Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Missouri

Re: Hand written last testiment

In Miss. a handwritten and an oral will are valid. However, the oral will must have been made in contemplation of imminent demise.

Re: Hand written last testiment

A hand written Will is not admissable in Probate except under extremely limited circumstances. Why don't you just go ahead and have a proper Last Will and Testament prepared by an attorney? As to the rest of your question, any property owned in joint names will automatically be owned by the survivor of the joint owners upon the death of one of the joint owners. Also, many assets with certificates of title, such as vehicles, bank accounts, stocks, and so forth can be titled using a "t.o.d." clause (transfer on death), also sometimes referred to as "p.o.d." (pay on death). For real estate you can use a Beneficiary Deed to obtain the same result and keep the property out of Probate. I would strongly suggest consulting with an attorney to make arrangements which will avoid a lot of trouble and expense at the time of death. Good luck.