Frequently Asked Questions

For most California residents who own real property, a revocable living trust is strongly recommended. Without a trust, your estate will go through California probate — a court-supervised process that typically takes 12–18 months, costs 4–7% of the estate's value in statutory fees, and is entirely public record.

A properly funded living trust avoids probate entirely, keeps your affairs private, and ensures seamless asset management if you become incapacitated. It also allows you to control exactly how and when your beneficiaries receive their inheritance — protections a simple will cannot provide.

A will takes effect only after death and must go through probate court before any assets can be distributed. A revocable living trust takes effect immediately upon creation, avoids probate, provides for incapacity management during your lifetime, and keeps your estate distribution completely private.

Most comprehensive California estate plans include both — a trust as the primary vehicle for asset management and distribution, and a pour-over will as a safety net to catch any assets not transferred to the trust during your lifetime.

If you die without a trust or will in California, your assets are distributed according to the state's intestate succession laws. Your estate will go through probate — a public, expensive, and time-consuming court process. The court decides who receives your assets based on family relationships, which may not align with your actual wishes.

For example, if you're unmarried with children, everything goes to the children equally. If you're married, the division between your spouse and children depends on whether assets are community or separate property. There's no provision for friends, charitable causes, or specific family members you may have wanted to provide for.

A power of attorney is a legal document that authorizes someone you trust — your "agent" — to act on your behalf. There are two essential types in every estate plan:

A durable financial power of attorney allows your agent to manage bank accounts, pay bills, handle investments, and conduct financial transactions if you become unable to do so. A statutory advance healthcare directive designates someone to make medical decisions on your behalf and documents your wishes regarding life-sustaining treatment.

Without these documents, your family would need to petition the court for a conservatorship — an expensive, invasive, and public process — just to manage your affairs during a health crisis.

Trust funding is the process of retitling your assets — real property, bank accounts, investment accounts, and other holdings — into the name of your revocable living trust. This is the step that makes your trust actually work.

A trust only controls the assets that have been transferred into it. An unfunded trust is like an empty container — it exists, but it provides no probate avoidance. This is one of the most common mistakes in estate planning, and one we take seriously. We guide you through every step of the funding process and provide detailed instructions for each asset type.

Comprehensive estate plans start at $2,500 for individuals and $3,500 for couples — including your revocable living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney, and advance healthcare directive. Families with more complex situations (blended families, business interests, multi-state assets) receive a custom flat-fee quote during your free consultation. Every engagement is flat-fee — you'll always know the total cost before we begin.

No hourly billing, no surprise invoices. Your initial consultation is complimentary and focused entirely on understanding your specific situation and goals.

Yes. All consultations are available virtually via secure video conference. We also offer evening and weekend appointments to accommodate busy schedules. Our digital-first approach means you can complete the entire estate planning process — from initial consultation to document signing — without taking time off work.

You'll have access to a secure client portal for document exchange, digital signatures, and organized records you can reference anytime.

Most estate plans are completed within 2–4 weeks from the initial consultation. The timeline depends on the complexity of your situation and how quickly you can gather the necessary information about your assets and beneficiaries.

Our process has four clear stages: an initial consultation to understand your situation, a design phase where we build your customized plan, a review and signing session where we walk through every document together, and a funding phase where we guide you through retitling assets into your trust.

Our office is located in Newport Beach and we serve clients throughout Orange County — including Irvine, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, and surrounding communities. Because all consultations are available virtually, we also work with clients across greater Southern California.

As an attorney licensed in both California and New York, we're also able to assist families with assets or beneficiaries in both states.

You should review your estate plan after any major life event: marriage, divorce, birth of a child or grandchild, death of a beneficiary or named trustee, significant change in assets or financial situation, relocation to a new state, or changes in tax law that affect your planning.

At minimum, we recommend reviewing your plan every 3–5 years even if nothing has obviously changed. Laws evolve, relationships shift, and asset values fluctuate. A quick review ensures your plan still reflects your current wishes and takes advantage of any new planning opportunities.

Trust administration is the process of managing and distributing trust assets after the trust creator (the "settlor") passes away. The successor trustee named in the trust takes on fiduciary responsibilities that carry personal liability if not handled properly.

Key obligations include providing statutory notice to beneficiaries and heirs under California Probate Code §16061.7, inventorying all trust assets, paying outstanding debts and taxes, filing required tax returns, and distributing assets according to the trust terms. An attorney can guide trustees through each step, establish timelines, and ensure full compliance with California law.

We're sorry for your loss. If you've been named as a successor trustee, there are time-sensitive legal obligations — California law requires that beneficiaries and heirs be notified within 60 days of the settlor's death. We strongly recommend consulting with an attorney before taking any action with trust assets.

In your initial consultation, we'll review the trust document, explain your responsibilities and timeline, and create a clear roadmap so you know exactly what to do at each stage. Our goal is to take the uncertainty out of the process during an already difficult time.