Common questions. Straight answers.

A revocable living trust package for an individual (trust, pour-over will, power of attorney, advance health directive) typically runs $1,500-$3,500. A couple's package runs $2,000-$4,500. Your matched attorney confirms the flat fee after the free initial consultation.

Yes. Your matched estate-planning attorney reviews your assets, family situation, and goals, identifies the right documents, and outlines a plan. No obligation and no fee for the initial consultation.

Complexity is the main driver: irrevocable trusts, business interests, out-of-state property, Medi-Cal planning, special needs provisions, and tax planning all add to the scope. A basic living trust package for a single homeowner is the most straightforward. Your attorney outlines the full fee at the initial consultation.

A will goes through probate court, becomes public record, and can take 12-24 months to settle in California. A living trust transfers assets to heirs by trustee action outside of court, stays private, and is typically complete in a few months. California's high probate threshold means most San Diego homeowners benefit from a trust.

Yes. A pour-over will catches any asset not transferred into the trust at death and directs it into the trust through probate. It also names a guardian for minor children. The will and the trust work together, not as alternatives.

California requires probate for estates with gross assets over $184,500 (2024 threshold). That threshold applies to the gross value, not equity, so a home with a large mortgage still counts toward the total. Most San Diego homeowners clear this threshold, making a living trust a standard recommendation.

Most living trust packages are drafted and signed within two to four weeks of the initial consultation. Complex estates with multiple properties, business interests, or irrevocable provisions take longer. The attorney sets the timeline at the initial consultation.

The trust must be funded to work. Real property in California is transferred into the trust by recording a grant deed from you as an individual to yourself as trustee of your living trust. Your attorney handles the deed as part of the trust package. Skipping this step is the most common reason a living trust fails to avoid probate.

California probate takes a minimum of 12 months and commonly runs 18-24 months for contested or complex estates. Statutory attorney and executor fees are set by law at a percentage of the gross estate value. A properly funded living trust avoids probate entirely for assets held in the trust.

No. Trust Law SD is a referral service and is not a law firm. We match San Diego County residents with vetted, licensed estate-planning attorneys and help you get a free initial consultation. The attorney you work with handles the legal representation.

The attorneys we match are licensed members of the State Bar of California. You can verify any California attorney license at calbar.ca.gov before you sign a fee agreement.

Getting matched and getting the free initial consultation costs you nothing. You only pay the estate-planning attorney you choose for the actual legal work.