California Estate Planning Services
Your assets, legacy, and loved ones are important. Let's make sure they're protected.
You’re Not Late, You’re Right On Time
Many people feel behind or overwhelmed by the idea of estate planning. The truth? Most people wait too long, and then scramble during a crisis. Estate Planning is for everyone. We’re here to help you start where you are, no judgment, no fear, and no legal jargon. You don’t need to have it all figured out. That’s what we’re here for.
What Is Estate Planning?
Estate planning is the process of creating legal documents that spell out exactly what happens to your money, property, and personal affairs if you pass away or become unable to make decisions for yourself. In California, estate planning typically centers around a revocable living trust, but a complete plan includes several key documents working together.
Without an estate plan, the State of California decides for you. Your assets go through probate court, a judge appoints someone to manage your affairs, and your family has no say in the process. With a plan in place, you stay in control, even when you can't be in the room.
Estate planning isn't a one-time event, either. It's a living set of documents that should grow and change with you as your life evolves. That's why we build plans designed to be updated, not shelved.
Who Needs an Estate Plan?
Estate planning isn’t just for the wealthy or retired. It’s for:
Homeowners
Parents of minor children
Unmarried partners or blended families
Seniors and retirees
Anyone with savings, property, or future goals
EVERYONE
If you have people you care about or things you want to protect, you need a plan.
What's Included in a California Estate Plan?
Every estate plan we create is tailored to your situation, but most comprehensive plans include the following documents:
Revocable Living Trust — This is the cornerstone of most California estate plans. A revocable living trust lets you transfer ownership of your assets, your home, bank accounts, investments, and other property, into a trust that you control during your lifetime. When you pass away, everything in the trust transfers directly to your beneficiaries without going through probate. You can change, update, or revoke it at any time. For most Californians, a revocable living trust is the most effective way to protect your family from the cost, delays, and public exposure of probate.
Pour-Over Will — This works as a safety net for your trust. If there are any assets that weren't transferred into the trust before your death, the pour-over will directs them into the trust so they're distributed according to your plan. It also names a guardian for minor children.
Advance Healthcare Directive — This document lets you name someone you trust to make medical decisions on your behalf if you're unable to communicate. It also allows you to outline specific wishes about the type of care you do or don't want, including end-of-life preferences. For LGBTQ+ individuals, we draft these with gender-inclusive language to make sure your identity and wishes are respected in medical settings.
Financial Power of Attorney — This authorizes a person of your choosing to manage your finances, pay bills, access accounts, and handle financial transactions if you become incapacitated. Without one, your family would need to petition the court for a conservatorship, a process that's expensive, time-consuming, and entirely avoidable with proper planning.
HIPAA Authorization — This gives your designated people permission to access your medical records and communicate with your healthcare providers. Without it, even your spouse or partner may be shut out of important medical conversations.
Guardianship Nominations — If you have minor children, your estate plan should name who will care for them if something happens to you. Without a nomination, a court will decide — and that decision may not align with what you would have chosen.
Beneficiary Designation Review — Retirement accounts, life insurance policies, and certain financial accounts pass outside of your trust through beneficiary designations. We review all of these to make sure they're consistent with your estate plan and go to the right people.
Deed Transfers — If you own real property in California, your home or other real estate needs to be formally transferred into your trust. We handle the deed preparation so your property is properly funded into your plan.
Depending on your situation, your plan may also include a cohabitation agreement, business succession planning, or special needs trust provisions.
What Happens If You Don’t Have an Estate Plan?
The court decides who gets your assets
Probate fees eat into your estate (often 3–7% of total value)
Everything becomes public record
The process can drag on for over a year
Family members may argue over your intentions
DID YOU KNOW?
California has some of the highest probate fees and longest court delays in the country.
The good news? A well-crafted estate plan can help you skip probate entirely, saving your family time, money, and stress.
How Much Does California Probate Actually Cost?
California has one of the most expensive probate systems in the country. Under California Probate Code §§ 10800–10805, attorney and executor fees are set by statute based on the gross value of the estate — not the net value. That means fees are calculated before subtracting any mortgage, debts, or liens.
Here's how that breaks down for a typical California homeowner:
Estate valued at $500,000: Attorney fees of $13,000 + executor fees of $13,000 = $26,000 in statutory fees alone.
Estate valued at $1,000,000: Attorney fees of $23,000 + executor fees of $23,000 = $46,000 in statutory fees alone.
Estate valued at $1,500,000: Attorney fees of $28,000 + executor fees of $28,000 = $56,000 in statutory fees alone.
And those are just the statutory fees. There can be additional "extraordinary fees" approved by the court for more complex estates, plus court filing costs, appraisal fees, and bond premiums. On top of the cost, California probate typically takes 12 to 18 months, and in busier counties like Los Angeles or San Diego, it can take even longer.
All of this is avoidable with a properly funded revocable living trust. When your assets are held in a trust, they pass directly to your beneficiaries without court involvement, without public record, and without statutory fees.
Revocable vs. Irrevocable Trusts: Which Do You Need?
One of the most common questions we hear is whether you need a revocable or irrevocable trust. Here's the difference in plain terms:
Revocable Living Trust — This is what most Californians need. You create the trust, transfer your assets into it, and maintain full control over everything during your lifetime. You can change the terms, add or remove beneficiaries, and revoke the entire trust at any time. When you pass away, the trust becomes irrevocable and your successor trustee distributes assets according to your instructions — no probate required. A revocable trust does not provide asset protection from creditors during your lifetime or reduce your estate taxes, but for the vast majority of Californians, it's the right tool.
Irrevocable Trust — Once created, an irrevocable trust generally cannot be changed or revoked. You give up control of the assets placed in it. In return, those assets are typically protected from creditors, may reduce your taxable estate, and can help with Medi-Cal (Medicaid) planning. Irrevocable trusts are used in specific situations — for example, high-net-worth estates, special needs planning for a disabled beneficiary, or long-term care asset protection strategies.
Which one is right for you? For most individuals and families in California, a revocable living trust is the foundation of the plan. If your situation involves significant assets, complex tax considerations, or special circumstances, we'll discuss whether an irrevocable trust or other advanced strategy makes sense. We'll walk you through everything during your planning session — no assumptions, no pressure.
We’re here to help and protect you.
We consult with you, virtually one-on-one, and help you create the best estate plan possible under your unique situation. We'll see to it that everything is handled professionally and with care, so your wishes can be carried out smoothly and easily.
If you'd like to learn more about how you can start your estate planning process, all you need to do is to tap the button below and we'll be in touch to get you started on your estate planning journey.
Common Life Events That Call for a Plan Update
You bought or sold a home
You got married, divorced, or re-partnered
A person you named as a trustee or agent passed away
You moved to or within California
You had a child or grandchild
You experienced a major medical diagnosis
Does Proposition 19 Affect Your Estate Plan?
If you own property in California, the answer is almost certainly yes.
Proposition 19, which took effect in February 2021, made significant changes to how property tax assessments are handled when real estate is transferred between parents and children. Before Prop 19, parents could transfer their primary residence (and up to $1 million in other real property) to their children without triggering a property tax reassessment. That broad exclusion is gone.
Under the current rules, a parent-to-child transfer of a primary residence only avoids reassessment if the child uses the home as their own primary residence, and even then, only up to a limited assessed value increase. Investment properties, vacation homes, and rental properties transferred to children are now reassessed to current market value, which can result in dramatically higher property tax bills.
What does this mean for your estate plan? If your plan was created before 2021 and involves transferring California real property to your children, it needs to be reviewed. We help you understand how Prop 19 affects your specific situation and explore strategies to minimize the property tax impact, including the timing of transfers, trust structures, and coordination with deed preparation.
Our Estate Planning Process
We've designed our process to be straightforward, virtual, and stress-free. Here's what to expect:
Step 1: Free Discovery Call (20 minutes) — We get to know you and your situation. We'll ask a few questions about your family, your assets, and your goals to determine what type of plan is right for you. We'll also share the fee for your plan during this call — no surprises.
Step 2: Planning Session (60–90 minutes) — We meet virtually, one-on-one, and go through everything in detail. We'll discuss your wishes for asset distribution, healthcare decisions, who you want managing your affairs, guardianship for children, and any special circumstances. We explain everything in everyday language.
Step 3: Document Drafting — We prepare your full estate plan, including your trust, will, healthcare directive, powers of attorney, HIPAA authorizations, and any supplemental documents your situation requires.
Step 4: Review & Signing — We review every document with you to make sure everything is exactly right. We coordinate signing and notarization — including remote notarization for clients anywhere in California.
Step 5: Trust Funding — This is the step many attorneys skip, and it's one of the most important. We help you re-title assets, update beneficiary designations, and prepare any deed transfers needed to move real property into your trust. A trust only works if it's funded.
Step 6: Ongoing Support — Life changes, and your plan should change with it. We're here when you need updates, whether it's after a marriage, a new child, a property purchase, or a move.
How Much Does Estate Planning Cost in California?
We believe you should know what your estate plan costs before you commit, just like any other important purchase. That's why we use flat fee pricing for all of our estate planning services.
During your free discovery call, we'll discuss your specific needs and provide a clear, all-inclusive fee. No hourly billing, no hidden charges, and no invoice surprises. We also offer flexible payment options, including installment plans and financing through Affirm.
For context, a comprehensive estate plan from a qualified California attorney typically ranges from $2,000 to $5,000+ depending on the complexity of your situation. Factors that affect cost include the number of properties you own, whether you have minor children, business ownership, blended family structures, and any advanced planning needs.
Compare that to the cost of probate, easily $25,000 to $50,000+ for a typical California homeowner, and an estate plan is one of the smartest investments you can make for your family.
Let’s make estate planning simple, personal, and empowering.
Schedule your complimentary discovery call to explore what’s right for you.
Estate Planning FAQs
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California's probate process, which is public, takes 12–18 months, and can cost thousands in statutory fees. A revocable living trust avoids probate entirely, assets transfer directly and privately to your beneficiaries. For most Californians, a trust-based estate plan is the better choice.
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Yes. Estate planning isn't just about what happens when you die, it's about what happens if you become incapacitated. Without a healthcare directive and power of attorney, no one can make medical or financial decisions on your behalf without court intervention, regardless of your age.
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From your first discovery call to signed documents, most plans are completed within 3 to 6 weeks. More complex situations may take longer, but we'll give you a timeline upfront.
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Absolutely. A revocable living trust can be amended or restated at any time. We recommend reviewing your plan every 3 to 5 years or after any major life event, marriage, divorce, new child, property purchase, or move to California.
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Estate planning laws are state-specific. If you've moved to California from another state, your existing plan should be reviewed by a California attorney to make sure it complies with California law, especially regarding community property, trust administration, and property tax rules. If you already live in California and have a plan, we can review it and make any necessary updates.
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Yes. We serve clients throughout all of California virtually, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange County, Sacramento, and everywhere in between. All consultations and planning sessions are conducted via video call.
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Yes, and it's something we specialize in. LGBTQ+ individuals and families face unique estate planning challenges, from protecting unmarried partners to ensuring gender-inclusive healthcare directives.
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A financial advisor helps you grow and manage your wealth. An estate planning attorney creates the legal documents that determine what happens to that wealth, and to your healthcare and personal decisions, when you can't manage things yourself. The two work together, but they serve different purposes.