Kristen Southworth
Lewis Rice, LLC
Kristen T. Southworth is an associate in the Firm’s Estate Planning and Probate Department. She has extensive experience drafting various estate planning documents including wills, revocable trusts, irrevocable trusts, prenuptial agreements, durable powers of attorney, and medical directives, as well as experience in the preparation of gift and estate tax returns. She counsels clients on estate and wealth planning, estate and trust administration, business succession planning, and she can help her clients implement various wealth transfer techniques including the formation of business entities, installment sales, buy-sell agreements, life insurance trusts, various gifting techniques and more.
The most important and enjoyable part of Kristen’s practice is her relationship with her clients. Estate planning is deeply personal and Kristen takes pride in the trust her clients place in her ability to empathize with their family circumstances while implementing sophisticated business and estate planning strategies. She takes the time to listen, educate, and explain the various options related to personal, tax, and business planning.
Before becoming a lawyer, Kristen lived on a large grain and cattle farm in Southern Illinois. She carved out a few acres from the farmstead to raise fruits and vegetables and to run a small-livestock and fowl operation while also raising her daughter. Her business quickly grew from a few chickens, to biweekly deliveries to multiple restaurants, grocery stores, and families in St. Louis. As a former small business owner and entrepreneur, Kristen knows the challenges in owning and operating a business. This experience as a business owner, entrepreneur, and mother gives Kristen a unique perspective when managing clients’ needs.
Kristen serves on the Firm's Recruiting Committee. She also is a member of the Estate Planning Council of St. Louis, the St. Louis Metropolitan Bar Association, the Missouri Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. She is conversational in German.
