Senior California couple embracing at home, reassured their living trust keeps their estate out of probate
Estate Planning · San Jose & All of California
Registered & Bonded LDA #268, Santa Clara County Verify ↗

Keep your home and family out of probate court

In California, dying without a living trust can put your family through 12 to 18 months of public probate and tens of thousands in statutory fees — roughly $38,000 on an $800,000 home. A living trust avoids all of it. We prepare living trusts and handle probate at a flat fee, never by the hour.

Schedule a Consultation Call (408) 766-3532
From $950 living trust Probate from $500 EN · VI · ES Registered & bonded LDA #268
Quinnie Do, Registered Legal Document Assistant LDA #268, founder of TruPoint Legal in San Jose

Prepared by Quinnie Do, LDA #268

Registered & Bonded · Santa Clara County

Quinnie founded TruPoint Legal and holds three California credentials — Registered Legal Document Assistant, Commissioned Notary Public, and Registered IRS tax preparer. A native Vietnamese speaker, she prepares living trusts and probate paperwork at your direction, at a published flat fee. Learn more about TruPoint Legal.

Where to start

Living trust or probate: which does your family need?

Estate planning in California comes down to two paths. A living trust is prepared while you are alive: you place your home and accounts into the trust, name a successor trustee, and your family inherits privately, in weeks, with no court. Probate is the court process that happens after a death when there was no trust — it is public, usually takes 12 to 18 months, and charges statutory fees based on the gross value of the estate.

For most California homeowners, a funded living trust is the way to avoid probate entirely. If a loved one has already passed without one, probate (or a simpler spousal or small-estate procedure) is how the estate is settled. TruPoint Legal prepares the documents for both paths at a flat fee — and we confirm which one fits your situation before any work begins.

Two ways we help

Plan ahead, or settle an estate

Living Trust

From $950 individual · $1,500 joint

Plan ahead so your home and savings pass directly to your family, privately and without probate court. Built to take effect the moment it is needed.

  • Revocable living trust + pour-over will
  • Durable power of attorney & healthcare directive
  • Funding instructions and notarization
Living trust preparation in San Jose

Probate

From $500 · Full petition $2,800

Settle a loved one’s estate without an attorney’s percentage-based fee. We prepare every court document to California and local-rule standards.

  • Full probate, spousal, and small-estate options
  • Every petition, notice, inventory, and accounting
  • Flat fee, not a share of the estate
Probate document preparation
A trust only avoids probate once your home is actually titled in it. Funding your trust takes a separate property deed — we prepare and record it for a flat $325 per property. See our trust transfer deed page, or our full deed transfer and recording services.
Flat fees, quoted before you commit

What estate planning actually costs

A California attorney typically charges $3,000 or more for a living trust, and probate statutory fees run into the tens of thousands — roughly $38,000 on an $800,000 home. As a Registered Legal Document Assistant, TruPoint Legal prepares the same documents at a published flat fee, so most families pay only a small fraction of attorney cost.

Living Trust

$950
Individual. Joint (married couple) is $1,500. Includes pour-over will, powers of attorney, healthcare directive, and notarization. See living trust details →

Probate

From $500
Small Estate Affidavit $500; Full Probate Petition $2,800; spousal and ex parte options available. See probate details →

Trust Funding Deed

$325
Per property. Transfers your home into your trust so it actually avoids probate. Always priced separately, never bundled. See trust transfer deed →

Trust Amendment

From $200
Update beneficiaries, trustees, or terms in an existing living trust without starting over. Discuss an amendment →

Court filing and county recording fees are passed through at cost and confirmed at intake. Every fee is quoted before any work begins.

Why families choose TruPoint

The same documents, without the attorney bill

Published flat fees

One price, confirmed before any work begins. No hourly billing and no share of your estate.

Service in your language

We work with families in English, Vietnamese, and Spanish, so the most important decisions are never lost in translation.

Three California credentials

Registered Legal Document Assistant, Commissioned Notary Public, and Registered IRS tax preparer — trust, deed, and notarization handled under one roof.

Verifiable credentials

Registered and bonded LDA #268 in Santa Clara County — confirm it directly on the County Clerk-Recorder and CALDA websites.

Common questions

Estate planning in California, answered

Do I need a living trust, or is a will enough in California?
A will does not avoid probate — it actually triggers it. If you own a home in California, a will alone still sends your estate through public probate court. A properly funded living trust passes your home and accounts directly to your family without court. Most California homeowners need a living trust, not just a will. You can read more about living trust preparation.
How does a living trust avoid probate?
When your home and accounts are titled in the name of your trust, they are no longer in your name alone at death, so there is nothing for the probate court to administer. Your successor trustee distributes everything privately, usually within weeks. The key step is funding — titling the assets into the trust — which is why we also prepare the trust transfer deed for your home.
Can a Legal Document Assistant prepare a living trust without an attorney?
Yes. California law authorizes a registered Legal Document Assistant to prepare living trust and probate documents at your direction, at a flat fee. An LDA does not give legal advice or represent you in court; we prepare your documents accurately and completely so you can sign and file with confidence. TruPoint Legal holds LDA #268 in Santa Clara County.
How much does a living trust cost, and what is included?
A TruPoint living trust is a flat $950 for an individual and $1,500 for a joint (married couple) package. It includes the revocable living trust, a pour-over will, durable power of attorney, advance healthcare directive, funding instructions, and notarization. Transferring your home into the trust is a separate $325-per-property deed.
What happens to my house if I die without a trust in California?
It goes through probate. The court appoints someone to administer the estate, the process becomes public record, and statutory fees are charged on the home’s gross value — roughly $38,000 on an $800,000 home, regardless of the mortgage. The process commonly takes 12 to 18 months. A funded living trust avoids all of this.
How long does probate take in California, and how much does it cost?
A full probate typically runs 12 to 18 months. Attorney and executor fees are set by statute as a percentage of the gross estate, which often reaches tens of thousands of dollars. TruPoint prepares probate filings at a flat fee instead — from $500 for a small-estate affidavit up to $2,800 for a full petition. See probate document preparation for the full breakdown.
Do you also transfer my home into the trust (fund it)?
Yes. An unfunded trust does not avoid probate, so we prepare and e-record the deed that moves your home into your trust for a flat $325 per property. It is priced separately from the trust itself and never bundled, so you always see exactly what you are paying for.
Do you serve families outside San Jose?
Yes. Our office is in San Jose and welcomes walk-ins, and we serve families throughout California remotely. To get started, complete our intake forms or contact us.

Protect your family from probate, at a flat fee

Whether you are planning ahead with a living trust or settling a loved one’s estate, we will tell you which path fits and exactly what it costs — before any work begins.

Schedule a Consultation Call (408) 766-3532
Hablamos Español · Chúng tôi nói Tiếng Việt · We speak English
First, confirm what’s on title

Not sure who currently holds title, or whether a lien is recorded against the property? Run a property title report first to confirm the owner of record and any recorded liens before you proceed.