Probate, Trust and Wills Services
All families are different. Please see the case study below for the different estate planning options.
Will Planning Services
A will is always probated.
For example, we have single mom Sandy. If all Sandy left was a will, and within that will Sandy bequeathed her home, jewelry, and personal items to her 13-year-old daughter, the daughter would have to go through the court supervised proceeding called probate, pay probate fees, then take her inheritance.
The better use for this document would have been to appoint legal guardianship of Sandy’s minor child.
Living Trust Services
For many families, the primary goal of creating a revocable living trust is probate avoidance. Anyone with a home should consider establishing a living trust because a home is an asset that generally has to pass through probate, which is both costly and a long process.
Probate Services
Absent a trust, a person’s estate is probated, which means, the process of legal title transfer is supervised by the court.
Many people request the assistance of an attorney through the probate process. Attorneys’ fees are determined by law, and the fees are based on the gross value of the estate's assets.
The family has to pay the attorney’s fees, filing fees, and wait for the completion of probate before they can take distribution of assets. This can result in substantial costs and delays, so we highly recommend hiring a probate attorney to take care of this proactively.
We provide caring, professional and thorough probate, trust and will services in the El Dorado Hills, Folsom, Granite Bay and the greater Sacramento area. Check out our Frequently Asked Questions or Contact us - we're happy to answer any questions you might have.