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A living trust in Missouri costs $1,800 – $3,450 attorney-drafted, $2,500 – $4,950 for a couple’s full plan, or $100–$600 online. Compare the cost of preparing and funding the trust with an itemized probate estimate for your assets. A fee schedule alone does not establish what your family would save.
Statutory probate fees are the argument for planning ahead in Missouri.
If your assets are in Missouri only, with no blended family and no estate-tax exposure, an online service like Trust & Will produces a complete Missouri trust in about an hour.
Disclosure: we earn a commission if you buy through the Trust & Will links here, at no extra cost to you. Complex situations belong with an attorney and we say so below.
Missouri Living Trust Cost (2026)
| What You’re Paying For | Missouri Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Online trust service | $100 – $600 | Missouri-specific documents; funding is on you |
| Simple will (attorney) | $550 – $1,000 | Does not avoid probate |
| Living trust, attorney-drafted | $1,800 – $3,450 | Individual, straightforward assets |
| Full estate plan (couple) | $2,500 – $4,950 | Trust + will + POA + directive |
| Deed transfer into trust | $150 – $400 per property | Every Missouri property needs one |
Typical flat fees reported by Missouri attorneys and legal directories, reviewed quarterly. A guide, not a quote.
Probate fees in Missouri: what the schedule covers
Missouri sets a minimum compensation schedule, not a fixed total or maximum. For a single personal representative, the schedule applies to personal property administered and proceeds of real property sold under probate court order, subject to the will-compensation rules. The attorney minimum uses the same percentages, and the court can allow more for reasonable compensation. Restrictions apply when the representative also provides legal services or the same firm fills both roles; do not automatically double the illustration.
| Property value subject to the statutory schedule | One scheduled minimum fee |
|---|---|
| $100,000 | $3,300 |
| $250,000 | $7,425 |
| $500,000 | $14,050 |
| $1,000,000 | $26,550 |
| $2,000,000 | $46,550 |
Source: RSMo 473.153. Fee basis checked September 10, 2026. Ask separately about court charges, legal or fiduciary compensation not included above, and other administration expenses.
For other state rules and transfer options, see our Missouri estate planning guide.
What each price point buys in Missouri
- $100–$600 (online): A valid Missouri trust document, pour-over will, and directives. You do the funding — every Missouri deed transfer, every account retitling.
- $1,800 – $3,450 (attorney, individual): Custom drafting, review of how your assets are titled, and usually one deed included. Confirm that last part before you sign.
- $2,500 – $4,950 (attorney, couple): Adds marital property planning.
Does your estate even need probate in Missouri?
Before paying for anything, check whether Missouri would require full probate at all. The state’s simplified route: Estates under $40,000 (after debts/liens) — 30-day waiting period (RSMo 473.097) Estates that fit under it can often transfer by affidavit or summary procedure, with no personal representative and no attorney — which makes a trust a convenience decision rather than a cost-avoidance one. For assets that do require administration, request a quote for the applicable procedure.
Trust vs. probate in Missouri
| Consideration | With a funded living trust | Assets requiring probate |
|---|---|---|
| Costs to compare | Document preparation, asset transfers, later updates, and administration after death. Ask separately about trustee, legal, and accounting charges. | Court charges, executor or administrator compensation, legal fees, and other administration expenses. Request an itemized estimate. |
| Timing | Ask how debts, taxes, property sales, and distributions affect the settlement schedule; avoid assuming an immediate payout. | Ask about the required court process, creditor deadlines, and any sales or disputes that could delay closing. |
| Records | Ordinary trust administration generally takes place outside probate court; a court dispute can still create public records. | Probate involves court filings; ask the court which records are public. |
Compare the same assets and services on both sides. A trust’s purchase price alone is not its lifetime cost, and assets left outside the trust may still need probate. See how to fund a trust.
Only need a will? See what a valid Missouri will requires and costs — and why even a first-marriage Missouri spouse inherits only $20,000 plus half without one.
Online or Missouri Attorney?
| Situation | Route |
|---|---|
| Assets only in Missouri, standard estate | Online service |
| Property in 2+ states, blended family, business | Attorney |
The dividing line is funding, not drafting. Online documents are valid in Missouri; what they don’t do is retitle your assets. See funding your trust.
Other Missouri rules that affect the plan
- Privacy: — trust stays private, never filed with a court
- Incapacity protection: — successor trustee steps in without court-appointed conservatorship
- Electronic execution now available: (HB 754, effective August 28, 2025)
- Dynasty trusts: Personal property can be held perpetually; real property is subject to lives in being + 21 years or 90-year vesting period
- Medicaid planning: — can protect assets if established 5+ years before applying
- Directed trusts: with trust protectors (RSMo 456.8-808)
- Decanting: (RSMo 456.4-419) — modify trust terms without court approval
- Statutory fee schedule: (RSMo 473.153): 5% of first $5K, 4% of next $20K, 3% of next $75K, 2.75% of next $300K, 2.5% of next $600K, 2% over $1M
- Beneficiary deeds: available since 1989 — one of the first states in America
- No state estate tax: (pick-up tax ended 2005)
- No inheritance tax: (repealed 1980)
- State income tax on trusts: Graduated rates, top rate 4.70% on income over $9,191 (2026)
Recent Missouri Changes Worth Knowing
- 2024 — SB 1359 (QST Amendments): Signed July 11, 2024, effective August 28, 2024. Clarified QST creditor protection, harmonized terms with federal bankruptcy code, and extended TBE-like protection to the surviving spouse after the first spouse’s death.
Living trust costs in nearby states
Attorney pricing and probate rules shift at the state line — compare Missouri with Illinois, Kansas, Arkansas, Iowa.
When to Hire A Missouri Attorney
Online stops being the right answer when the estate has moving parts: property in more than one state, a blended family, a business, or anyone you intend to exclude.
- Get two or three flat-fee quotes. Identical work varies by $1,000+ inside one metro.
- Ask what’s included. Deed transfers run $150–$400 each and are often quoted separately.
- Don’t buy complexity you don’t have.
Three ways to pay less in Missouri
- Understand what the statute fixes and what it doesn’t. RSMo 473.153 sets the attorney and personal representative (each) figure in probate, but a trust sidesteps that schedule entirely — and trust drafting itself is never statutory, so those quotes are always negotiable.
- Count the deeds before comparing prices. At $150–$400 apiece, with properties in multiple counties each needing their own recorded transfer, a quote including one deed can beat a cheaper quote including none.
- Check the simplified threshold first. Estates under $40,000 (after debts/liens) — 30-day waiting period (RSMo 473.097) If your estate clears that, you may be buying convenience rather than savings.
Official sources: dor.mo.gov
FAQ
How much does a living trust cost in Missouri?
$1,800 – $3,450 attorney-drafted, $2,500 – $4,950 for a couple’s full estate plan, or $100 to $600 through an online service. Add $150 to $400 per property for the deed transfers that fund it.
How are probate fees set in Missouri?
Missouri sets a minimum compensation schedule, not a fixed total or maximum. For a single personal representative, the schedule applies to personal property administered and proceeds of real property sold under probate court order, subject to the will-compensation rules. The attorney minimum uses the same percentages, and the court can allow more for reasonable compensation. Restrictions apply when the representative also provides legal services or the same firm fills both roles; do not automatically double the illustration.
Can I make my own living trust in Missouri?
Yes — online services produce valid Missouri documents. The risk is funding: a trust that doesn’t hold title to your home doesn’t avoid probate for it.
Can a small estate skip probate in Missouri?
Often, yes. Missouri’s simplified threshold: Estates under $40,000 (after debts/liens) — 30-day waiting period (RSMo 473.097) Estates under it may transfer without full administration, which changes whether a trust is worth paying for.
How long does probate take in Missouri?
The timetable depends on the procedure, creditor deadlines, taxes, property sales, and any disputes. Ask for an estimate based on the actual estate. A funded trust may avoid probate for trust assets, but settling the trust still takes time.
If the online route fits your situation, Trust & Will’s trust plan covers Missouri and takes about an hour.
More: Living trust costs nationwide · Missouri estate planning guide · Funding your trust
Probate-cost sections corrected September 10, 2026. Other state-rule sections last updated August 2026. Educational information, not legal advice or a quote.