Gretchen Gold’s area of practice is in estate and trust taxation, estate planning, probate and trust administration, probate and trust litigation, adult and minor guardianships, charitable and not-for-profit planning, business succession, and wealth preservation planning. She managed the former Lathrop Gage LLP Wealth Strategies department from 2008-2011.

Gretchen provides lifetime financial planning involving special needs of children, spouses, and financial planning related to divorce. She assists clients in the preparation of estate planning documents, from Wills and Trusts containing complicated tax and distribution provisions, to Family Limited Partnerships, Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts, Irrevocable Gift Trusts, Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts, Qualified Personal Residence Trusts, Charitable Lead and Remainder Trusts, and many other sophisticated estate planning devices.

In addition, Gretchen counsels non-profit organizations on matters relating to formation, obtaining tax exempt status, tax issues and controversies, distribution and reporting requirements and termination. Gretchen also assists organizations in establishing endowed and restricted gifts and handling planned gifts.

She handles a variety of probate, trust and fiduciary litigation matters for both beneficiaries and fiduciaries. These matters include contested guardianships, creditor’s claims in estates and trusts, trust terminations, will and trust contests and breaches of fiduciary duty by personal representatives, trustees, guardians and agents under powers of attorney, to name a few. Gretchen believes that with thorough planning on the front end, much of the probate and trust litigation can be avoided. She uses a practical approach to resolution of disputes in an effort to avoid the expense of litigation whenever possible.

Areas of Focus

Services

Credentials

Education

  • University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law (J.D., with distinction, 1992)
  • Missouri Western State University (B.S., Political Science, 1983)

Admissions

Bar Admissions

  • Colorado
  • Kansas
  • Missouri
  • Oklahoma

Recognitions

  • Selected among The Best Lawyers in America®, 2012-2025
  • Order of the Bench and Robe
  • Law Review (Note & Comment Editor)
  • American Jurisprudence Award - Property I and Civil Procedure I
  • The Law Council

Presentations

  • Fiduciary Litigation, Annual Estate and Trust Institute (MoBar CLE)
  • Fiduciary Litigation, Estate Planning Fundamentals (UMKC/KCEPS CLE)
  • Fundamentals of Trust Administration, National Business Institute
  • Distribution of Assets Closing Trust and Estate Administration, The Missouri Bar Annual Estate & Trust Institute
  • Use of Life Insurance to Solve Tax Problems - Buy-Sell Agreements, University of Missouri-Kansas City Continuing Legal Education
  • Independent Administration, University of Missouri-Kansas City Continuing Legal Education
  • Terminating Irrevocable Trusts, The Missouri Bar Annual Probate Institute
  • Independent Administration, The Missouri Bar Annual Probate Institute
  • Probate, The Missouri Bar Annual Law Update
  • Probate and Estate Administration, University of Missouri, Kansas City Continuing Legal Education
  • 2010 Tax Update - Missouri Association of Tax Practitioners
  • Estate and Trust Update - Missouri Society of Certified Professional Accountants

Professional Activities

  • Association of Women Lawyers, Member, 2011-2013
  • The Missouri Bar, Member, 1992 - Present; Standing Committee on Legal Assistants, Vice-Chair, 1995-1998
  • The Missouri Bar, Probate and Trust Law Committee; Spousal Elective Chair Subcommittee, 2004; Missouri Uniform Trust Code Committee, 2003-2005; Digital Asset Subcommittee, 2012-2013; Power of Appointment Subcommittee, 2012-Present; Fiduciary Litigation Subcommittee, 2012-Present; Probate Committee, 2015-Present
  • Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, 1992-Present; Probate Trust Committee, 1995-Present; Public Service Committee, 1993
  • The Kansas City Estate Planning Society, Board Member, 2004-2006; Member, 1992-Present
  • The Kansas City Estate Planning Symposium (formerly the Federal Estate Planning Society Symposium), Planning Committee, 2005-2009

Community Involvement

  • Harvest Ball Society, Member (2013-present), Board of Directors (2015-2017), Treasurer (2015-2016)
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities of Kansas City, Planned Giving Council Member (2010-Present), Chair (2013-present), Board of Directors (2013-2016)
  • Truman Medical Center TRUFRIENDS, 2011-2012
  • Baptist-Trinity Lutheran Legacy Foundation, Legal Counsel to the Board, 2004-Present; Kansas City’s Medicine Cabinet - The Kansas City Tip-Off, Honorary Co-Chair, 2013
  • Embassy Park Home Owners Association, Board Member, 2004-2012; President, 2005-2012
  • Children’s Mercy Hospital, Planned Gift Council, 1998-Present
  • Tommy Simone Memorial Scholarship Fund, Committee Member, 1997-2005
  • Saint Pius X High School, School Board Member, 1996-2002; School Board President, 1999-2001; Capital Campaign Committee, 1997-2002