How Much Does a Living Trust Cost in California?

At The LaVelle Law Offices, a complete estate plan with a revocable living trust costs a flat fee of $1,995 for an individual or $2,995 for a married couple. The fee includes your living trust, pour-over will, durable power of attorney, advance health care directive, HIPAA authorization, certificate of trust, and preparation and recording of the deed that places your home in your trust. The same flat fee applies at every one of our California offices.

Prices current as of November 2026. Reviewed by Colby LaVelle, Managing Attorney.

There is only one: county recording fees. When we record the deed transferring your home into your trust, the county recorder charges its own fee, which varies by county. That government fee is paid separately. There are no other fees.

Hourly billing. Many attorneys bill by the hour, so the final cost depends on how long the work takes. A flat fee means you know the total before you start.

Online do-it-yourself trusts. Online forms can cost less up front, but no attorney reviews your family situation, and many people never complete the most important step: transferring their home into the trust. A trust that doesn’t hold your home may not keep it out of probate.

The cost of having no trust: California probate. When a California estate goes through probate, attorney fees are set by statute (California Probate Code §10810) as a percentage of the estate’s gross value:

For a $1,000,000 estate, that’s $23,000 in attorney fees, and the executor is entitled to the same amount (Probate Code §10800). That’s $46,000 in statutory fees before court costs, compared with a one-time flat fee of $1,995 or $2,995 for a properly funded living trust.

Fees are calculated on the gross value of the estate, before subtracting any mortgage.

Signing a living trust does not automatically move your home into it. Until the deed is changed, your home may still go through probate. That’s why our flat fee includes preparing the deed that transfers your California residence into your trust and filing it with the county recorder. You don’t have to prepare or record anything yourself.

1. Free 30-minute consultation. Meet with Colby LaVelle to talk about your family, your assets, who should inherit, who should manage your trust, and who should make financial and health care decisions if you can’t.
2. We prepare your documents. Our office drafts your customized living trust, pour-over will, power of attorney, health care directive, HIPAA authorization and certificate of trust.
3. Review and signing. You meet with the attorney in person to review every document, ask questions, and sign.
4. We record your deed. We prepare the deed transferring your home into your trust and file it with the county recorder.

Our flat-fee pricing is the same at all of our California offices. Call the office nearest you to schedule your free 30-minute consultation.

We also help families in Dublin, Livermore, San Ramon, Fremont and communities across the Bay Area, Northern California and San Diego.

At The LaVelle Law Offices, a complete estate plan with a revocable living trust is a flat $1,995 for an individual or $2,995 for a married couple using a joint trust. The fee includes the trust, pour-over will, power of attorney, health care directive, HIPAA authorization, certificate of trust, and preparation and recording of the deed to your home.

It varies widely. Some attorneys bill hourly, and online services offer forms without attorney advice. Our flat fee covers a complete trust-based plan, including the will, so you know the full attorney cost up front.

No. The flat fee covers all the documents and services listed above. The only other cost is the county’s own fee for recording your deed, which the county charges separately.

Yes. We prepare the deed transferring your California residence into your trust and file it with the county recorder. The county’s recording fee is separate.

Yes. Our flat fee is the same at every LaVelle Law Offices location in California.

Yes. Your plan starts with a consultation with Colby LaVelle, and you meet with the attorney again to review your completed documents before signing.

A trust-based plan normally includes both. The living trust holds and distributes the assets placed in it, and the pour-over will catches any assets left outside the trust.

Assets properly transferred into a revocable living trust can generally pass to your beneficiaries without a California probate court case. That’s one of the main reasons California homeowners create living trusts.

Yes. Your first consultation is free and lasts 30 minutes.

Get a complete California estate plan for one clear, flat fee: $1,995 for individuals or $2,995 for married couples.

Reviewed by Colby LaVelle, Managing Attorney. Last updated November 2026.