Estate Planning · For owners who live out of state
Your Branson property has its own probate. Here's how to skip it.
If you live in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Illinois or anywhere else and own a lake house, condo or lot in Taney or Stone County, Missouri law decides what happens to it when you die. A recorded Missouri beneficiary deed keeps it out of a Missouri probate. The whole thing is done by video, with no trip required.
Why a second probate happens
Real estate passes under the law of the state where it sits. When an out-of-state owner dies, the family usually opens probate at home and then discovers the Missouri property needs its own court proceeding here, with its own attorney and its own statutory fee. Your home-state will does not prevent it, and most home-state trusts never had the Missouri property deeded into them.
Missouri offers a simple fix. A beneficiary deed (RSMo 461.025) is recorded with the county while you're alive, names who receives the property at your death, and takes effect only then. You keep full ownership and control, you can sell or refinance, and you can revoke or change it. It can name a person, several people, or your existing trust.
| Missouri probate minimum fees (RSMo 473.153) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fee base | Attorney | Attorney + representative |
| $100,000 | $3,300 | $6,600 |
| $250,000 | $7,425 | $14,850 |
| $500,000 | $14,050 | $28,100 |
The base is personal property plus real estate sold through the estate. A property that must be sold to settle the estate is in the base; one that passes by beneficiary deed is not. Court costs and publication are extra.
What Lake Property Protection includes
One property, one recorded deed, one flat fee quoted in writing before we start.
A video consultation with Bobby
How you hold title now, who should receive the property, and whether a beneficiary deed or a deed into your existing trust fits better.
The deed, drafted from the county record
We pull the current vesting and legal description from the Taney or Stone County recorder so the new deed matches exactly.
Remote signing
Signed and notarized by live video through a Missouri-approved remote notarization platform. No trip to Branson.
Recording and confirmation
We record it with the county and send you the recorded copy. Nothing happens to your ownership until you die.
Own more than one parcel, or a boat slip held separately? Each additional deed is a flat add-on. Want the rest of your plan reviewed too? That stays with your home-state attorney, and we'll tell you what to ask them.
How it works
About two weeks, start to recorded deed.
- STEP 1
A 15-minute call
We confirm the property and quote the fee in writing.
- STEP 2
Video consultation
Bobby reviews title and your wishes and settles the form of the deed.
- STEP 3
Remote signing
A Missouri remote online notary meets you on video. Identity is verified; you sign electronically.
- STEP 4
Recorded
Filed with the county recorder. You receive the recorded deed and a one-page summary for your family.
How we charge
A flat fee per property, quoted in writing on the first call, plus the county's recording fee. No hourly billing.
We advise on Missouri property and Missouri law only. Your home-state plan stays with your home-state attorney.
Common questions
General information about Missouri law, not advice about your situation.
Does a beneficiary deed change anything while I'm alive?
No. You remain the owner, you can sell, mortgage or refinance, and you can revoke or replace the deed by recording a new one. It only takes effect at death.
I already have a trust at home. Should the deed name the trust?
Often that's the cleanest answer: a beneficiary deed naming your trust, or a deed transferring the property into the trust now. Which is better depends on your trust and how you use the property. That's what the video consultation decides.
What if my beneficiary dies before me?
If no alternate is named, the property can fall back into probate. We name alternates, and we recommend a review whenever a named person dies.
Can we really do this without coming to Missouri?
Yes. Missouri allows remote online notarization through approved platforms, and the deed is recorded electronically or by mail with the county. Many clients never set foot in the office.
Does this cover property in Arkansas?
No. The Arkansas side of Table Rock Lake is governed by Arkansas law, and we don't practice there. We can tell you what to ask an Arkansas attorney for.
Related services
One deed. One call. No trip.
Tell us the address and we'll quote the fee in writing.