Estate Planning Attorney

Tailored estate Plans For Kansas Families

When someone in Wamego or Manhattan dies without an estate plan, their family heads to the Pottawatomie County District Court at 108 North 1st Street in Westmoreland and opens a probate case. Filing fees start under $70, and that’s before attorney fees, mandatory newspaper publication (K.S.A. 59-709), and months without access to assets. Kansas probate typically takes up 3–5% of the estate’s value. On a $300,000 estate, that’s up to $15,000 gone before your family sees a dollar.

Your family will be left in the court’s hands without an estate plan. It’s our job to prevent that.

Lisa Ward Law works with families across Wamego, Manhattan, St. Marys, and surrounding Pottawatomie and Riley County to make sure that they never have to step inside that courthouse. Our goal is to provide you with ultimate security for your legacy.
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Estate Planning Services We Provide

Estate planning isn’t just a will. The right combination of tools protects your family, your assets, and your decisions — no matter what happens.

Wills

A will lets you name who inherits your assets, put someone in charge of carrying out those wishes, and name a guardian for your minor children. Without one, Kansas’ default inheritance laws decide these things for you, and your estate still has to go through probate court.

Trusts

A trust holds your assets and passes them directly to your family without going through probate court, which can take months and add legal costs your family has to pay out of the estate. This matters most if you own significant assets, land, or a business, or if you have minor children who shouldn’t inherit money outright.

Durable Power of Attorney

A durable power of attorney names someone you trust to manage your finances if you become unable to, due to illness or injury. Without one, even your spouse would need court approval to pay your bills, access your accounts, or sell property on your behalf.

Asset Protection

Asset protection uses trusts and specific ownership structures to shield what you’ve built — savings, the farm, the business — from creditors, lawsuits, and the cost of long-term nursing home care. These strategies only work if they’re put in place while you’re healthy, well before you actually need them.

Advanced Healthcare Directives

An advanced healthcare directive names someone to make medical decisions for you if you become seriously ill or injured and can’t speak for yourself, and lets you spell out your own wishes in advance. Without one, Kansas law follows a fixed list of decision-makers that may not match who you’d actually choose.

Business Succession Planning

A business succession plan spells out who takes over your business or farm if you die, retire, or become unable to run it, and exactly how that transition happens. Without one, ownership can get tied up in probate court or divided among heirs who never intended to run the business together.

Meet Your Attorney, Lisa Ward

Lisa Ward is a Wamego-based estate planning attorney with over 30 years of Kansas legal experience. She brings a strong Midwest work ethic along with the flexibility, focus, and creative problem-solving that real estate planning needs. She knows this community, and she makes sure every client leaves with a plan that will actually benefit them, their family, and their assets.
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Lisa Ward, Kansaas Attorney

The Benefits of A Professionally Drafted Estate Plan

1. Your Family Avoids Probate Court, Which Can Take Months and Cost Thousands

Without a plan, your estate typically has to go through Kansas probate court before your family can access your assets. This process is public, can take a year or more, and comes with legal fees that get paid out of what you leave behind. A properly structured plan lets your family bypass most or all of that.

2. Your Family Avoids Probate Court, Which Can Take Months and Cost Thousands

Without a plan, your estate typically has to go through Kansas probate court before your family can access your assets. This process is public, can take a year or more, and comes with legal fees that get paid out of what you leave behind. A properly structured plan lets your family bypass most or all of that.

3. Your Children Are Cared for by the Guardian You Choose, Not the State

Without a plan, your estate typically has to go through Kansas probate court before your family can access your assets. This process is public, can take a year or more, and comes with legal fees that get paid out of what you leave behind. A properly structured plan lets your family bypass most or all of that.

4. More of What You've Built Stays With Your Family Instead of Creditors, Taxes, or Care Costs

Without a plan, your estate typically has to go through Kansas probate court before your family can access your assets. This process is public, can take a year or more, and comes with legal fees that get paid out of what you leave behind. A properly structured plan lets your family bypass most or all of that.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to my kids if something happens to both of us?
A county judge appoints a guardian based on who shows up to court. A trust lets you set who manages the money, what it’s used for, and when your children receive it.

Not automatically. Under K.S.A. 59-507, if you have children, your spouse receives a fraction, and the children share the rest. That can force a sale of the family home. A will fixes this entirely.

If you’re over 18, you should have at least an advanced healthcare directive. If you have children too, a Last Will and Testament. Really, if you own anything or have any kids, you need an estate plan.

No state estate tax; Kansas eliminated it in 2010. But the federal estate tax still applies if your estate exceeds $13.61 million.

Lisa Ward Law works on flat fees, disclosed upfront. For comparison, Kansas probate runs 3–5% of the gross estate plus court and publication fees. A planned estate costs a fraction of that, and it goes to your family, not the courthouse.

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Learn More About Estate Planning

Schedule Your Estate Planning Consultation

Every family’s situation is different — your assets, your children, your business, your wishes. Lisa Ward brings nearly 30 years of experience helping Kansas families build estate plans that fit their specific circumstances, not a one-size-fits-all template. Whether you’re just getting started or need to update a plan you already have, we’ll walk you through your options in plain language and help you choose the tools that make sense for your family.
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