Oklahoma City Estate Planning Attorneys
Wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and health care directives for Oklahoma families and business owners, built around the assets you actually own.
Schedule a ConsultationA Plan That Works When Your Family Needs It
An estate plan decides who receives your property, who manages it, and who makes decisions for you if you can't. Without one, Oklahoma law and the courts make those decisions instead, often through a probate or guardianship proceeding your family has to start at the hardest possible time.
We build plans around what you own and who you want to protect: a home, retirement accounts, a family business, farmland, or oil and gas minerals. Then we make sure the documents work together, from beneficiary designations to the way each asset is titled.
Plans should change as your life does. Marriage, children, a new business, a move, or a death in the family are all reasons to review your documents, and we keep that process simple for existing clients.
We build estate plans for families and business owners in Oklahoma City, Edmond, and the surrounding counties, including Oklahoma, Canadian, Cleveland, and Logan Counties. Many of our clients own property or mineral interests in other parts of the state, and we plan for those assets too.
"A good estate plan answers your family's hardest questions before they ever have to ask them."
Devon Cantrell, PartnerOur Estate Planning Services
Every plan is built for the family and the assets in front of us, not from a template.
Wills
We draft wills that name who receives your property, who serves as personal representative, and who cares for minor children, signed with the formalities Oklahoma law requires. Our wills and living trusts page covers how the two work together.
Revocable Living Trusts
A properly funded revocable trust can keep assets out of probate, keep your plan private, and provide for management if you become incapacitated. We draft the trust and help you retitle assets into it.
Powers of Attorney
A durable financial power of attorney lets someone you trust handle your affairs if you can't, so your family doesn't need a court supervised guardianship.
Health Care Directives
Advance directives and health care powers of attorney record your medical wishes and name who can speak for you with doctors and hospitals.
Mineral and Land Owners
Oil and gas minerals and farmland need special attention. We plan how those interests pass so heirs avoid extra probates, suspended royalties, and title problems.
Business Owners
We coordinate your estate plan with buy and sell agreements and succession plans so ownership of your company passes the way you intend.
Estate Planning in Oklahoma
Oklahoma has its own probate code, its own rules for intestate succession, and its own requirements for how wills, trusts, and powers of attorney must be drafted and executed. Having counsel who understands the specific requirements of Oklahoma law is essential to ensuring your estate plan is valid and your probate proceeding goes smoothly.
Whether you're planning for the future or settling a loved one's affairs, our attorneys bring direct experience with the Oklahoma courts, the state's probate code, and the practical realities of estate administration across Oklahoma counties.
Will Requirements
Under Oklahoma law, a will must be signed at the end and declared by the person making it in front of two witnesses, who also sign. Handwritten wills follow separate rules.
Transfer on Death Deeds
Oklahoma's Nonprobate Transfer on Death Act lets real estate pass outside probate by a transfer on death deed, which must be recorded with the county clerk before the owner's death.
No State Estate Tax
Oklahoma repealed its estate tax for deaths after 2009 and has no inheritance tax, so most planning focuses on avoiding probate and planning for incapacity.
Dying Without a Plan
Without a will, Oklahoma's intestate succession law decides who inherits, and the result may not match what you would have chosen.
Planning With Oklahoma County in Mind
Under Oklahoma law, probate is opened in the county where a person lived at death. For families in Oklahoma City and Edmond, a plan that fails usually means a case in Oklahoma County District Court, with hearings, published notices, and a public file.
A good plan keeps your family out of court or keeps the case short. We look at how each asset is titled and where it sits, then build the documents around it.
Recording a TODD
A transfer on death deed (TODD) only works if it is recorded with the county clerk where the property sits before the owner dies. For most Oklahoma City and Edmond homes, that's the Oklahoma County Clerk.
Keeping It Private
Probate filings are public court records, and Oklahoma County case dockets can be viewed online. Assets in a funded revocable trust pass without a court case, which keeps the details out of the public record.
Minerals in Other Counties
Mineral interests often sit in counties far from home. Without planning, heirs may need a probate decree recorded in each of those counties, and a separate ancillary probate for property in another state.
Planning for Incapacity
If you cannot manage your affairs and have no durable power of attorney, your family may have to ask the district court to appoint a guardian. A power of attorney and a health care directive avoid that.
When You Need an Estate Planning Attorney
Most people put off estate planning until something forces the issue. These are the moments when it matters most.
- You don't have a will, trust, or power of attorney in place
- You recently married, divorced, or had a child or grandchild
- Your documents were signed in another state or more than a few years ago
- You own oil and gas minerals or land in more than one county or state
- You own a business and haven't planned for who takes it over
- You want to keep your estate out of probate
- A parent or spouse is aging and you want documents in place before a health crisis
- You want to name guardians for minor children in your will
- You want to leave assets to children or grandchildren with oversight or conditions
- Your beneficiary designations haven't been reviewed in years
If you're unsure where to start, we're happy to talk it through. Our initial consultations are designed to help you understand your options and determine the best path forward.
Who You'll Work With
Our estate planning attorneys also handle probate and oil and gas title work, so we draft with a clear view of where plans break down after a death.
Devon Cantrell, Partner
Devon handles estate planning, probate, and trust and estate administration, drawing on more than a decade of experience in oil and gas title. She earned her law degree at the University of Tulsa College of Law and is licensed in Oklahoma, Colorado, and Wyoming. Read Devon's profile
Chelsey Smith, Associate Attorney
Chelsey assists clients with estate planning and probate alongside her oil and gas title and curative title work. A Moore native, she earned her law degree at the University of Oklahoma College of Law and, during law school, worked with several Oklahoma firms, including firms focused on probate and estate planning. Read Chelsey's profile
Business owners planning for succession also work with Blake Cantrell, Partner, on the company side, so the estate plan and the company documents agree.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Put Your Plan in Place?
Whether you're starting from scratch or updating documents signed years ago, we can help you build a plan your family can rely on.
Schedule Your Free Consultation Or call us directly at (405) 400-1875Disclaimer: The information on this page is provided for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Each estate planning matter involves unique circumstances that require personalized legal analysis. For guidance specific to your situation, please contact Cantrell Law Firm to schedule a consultation. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship.