At Gaughan & Connealy, we believe estate planning doesn’t have to feel like a root canal. Yes, it’s important. Yes, it’s serious. But that doesn’t mean it has to be miserable.
That belief started with two lifelong friends—Chris Gaughan and Casey Connealy—born and raised right here in Kansas City. They’ve known each other since before they could drive (or grow facial hair), and that friendship is baked into everything we do at the firm.
From Courtroom Combat to Cracking Jokes
Back in 2011, Chris had a legal epiphany. After seven years of doing litigation (read: arguing professionally), he realized he was more interested in helping families stay out of court than fighting it out inside one.
So he ditched the courtroom battles and dove headfirst into estate planning—where the goal is to build peace of mind instead of lawsuits.
A few months later, his buddy Casey—who also had a knack for legal work and dad jokes—joined him. And just like that, Gaughan & Connealy was born.
They’ve been building something special ever since: a law firm where people feel taken care of, respected, and maybe even a little entertained along the way.
(As you can see from this photo, we don’t take ourselves too seriously around here.)
What Makes Us Different—Besides Our Awesome Professional Photo Poses
We’re approachable. We explain things in plain English and we’ll never talk down to you. We may even make you laugh. (We consider it a bonus if you snort.)
We keep it light, but we don’t cut corners. Estate planning is the only thing we do, and we’re borderline obsessed with it. We’re just not going to bore you with 87 legal terms to prove it.
We love helping families. Whether you’re passing on a family farm or your prized Chiefs memorabilia, we’ll help you protect what matters most—with warmth and a lot of care.
We do flat fees. No hourly billing, no hidden charges, and no stress watching the clock during meetings. The only surprises we like are good ones—like finding out Chris owns five Hawaiian shirts and isn’t afraid to wear them to work.
Built on Friendship. Driven by Purpose. Fueled by Coffee and Coke Zero.
Over a decade later, we’ve helped more than 6,000 families in Kansas and Missouri protect their futures with custom, thoughtful estate plans.
We’re still proud Kansas City guys who remember where we came from, and we still think laughter belongs in the workplace—even the legal one.
So if you’ve been putting off finishing your Will or Trust because it sounds intimidating or boring, we get it. But we promise—we’ll make the process simple, meaningful, and maybe even kind of fun.
And yes—we’ll be posting more goofy photos. You’ve been warned.
If you do the whole social media thing, you can see us on Facebook: @MidwestEstatePlan
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