Estate Planning, Trusts & Wills

Planning for the Future. Protecting What Matters.

Estate planning gives you the power to protect what matters: your family, your values, and the legacy you leave behind. A well-crafted estate plan gives you control over your financial and healthcare decisions, both during your lifetime and after, while protecting your family from unnecessary legal complications.

Danna McKitrick’s estate planning attorneys help individuals and families create customized estate plans that minimize taxes, avoid probate, and secure their legacy. Whether you need a will, trust, power of attorney, or healthcare directive, we provide strategic guidance to protect your interests and ensure your wishes are carried out.

Building a Strong Estate Plan

A comprehensive estate plan does more than dictate asset distribution—it provides legal protections during your lifetime and ensures a smooth transition of assets after your passing. Without proper planning, your loved ones may face costly probate, legal disputes, or unnecessary tax burdens.

Our attorneys create customized estate plans that:

Appoint trusted individuals to make financial and healthcare decisions if you become incapacitated
Minimize estate taxes and probate costs to preserve more of your wealth
Ensure your assets pass according to your wishes, whether through a will, trust, or other legal tools
Protect individuals with special needs, ensuring long-term care and financial security

Essential Estate Planning Tools

Estate planning involves several key legal instruments designed to protect your interests, ensure your wishes are carried out, and provide stability for your loved ones. Wills and trusts allow you to dictate how your assets will be distributed, helping to avoid probate and maximize financial protection for beneficiaries. A durable power of attorney grants a trusted individual the authority to manage your financial matters if you become unable to do so, ensuring your affairs continue without court intervention.

Healthcare decisions are equally important, which is why living wills and healthcare directives outline your medical preferences and ensure that your choices are honored should you become incapacitated. For individuals with disabilities, special needs planning provides financial security through trusts that preserve access to essential benefits while safeguarding long-term care. Additionally, guardianships for adults and children help establish legal guardians who can provide care and decision-making support for minors or incapacitated individuals, ensuring their well-being and protection.

Our attorneys work closely with individuals and families to create a tailored estate plan that provides peace of mind, minimizes legal complications, and protects what matters most.

Trust and Estate Administration

After a loved one passes away, their estate may need to go through probate or trust administration. Our attorneys assist executors, trustees, and beneficiaries in managing estate matters, ensuring a smooth and legally sound distribution of assets. We handle:

Probate proceedings and estate administration
Contested wills and trust disputes
Petitions to determine heirship
Fiduciary accountings, reports, and legal notices

Estate Disputes and Litigation

Unfortunately, estate matters can sometimes lead to disputes among beneficiaries, family members, or third parties. Our litigation team handles contested wills, trust disputes, and challenges to powers of attorney, ensuring that our clients’ rights and interests are protected in court.

Secure Your Legacy with Strategic Estate Planning

At Danna McKitrick, we take a personalized approach to estate planning, helping clients protect their assets, plan for the unexpected, and ensure their wishes are carried out. Whether planning for your future or managing the estate of a loved one, our attorneys provide the knowledge and legal guidance needed for peace of mind.

Take control of your future today. Contact Danna McKitrick to discuss your estate planning needs.

Areas of Practice

Alternative Dispute Resolution

Bankruptcy & Creditors' Rights

Banking & Financial Institutions

Business Advisory

Cybersecurity & Data Protection

Government Litigation

Education Law

Employment Law

Estate Planning

Franchise Law

Guardianships & Conservatorships

Health Care Law

Insurance Law

Intellectual Property

Litigation

Probate

Professional Liability Defense

Public Pensions

Real Estate

Tax & Accounting

Trusts & Wills

Workers' Compensation

Find an Estate Planning Attorney

Tabitha L. Atwell

Principal

Ronald N. Danna

Senior Principal

Richard A. Hoffman

Associate

Michael J. McKitrick

Principal

Bryan J. Schrempf

Principal

Expertise

That

Matters.

Danna McKitrick was founded on three core principles: practical guidance, complete service, and approachable counsel. Today, those values have helped us grow into one of the most respected mid-sized firms in St. Louis, known for delivering strategic legal solutions with the knowledge of a large firm and the personal commitment of a trusted advisor.

Practical

We provide clear, realistic legal strategies designed for real-world success, combining insight with decisive action.

Complete

Our collaborative team approach ensures every challenge is met with the full strength of our diverse legal expertise.

Approachable

We build strong client relationships, serving as trusted advisors who are as invested in your success as you are.

Danna McKitrick is a mid-sized law firm delivering sophisticated, results-driven legal counsel across a wide range of practice areas. We provide strategic guidance to businesses and individuals, combining deep expertise with responsive service to achieve superior outcomes.

Estate Planning, Trusts & Wills