings Law is located in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, and serves estate planning clients throughout the Kansas City metro. Remote and mobile appointments are available for clients who prefer additional flexibility.
Schedule a consultation to start building an estate plan designed around your life and the people who matter most.
Request a Free Consultation
Helping individuals and families plan with clarity, confidence, and peace of mind.