Power of Attorney

St. Louis Power of Attorney Lawyers

Boutique POA Planning with Bi-Annual Reviews & Multi-State Licensing

A Power of Attorney (POA) is one of the most practical documents in any estate plan, and one of the easiest to get wrong. At Gilkerson Bowman, attorneys Kirk Bowman and Edward Gilkerson bring more than 70 years of combined estate planning experience to every POA they draft, helping St. Louis families name the right agents, choose the right scope of authority, and keep documents current as life changes. We offer virtual consultations, bi-annual check-ins, and free plan updates so your POA reflects who you are today, not who you were when you signed it.

We’re also licensed in Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, and Texas, which matters for families with assets or relatives across state lines. That multi-state reach, combined with our boutique focus on estate planning, is a differentiator for St. Louis families.

Ready to start your Power of Attorney? Call (314) 866-7781 or contact us online for a free consultation.

What a Power of Attorney Does and Why the Durable Version Matters

A Power of Attorney authorizes one or more individuals, called an attorney-in-fact or agent, to manage your financial, personal, and healthcare matters on your behalf. For estate planning purposes, the durable power of attorney is the most critical version. Unlike a standard POA, a durable POA survives the principal’s incapacitation and remains valid if you can’t make decisions due to illness, injury, or age-related decline.

Without a durable POA, no one is automatically authorized to pay your bills, manage your accounts, or direct your healthcare, not even a spouse. Missouri law (Chapter 475 RSMo) requires families in that situation to petition the probate court for a guardianship or conservatorship proceeding, a process that can be time-consuming, expensive, and becomes a matter of public record. A properly drafted POA lets you define exactly what your agent can and cannot do, preserving your preferences even when you can’t speak for yourself. It must be executed while you have legal capacity, which is why planning ahead matters.

What Happens to a POA When the Principal Dies?

A common misconception is that a POA continues after the principal passes away. In Missouri, it doesn’t. The document terminates immediately upon death, at which point authority to manage assets shifts from the agent to the Personal Representative or Executor named in the Last Will and Testament.

The narrow exception is the Right of Sepulcher, which covers burial decisions. It’s also worth knowing that under Missouri Section 404.714 RSMo, a divorce or legal separation automatically revokes a spouse-agent’s POA authority unless the document expressly states otherwise. That detail is one our bi-annual reviews are designed to address as life changes. A complete plan requires lifetime POA documents and a Will or Trust for what comes after.

Start Your Power of Attorney in St. Louis

We serve clients throughout the St. Louis area virtually, making it easy to get started without rearranging your schedule. Every engagement includes bi-annual check-ins and free plan updates for three years so your documents stay aligned with your life.

Call (314) 866-7781 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation with Gilkerson Bowman.

Types of Power of Attorney Documents

Not every POA serves the same purpose. The right document depends on the scope of authority you need, when you need it to be active, and whether it should survive incapacity. Missouri law allows for both financial and healthcare powers of attorney, with options to tailor each to your situation.

Financial Powers of Attorney

A financial POA authorizes your agent to manage money, property, banking, taxes, real estate, and business operations. The scope depends on your circumstances:

General POA. Grants broad authority over day-to-day financial affairs. Well-suited for those who need comprehensive management due to age, extended travel, or complex assets.
Limited POA. Restricts authority to a single transaction or defined time period, for example, authorizing an agent to sign real estate closing documents while you’re traveling, without granting access to any other accounts.

Missouri law also allows a financial POA to take effect immediately or as a springing power that activates only upon incapacity, giving you control over when your agent’s authority begins.

Healthcare Powers of Attorney

A healthcare POA authorizes a trusted person to consent to treatments, coordinate with physicians, and manage end-of-life care if you can’t communicate your wishes. Discussing those wishes in advance, before a health crisis, is what turns this document from a formality into real protection for your family.

Durable vs. Non-Durable POA

For any type of POA, you must define when it is active:

Durable POA. Remains in effect if you become incapacitated. This is the standard for long-term incapacity planning because it allows your agent to manage affairs without court involvement during a serious illness.
Non-Durable POA. Terminates immediately upon incapacitation. Useful for temporary situations, such as a business trip, but not a substitute for long-term planning.

Choosing the Right Agent for Your Missouri POA

Selecting the right agent is one of the most consequential decisions in the POA process. A good agent is trustworthy, geographically available, organized, and genuinely capable of carrying out your financial or healthcare wishes, sometimes under pressure. Most people choose a family member or close friend, but the right choice depends on your individual circumstances.

Missouri law allows you to name co-agents to act together or successor agents to step in if your primary agent becomes unavailable due to illness, relocation, or an unwillingness to serve. Naming a successor agent is a practical safeguard many people overlook. Before you execute the document, confirm your intended agent is willing and prepared to take on the responsibility.

One detail that catches people off guard: under Missouri Section 404.714 RSMo, if you named your spouse as agent, a subsequent divorce or legal separation automatically revokes that authority unless the document expressly states otherwise. That’s exactly the kind of change our bi-annual check-ins are built to catch. We’ve guided thousands of families through agent selection, and we help clients think through expectations and real-world scenarios rather than just signing a form.

Call (314) 866-7781 or contact us online to schedule a virtual consultation.

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We Make It Easy

Virtual Consultations

We offer transparent pricing and the option of fully remote virtual consultations so you can plan from the comfort of your home if you’d prefer to avoid the drive to one of our Missouri offices.
Extensive Experience

Our team brings more than 70 years of combined experience and operates as a boutique firm to help with even the most complicated estates.
Free Bi-Annual Check-Ins

Your legal fee pays for ALL updates to your estate plan for 3 years!! We check in with you every 6 months (or as often as you need) to see if your life has materially changed, updating your estate at no charge.

Contact Us Today

Plan Today, Protect Tomorrow

Long-term guidance is at the heart of our work. As children grow, careers shift, or homes change, estate plans may need updates. To ensure your plan never becomes outdated, we offer bi-annual check-ins as a structured way to revisit documents and confirm they still reflect your wishes. This ongoing relationship helps families maintain planning continuity without restarting the process from scratch.

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13321 North Outer 40 Road
Suite 500
Town and Country, MO 63017

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