Creating a well thought out estate plan may be the single most important project you undertake over the course of your lifetime. That plan, after all, should not only dictate what happens to your estate assets when you are gone but should also protect you and your loved ones while you are here. If you are a resident of Webster Groves, Missouri, the estate planning attorneys at Amen, Gantner & Capriano, Your Estate Matters, LLC would be honored to help you create a personalized plan that will accomplish all of your estate planning goals.
Webster Groves, Missouri
Located approximately two miles west of the modern city of St. Louis, Webster Groves is considered an “inner-ring” suburb of the larger city. In the early part of the 19th Century, however, the entire area was part of the Louisiana Territory, changing hands from the Spanish to the French before becoming part of the “New World.” Prior to the Spanish occupation, the Osage and Dakota indigenous people made the area home, referring to it as “Dry Ridge.” During the early period of Spanish rule, officials gave land to settlers as a check against the English. The area now known as Webster Groves was part of one of those land grants. Over the next century, development of the Pacific Railroad line led to Webster Groves becoming a suburb of neighboring St. Louis. In the late 19th century, overcrowding, congestion, and unhealthy conditions in St. Louis prompted urban residents to leave the city for quieter, safer surroundings. In 1892 the developers of Webster Park, an early housing subdivision, promoted the new community as the “Queen of the Suburbs”, offering residents “superb housing options in a country-like atmosphere, as well as a swift commute to downtown St. Louis jobs.” Since then, Webster Groves’ tree-lined streets and abundance of single family homes have continued to attract people to the area. Covering just fewer than six square miles, Webster Groves remains one of the more affluent communities in Missouri, ranking 41st in per-capita income. In 2008, it was ranked #9 in Family Circle Magazine’s list of the “10 Best Cities for Families in America.”
Amen, Gantner & Capriano in the Webster Groves, Missouri Community
At Amen, Gantner & Capriano we are honored to serve the residents of Webster Groves, Missouri with their estate planning needs, and we hope to do so for a long time to come.. We strive to develop an ongoing relationship with each client we serve, thereby assuring that your estate plan reflects your current wishes as well as achieving all your future estate planning goals. By doing so, we hope that our clients feel comfortable discussing their sensitive and personal legal issues with us which, in turn, results in a more personalized and successful estate plan.
A successful estate plan requires a solid foundation; however, it also requires nurturing. Consequently, your estate plan is not something you create and forget about once it is in place. On the contrary, your estate plan needs to be reviewed and updated to reflect changes that occur in your life. Your initial estate plan may be rather simplistic, focusing almost entirely on the distribution of your estate assets in the event of your death; however, you will soon outgrow that plan. Marriage and/or parenthood means you now have a family to protect and provide for in your plan. As a result, your estate plan will need to be updated to include components such as incapacity planning, asset protection, and probate avoidance. You may also want to add a trust into your plan to protect your minor children’s inheritance until they reach the age of majority. As you move into middle age, you should begin merging your retirement plans with your estate plan to ensure that the two plans work in harmony with each other. Long before you reach retirement age, however, you should also consider adding Medicaid planning to your estate plan to ensure that you can afford the high cost of long-term care. Funeral planning along with advance directives should also be included in your overall estate plan if you want your wishes to be honored with regard to end of life medical treatment. The estate planning team at Amen, Gantner & Capriano, Your Estate Matters, LLC would be honored to be your choice to help you create an estate plan that achieves all your unique estate planning needs and goals.
Contact Us
If you have additional questions or concerns about estate planning, or wish to get started with your Webster Groves, Missouri estate plan, contact the experienced estate planning attorneys at Amen, Gantner & Capriano, Your Estate Matters, LLC by calling (314) 966-8077 to schedule an appointment.