Individual trust package $2,900. Couple's trust package $3,600. Will-based package $1,200. Amendments from $750.
We publish these because you were going to ask, and because a firm that will not tell you the price until you are sitting in a conference room has told you something about how it operates.
Planning, flat fee
| Package | Fee |
|---|---|
| Individual living trust, fully funded | $2,900 |
| Couple's living trust, fully funded | $3,600 |
| Will-based package (will, POA, directive, guardian nomination) | $1,200 |
| Trust amendment | From $750 |
| Trust restatement | From $1,400 |
| Deed preparation and recording, additional property | $450 |
Fully funded means we prepare and record the deed on your home and give you a written, account-by-account funding letter. A trust package that stops at the binder is not finished, whatever it cost.
Probate is not negotiable
California sets it by statute on the gross estate. Every firm quoting you is quoting the same schedule. What differs is whether they check first for the shortcuts that avoid full probate entirely.
| Gross estate | Statutory fee, each to attorney and executor |
|---|---|
| $500,000 | $13,000 |
| $1,000,000 | $23,000 |
| $1,500,000 | $28,000 |
What the flat fee does not include
Court filing fees and recording fees. Probate or trust administration after a death. Any dispute or litigation. Tax return preparation. Amendments more than a year out. We would rather list these than surprise you with them.
Disputes are hourly
Litigation cannot honestly be flat-fee quoted at the outset, because the other side controls half the work. We bill hourly against a retainer and give a realistic range before you engage.
“Somebody will always be cheaper. There are $600 trusts in this county and some of them are fine. The ones that are not, I meet later, in probate, with the family paying the statutory fee anyway.”
Delia Vasquez-HartQuestions we get asked
Is the consultation free?
Yes, 45 minutes, and it is a real consultation. You will leave knowing what you need and what it costs whether or not you hire us.
Do you offer payment plans?
Yes, on planning packages, typically split across two or three payments.
Why is a couple's trust only $700 more?
Because it is one document, one funding process and one meeting. Charging twice for it would be hard to justify.
What if I already have a trust from another firm?
Bring it. Sometimes it needs an amendment, sometimes a restatement, and sometimes it is fine and just needs funding. All three happen regularly.
Start here
If you own a home in Los Angeles County, the comparison that matters is the trust package against the statutory probate fee on your house's gross value. That is usually a short conversation.