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Dan Schnurbusch Estate Planning I help families claim their rightful inheritance through efficient probate.

10/18/2026

A family begins handling a parent's trust and sees the house on the trust's property schedule. Then a title search shows the deed still names the parent individually.

A schedule does not transfer real estate into a trust. Check the recorded deed and whether a valid beneficiary deed or survivorship ownership applies. If the parent owned the house alone and no nonprobate transfer controls, the family may need probate authority before the property can be transferred.

General Missouri probate information, not legal advice for a specific case.

10/17/2026

An adult child brings a Missouri parent's death certificate to the bank and expects to close the account. The bank asks for Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.

That may be the right next step if the account belongs to the probate estate. The death certificate confirms the death; court-issued letters show who has authority to act for the estate. Check the account registration first, though. A valid POD designation may send the funds to a named beneficiary outside probate.

The account title changes the next step.

General Missouri probate information, not legal advice for a specific case.

10/16/2026

After a parent's death, one child pays the homeowners-insurance bill and assumes the estate will pay them back.

Start with the deed. The home may pass outside probate, so it may not be an estate asset at all. Keep the bill and proof of payment. If the home belongs to the probate estate, the personal representative still has to review whether the payment qualifies as an estate expense. The receipt matters, but it does not settle reimbursement by itself.

General Missouri probate information, not legal advice for a specific case.

10/15/2026

Two siblings are appointed to a Missouri estate. One keeps the records and handles most calls. When a document needs signing, the family may assume that person can sign for both.

Work through it in order:
1. Read the Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration and the appointment order. Confirm who the court appointed.
2. Check what the document is for and which signatures the bank, title company, or other institution asks for.
3. Follow the appointment papers and resolve any missing signature or authority issue before sending the form.

The family point person can organize the file. That role alone does not authorize them to sign for the other representative.

General Missouri probate information, not legal advice for a specific case.

10/14/2026

A family finds a Missouri small-estate affidavit form and asks whether they can use it. Work through the questions in order:

1. Does the estate meet the statute's conditions?
2. Which assets are probate property? A joint owner or valid POD/TOD designation may send an account outside probate.
3. What do the title, account, and debt records show?
4. What does the local court require? A form does not establish that the county will accept a self-represented filing; attorney requirements vary.

Eligibility and local filing rules are separate questions. Check current county practice before relying on the form.

General Missouri probate information, not legal advice for a specific case.

10/13/2026

Before using a Missouri small-estate affidavit, check two separate things:

1. Does the estate meet Missouri's eligibility rules for the small-estate procedure?
2. Does the local probate court accept filings without a lawyer, or does county practice require one?

The affidavit form does not establish eligibility or local filing requirements. A person may qualify for the procedure and still need to follow county rules about who can file.

General Missouri probate information, not legal advice for a specific case.

10/10/2026

A Missouri probate estate closes. Later, the family finds a tax bill for another parcel. Before deciding what happens next, check:

- The current deed and who held title when the owner died.
- Whether a valid beneficiary deed or survivorship ownership applies.
- The probate closing papers, including any distribution of the property.

If the parcel was a probate asset, the estate will typically need to be reopened to collect and distribute it. If it passed through a valid nonprobate transfer, a different procedure may apply. A family agreement alone does not settle the title question.

General Missouri probate information, not legal advice for a specific case.

10/07/2026

Families may hear that a trust avoids probate and assume the successor trustee has no one to notify. A trust can keep properly titled assets out of probate, but Missouri law still requires a trustee to keep qualified beneficiaries reasonably informed. A qualified beneficiary may also request a copy of the trust instrument under §456.8-813.

The trustee needs to identify who qualifies and check the trust terms before deciding which notices to send.

General Missouri probate and trust administration information, not legal advice for a specific case.

10/06/2026

After a death without a will, a relative may collect bank statements and titles. The court decides who may administer the probate estate.

For a Missouri probate file, organize:
- current deeds, vehicle titles, and account registrations;
- any joint ownership or POD/TOD beneficiary records;
- names of the surviving spouse, children, and other relatives.

These records help show which property may pass outside probate and who the court may need to identify. If probate administration is needed, the court appoints an administrator and issues Letters of Administration. The letters show who can act for probate property.

General Missouri probate information, not legal advice for a specific case.

10/03/2026

A child named in a valid Missouri beneficiary deed may receive a parent's house outside probate if the deed was recorded before the parent's death and the child survives. An existing mortgage or lien remains against the property.

The deed records who receives title. The loan records show what remains due.

General Missouri probate information, not legal advice for a specific case.

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St. Louis, MO
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