We build wills, revocable living trusts, powers of attorney, and Oklahoma advance directives for families across Tulsa and northeast Oklahoma. Most firms hide their prices. We publish our plan ranges on this page, so you can decide with real numbers in front of you.
Book a free consultation: Contact us online or call (918) 585-8600. Our office is at 2727 E 21st St #600, Tulsa, OK 74114.
The core estate planning documents every Oklahoman needs
A complete plan is more than a will. These are the documents we use to protect a Tulsa family.
Last Will and Testament
Your will names who inherits, names the executor who carries out your wishes, and lets parents nominate a guardian for minor children.
Revocable living trust
A trust holds your assets so they pass to your family without probate, privately and quickly. It also manages your property if you become incapacitated.
Durable (financial) power of attorney
This lets a person you trust handle your finances if you cannot, without a court guardianship.
Oklahoma advance directive for health care
Also called a living will, this states your medical wishes and names a health care proxy to speak for you. We pair it with a HIPAA authorization so your proxy can actually get information.
Beneficiary and payable-on-death designations
Retirement accounts, life insurance, and bank accounts pass by beneficiary designation. We make sure these line up with your plan instead of working against it.
Will-based plans versus trust-based plans
The right plan depends on your family and your goals.
A will-based plan is the right fit for many Tulsa families. It includes your will, powers of attorney, and an advance directive. It is straightforward and affordable, but the will still goes through probate.
A trust-based plan centers on a revocable living trust, with a pour-over will, powers of attorney, and an advance directive. It costs more up front, but it keeps your estate out of probate, stays private, and makes incapacity planning seamless. Families with real estate, blended families, privacy concerns, or a desire to spare heirs the probate process usually choose a trust.
We walk through both at the consultation and recommend the one that actually fits, never the most expensive one.
How estate planning avoids probate in Oklahoma
Probate is public, slow, and costs your family money. Good planning routes most assets around it. In Oklahoma, that usually means a revocable living trust holding your major assets, a transfer-on-death deed on your home (allowed under Oklahoma’s Nontestamentary Transfer of Property Act), and payable-on-death or transfer-on-death designations on your accounts. When these are set up correctly, your family inherits without a courthouse. If you are settling an estate now instead of planning, our Tulsa probate attorney team can help.
Planning for incapacity, not just death
Estate planning is not only about what happens when you die. It is also about what happens if you are alive but cannot make decisions. A durable financial power of attorney lets someone handle your money, and an Oklahoma advance directive lets someone make medical decisions and states your wishes. Without these, your family may have to ask a court for guardianship, which is exactly the costly outcome planning is meant to avoid. Our Tulsa guardianship attorney team sees every day what happens when incapacity planning was skipped.
Protecting minor children and loved ones with special needs
If you have minor children, your will is where you nominate the guardian who would raise them, one of the most important decisions a parent ever makes. For a child or adult with a disability, a special-needs trust lets you provide for them without disqualifying them from the benefits they rely on. We build these protections into the plan from the start.
Oklahoma estate planning notes that work in your favor
Two facts surprise many Tulsa families, both good news. First, Oklahoma has no state estate tax and no inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax applies, and it only affects estates well above the high federal exemption, so the vast majority of Oklahoma families owe no estate tax at all. Second, Oklahoma allows transfer-on-death deeds, a simple, low-cost way to pass your home to your family outside probate. We use these state-specific tools to keep your plan efficient.
Transparent estate planning fees
Most Tulsa firms make you call to hear a price. We publish typical ranges so you can plan with real numbers.
Your plan is quoted as a clear flat fee at the free consultation, based on what your family actually needs. No hourly surprises, no pressure to buy the biggest package.
Our estate planning process, step by step
Step 1: Free consultation. We learn your family, your assets, and your goals, and recommend the plan that fits.
Step 2: Strategy and design. We map who inherits, who decides, and how to avoid probate and taxes where possible.
Step 3: Drafting. We prepare your documents in plain, enforceable language, built to hold up in an Oklahoma court.
Step 4: Signing. We execute everything correctly, with the witnessing and notarization Oklahoma requires, so your plan is valid.
Step 5: Funding and follow-up. If you have a trust, we help retitle assets into it, the step many plans skip and the reason some trusts fail. We are here to update the plan as life changes.
We do not just draft it, we defend it in court
Here is what sets Welsh & McGough apart. Most estate planning firms only write documents. We also handle probate, guardianship, and trust and estate litigation, which means we know firsthand how plans fail and how they get attacked. That courtroom perspective makes the plans we draft stronger. And if a will or trust is ever challenged, or a family member mishandles an estate, you already have litigators who know your plan. You will not have to start over with strangers.
Why Tulsa families choose Welsh & McGough
Decades of estate experience. Founders Catherine Z. Welsh and Jim C. McGough have spent careers in probate, trust, and estate work in Tulsa County.
We draft it and we defend it. Few Tulsa firms pair estate planning with real probate and trust-and-estate litigation under one roof.
We publish our fees. You decide with real numbers, as a flat fee, before you commit.
One firm for the whole picture. Estate planning connects to probate, guardianship, and family questions. Browse all of our legal services to see the team.
Tulsa estate planning FAQ
What is the difference between a will and a trust in Oklahoma?
A will directs who inherits and names an executor, but it still goes through probate. A revocable living trust holds your assets so they pass to your family without probate, privately, and it also manages your property if you become incapacitated. Many families use both, a trust plus a pour-over will.
How much does a will or living trust cost in Tulsa?
A will-based plan typically runs $500 to $1,200, and a trust-based plan typically runs $1,800 to $3,500, depending on your family and assets. We quote your exact flat fee at the free consultation, so there are no surprises.
Does Oklahoma have an estate tax or inheritance tax?
No. Oklahoma has no state estate tax and no inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax applies, and it only affects estates well above the high federal exemption, so most Oklahoma families owe no estate tax.
How do I avoid probate in Oklahoma?
The main tools are a revocable living trust that holds your assets, a transfer-on-death deed on your home, and payable-on-death or beneficiary designations on your accounts. Set up correctly, these let your family inherit without probate.
Do I really need a living trust, or is a will enough?
It depends. A will is enough for many families. A trust makes sense if you own real estate, want privacy, want to avoid probate, have a blended family, or want seamless incapacity planning. We recommend the one that fits, not the most expensive one.
What happens if I die without a will in Oklahoma?
Oklahoma’s intestate succession laws decide who inherits, usually your spouse and children in shares set by statute, and a court appoints an administrator. You lose all control over who receives your property and who raises your minor children.
What is a durable power of attorney and why do I need one?
A durable financial power of attorney lets a person you trust handle your finances if you become incapacitated, without a court guardianship. It is one of the most useful documents in any plan.
What is an Oklahoma advance directive for health care?
It is Oklahoma’s living will. It states your wishes about life-sustaining treatment and names a health care proxy to make medical decisions for you. We pair it with a HIPAA authorization so your proxy can access medical information.
Can I use a transfer-on-death deed for my Oklahoma home?
Yes. Oklahoma allows transfer-on-death deeds, which let your home pass directly to the person you name when you die, outside probate, while you keep full control during your life.
How do I name a guardian for my minor children?
You nominate a guardian in your will. If you never do, an Oklahoma court decides who raises your children. Naming a guardian is one of the most important reasons for parents to make a plan.
What is a special-needs trust?
It is a trust that provides for a loved one with a disability without disqualifying them from needs-based government benefits. We build it into the plan so your gift helps instead of harming their eligibility.
How often should I update my estate plan?
Review your plan every few years and after major life events: marriage, divorce, a new child, a death, a big change in assets, or a move to a new state. We help clients keep plans current.