Put your home, assets, and intentions into legally sound documents.

With real estate, a trust comes first. In California, property left by will alone must go through probate, where statutory attorney fees and court costs are calculated on the gross market value of the property — the full value even if there is a mortgage. That cost is usually far higher than setting up a trust during your lifetime. If you own no real estate and your assets are simple, a will plus powers of attorney is usually enough.

Attorney fees are set by California Probate Code §10810 as a statutory percentage of the gross estate — gross, not net, so a mortgaged home counts at full value. For a moderately sized estate, that figure usually far exceeds the cost of establishing a trust.

Drafting, a clause-by-clause explanation, revisions through the final version, and arranging signing and witnessing, plus guidance on transferring property into the trust and updating account beneficiaries. Court fees, notary fees, and property recording fees are charged by third parties and are separate.

California law is strict: parties with conflicting interests cannot be represented by the same attorney. If both use one attorney, the agreement is very likely to be set aside by a court later. Each party must have their own attorney, and each fee is quoted independently.

The earlier the better — at least three months is advisable. California requires a statutory review period of at least seven days before signing, and once you add time for accounting, financial disclosure, and negotiation between both attorneys, doing it close to the wedding is not only more expensive but invites a claim that it was signed under pressure, which can undermine its validity.

No. Property must be deeded into the trust and accounts must have beneficiaries updated; otherwise the trust is empty and probate is still required. We confirm each item before closing the matter.

Yes. A revocable trust and a will can be amended while you have capacity; later changes are billed hourly. Review them after a marriage, divorce, birth, property purchase or sale, or a move to another state.

Yes. The trustee must inventory assets, notify beneficiaries, handle transfers and tax filings. Depending on the assets and whether there is a dispute, this is handled on a flat fee or hourly. If a family member serves as trustee and prefers to administer it themselves, we can provide procedural guidance only.

In California, an estate with only a will generally still goes through court probate, which often takes more than a year, costs a percentage of the gross estate, and is public. A living trust lets assets pass to your family without the court, which is why most families who own property choose one.

With a revocable living trust you serve as your own trustee, keep full control during your lifetime, and can amend or revoke it at any time. After your death or incapacity, the successor trustee you name distributes assets according to your wishes.

Whether a US trust reaches overseas assets depends on the law where the asset sits, and Chinese real estate generally cannot be placed directly into a US trust. The usual approach is a trust for US assets with separate planning for assets in China, coordinated between the two. This needs a specific assessment.

Yes, but the requirements are strict: a signed written agreement, voluntary on both sides, with full financial disclosure and at least a seven-day review period before signing, and independent counsel for each party is advisable. An agreement that falls short may be held invalid.

California is a community property state: income earned during the marriage is generally split equally, while premarital property and inheritances are generally separate — though separate property easily becomes community property once commingled. A prenuptial agreement sets those boundaries out in advance.

Once the information is complete, signing and notarization are usually done within a few weeks. The package includes the trust, a will, a financial power of attorney, and a health care directive, and real estate also requires recording a deed into the trust.