A plan that keeps your family out of probate court.
Wills, revocable living trusts, health care directives, and powers of attorney, drafted so they work when they are needed.
How we approach it
In California, an estate over a modest threshold goes through probate without a trust. That process is public, slow, and expensive. A trust avoids it.
Estate planning is the set of documents that say who manages your affairs if you cannot, who receives your property when you die, and who raises your children. For most California families the core plan is a revocable living trust, a pour-over will, an advance health care directive, a durable power of attorney for finances, and HIPAA authorizations. The trust is what keeps the estate out of probate; the others handle incapacity and medical decisions.
We draft the plan, walk through the choices with you, supervise signing and notarization, and then do the step most people skip: funding the trust, so the house, accounts, and other assets are actually titled in it. An unfunded trust is a will with extra pages.
After a death, we guide trustees through administration, and where there was no plan, we guide families through probate.
What we handle
- Revocable living trustsIndividual and joint, with successor trustee provisions
- Wills & pour-over wills
- Advance health care directivesMedical decisions and end-of-life wishes
- Durable powers of attorneyFinances, property, and business interests
- HIPAA authorizations
- Guardianship nominationsWho raises minor children
- Trust fundingDeeds, account retitling, beneficiary designations
- Beneficiary & title reviewLife insurance, retirement accounts, real estate
- Plan updates & restatementsAfter marriage, children, a move, or a sale
- Trust administrationGuidance for trustees after a death
- ProbateWhen there was no trust
- Business successionPlanning for a closely held company
What people ask us first
- Do I need a trust or is a will enough?
- If you own a home in California or have assets above the small-estate threshold, a trust is usually the right answer because a will alone still goes through probate. For smaller estates a will and the incapacity documents may be sufficient. We tell you which applies.
- What happens if I become incapacitated?
- Your successor trustee manages trust assets, your agent under the power of attorney handles finances outside the trust, and your health care agent makes medical decisions under your directive. Without these documents, your family petitions the court for a conservatorship.
- How much does a plan cost?
- Flat fees, quoted up front, for individuals and for couples. The fee includes drafting, the signing meeting, and funding instructions.
- Can you update a plan another lawyer drafted?
- Yes. We review the existing documents and either amend them or restate the trust, depending on how much has changed.
Often needed alongside this
Tell us what you’re working on.
A free first conversation. We’ll tell you what it involves, what it costs, and whether you need us at all.
Santa Monica, California