Metropolitan Kansas City Area And Beyond Estate Planning Attorney Protecting Your Assets
Last updated on September 22, 2026
At Wehage-Zickwolf Law Firm, LLC, we focus on trust-based estate planning to help your children avoid the public, costly probate process. We are honored to serve individuals and families across Harrisonville, the Metropolitan Kansas City area and beyond.
Our founder, attorney Annie Wehage-Zickwolf, has years of experience as a healthcare executive. She understands how important estate plans are for addressing medical crises and long-term care needs. As your estate planning attorney, she uses strategic tools to minimize taxes, avoid probate and provide for dependents who need lifetime support. By planning right now, you know that your family will not be left with chaos during a difficult time.
Building A Cohesive Estate Plan For Lasting Protection
A last will and testament is not enough to protect your interests. Wills do not take effect until after death. They must also pass through probate court. Trusts, however, offer privacy plus an immediate defense. At our firm, attorney Wehage-Zickwolf incorporates trusts into estate planning as a cohesive strategy to keep your affairs out of the courtroom. Her proactive probate avoidance methods allow your inheritors to receive their assets faster and with fewer legal fees.
Where To Start: Our Core Estate Planning Services
Your family affair isn’t the same as anybody else’s. That’s why the right plan usually draws on more than one legal tool working together. Here’s where to learn more about each piece of a complete estate plan:
- Trust-based estate planning: The foundation of a plan built to avoid probate court entirely.
- Wills: A straightforward way to name guardians for minor children and direct any assets left outside a trust.
- Powers of attorney: Names someone you trust to manage your finances if you become unable to do so yourself.
- Healthcare directives: Puts your medical wishes in writing so your family isn’t left guessing during a crisis.
- Special needs planning: Protects an inheritance for a loved one with a disability without jeopardizing their public benefits.
- Probate and probate avoidance: Helps your family understand what probate involves, and how to sidestep it when possible.
- Asset protection planning: Shields what you’ve built from creditors, lawsuits and other future risks.
- Long-term care planning: Prepares for the cost and logistics of care later in life, before a crisis forces a rushed decision.
Whichever piece fits your situation, we can help you build it into a plan that works as a whole.
Comprehensive Trust Creation And Administration
We help you select the right trusts for your specific goals. Some of these include:
- Revocable living trust: Allows you to maintain control of your assets while transferring assets to beneficiaries.
- Irrevocable trust: Provides protection from creditors and can help reduce your taxable estate.
- Special needs trust: Gives assets to beneficiaries while still allowing them to qualify for Medicaid or SSI benefits
Annie Wehage-Zickwolf has a deep understanding of long-term planning for children or dependents who need lifetime care. If a child receives an inheritance or settlement without a special needs trust, they could lose access to public benefits. We help you preserve their quality of life through careful trust management.
Protecting Yourself While You’re Still Here
Most people think of estate planning as something that only kicks in after they’re gone. In reality, a complete plan protects you while you’re still living, especially if illness or injury ever leaves you unable to speak for yourself.
A durable power of attorney names someone you trust to step in and manage your finances if you become incapacitated, so bills get paid and accounts stay in order without a court needing to get involved. An advance healthcare directive works alongside it, spelling out your medical wishes in advance and naming someone to make healthcare decisions on your behalf if you cannot make them yourself.
Annie’s background as a healthcare executive gives her a firsthand understanding of how medical crises actually unfold, and how families can get caught without a plan at the worst possible moment. She helps clients put the right documents in place so their wishes are followed and their loved ones aren’t left guessing during an already difficult time.
Will Or Trust: What’s Actually The Difference?
A will is essentially a set of instructions addressed to the probate court, and it only takes effect after you pass away. A living trust works differently. It’s a private legal arrangement that manages your assets while you’re alive, if you become incapacitated, and after your death, all without requiring court involvement at any stage.
Build A Stable Future: Consult A Missouri Estate Planning Lawyer
Wehage-Zickwolf Law Firm, LLC, provides the clear, calm guidance you need to build a plan that actually works when your family needs it most. Please contact our office at 816-368-1543 or send us an email today to schedule your consultation for estate planning for families.