Trying to decide between online living trust services for your California estate? You're smart to compare options. But here's what most comparison articles won't tell you: not all services are created equal, especially when it comes to California-specific requirements.
In this comprehensive head-to-head comparison, we'll break down Living Trust California, LegalZoom, and Trust & Will — comparing pricing, California-specific features, ease of use, customer support, and real value to help you make the right choice.
🎯 Quick Answer
Living Trust CA wins for California residents. Here's why:
- 100% California-focused (not generic 50-state forms)
- Best value: $400-500 with everything included
- Attorney Rozsa Gyene specializes in California estate law
- Complete package with all essential documents
- Personal support from California legal experts
LegalZoom and Trust & Will are national services that serve all 50 states. They're good, but not California-optimized like Living Trust CA.
Quick Comparison Overview
| Feature | Living Trust CA 🏆 | Trust & Will | LegalZoom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trust Price (Individual) | $400 | $499 | $279 |
| Trust Price (Couples) | $500 | $599 | $349 |
| Pour-Over Will Included | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ No ($99 extra) |
| 100% California-Focused | ✅ YES | ⚠️ 50-state generic | ⚠️ 50-state generic |
| Attorney Review | ✅ INCLUDED | ✅ ($169+) | ✅ ($299+) |
| California Legal Expert | ✅ Attorney Rozsa Gyene | ❌ National staff | ❌ National staff |
| Updates/Changes | Included first year | Free 1st year | $149 each |
| Customer Support | Phone, email (CA expert) | Chat, email, phone | Phone, email |
| Best For | California residents | Nationwide users | Nationwide users |
Why Living Trust CA is the Best Choice for Californians
🏆 Living Trust CA — Best for California
What Makes Us Different:
- ✅ 100% California-specific — Not generic 50-state forms
- ✅ Created by CA Attorney Rozsa Gyene (State Bar #208356)
- ✅ Deep California expertise — Prop 19, AB 139, community property
- ✅ Complete package included — Trust, will, POA, healthcare directive
- ✅ Best value pricing — $400-500 for everything
- ✅ Comprehensive funding guide — California-specific deed templates
- ✅ Personal support — Direct access to CA legal experts
- ✅ Updates included — Free changes first year
- ✅ Attorney review INCLUDED — Others charge $169-299 extra
Why Choose Living Trust CA:
When you're creating a California living trust, you need California-specific language, provisions, and expertise. LegalZoom and Trust & Will serve all 50 states with generic templates. Living Trust CA only serves California — that's all we do, and we do it better than anyone.
Created by Attorney Rozsa Gyene: Licensed California estate planning attorney with years of experience helping California families protect their assets and avoid probate.
See Our Pricing →Detailed Comparison: Living Trust CA vs National Services
1. California-Specific Features
Living Trust CA:
- ✅ Prop 19 compliance built-in (parent-child property tax transfers)
- ✅ AB 139 (2025) small estate threshold updates
- ✅ California community property provisions
- ✅ California Probate Code references
- ✅ Medi-Cal estate recovery language
- ✅ California-specific trustee powers
- ✅ County recorder requirements for your county
Trust & Will:
- ⚠️ Generic 50-state forms adapted for California
- ⚠️ Basic California compliance but not optimized
- ⚠️ May miss nuanced CA provisions
LegalZoom:
- ⚠️ Generic 50-state forms adapted for California
- ⚠️ Basic California compliance but not optimized
- ⚠️ May miss nuanced CA provisions
Winner: Living Trust CA — Only service built exclusively for California
2. Pricing & Value
| Item | Living Trust CA | Trust & Will | LegalZoom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Trust | $400 | $499 | $279 |
| Couples Trust | $500 | $599 | $349 |
| Pour-Over Will | Included | Included | +$99 |
| Healthcare Directive | Included | Included | +$39 |
| Financial POA | Included | Included | +$39 |
| Attorney Review | INCLUDED ✅ | +$169 | +$299 |
| Updates (Year 1) | Included | Free | $149 each |
| REAL TOTAL COST | $400-500 | $499-599 | $456-527 |
Winner: Living Trust CA — Best value with everything included
⚠️ LegalZoom's Hidden Costs
LegalZoom advertises a low $279 price, but you MUST add the pour-over will (+$99), healthcare directive (+$39), and financial POA (+$39) for a complete estate plan. Real cost: $456 minimum, and updates cost $149 each.
3. Expertise & Support
Living Trust CA:
- ✅ Created by CA Attorney Rozsa Gyene
- ✅ California-licensed estate planning attorney
- ✅ Specializes exclusively in California trusts
- ✅ Direct phone support: (818) 291-6217
- ✅ Personal attention from California legal expert
- ✅ Deep knowledge of California probate courts
Trust & Will:
- ⚠️ National company serving all 50 states
- ✅ Good customer support (chat, email, phone)
- ⚠️ Support staff not CA-specialized
- ✅ Modern, user-friendly interface
LegalZoom:
- ⚠️ National company serving all 50 states
- ⚠️ Mixed reviews on customer service
- ❌ No live chat support
- ⚠️ Support staff not CA-specialized
Winner: Living Trust CA — Only service with dedicated California attorney
4. User Experience & Completion Time
| Factor | Living Trust CA | Trust & Will | LegalZoom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to Complete | 30-60 minutes | 30-60 minutes | 60-90 minutes |
| Interface | Clean, guided | Modern, intuitive | Dated, form-based |
| California Guidance | ✅ Extensive | ⚠️ Generic | ⚠️ Generic |
| Funding Instructions | CA-specific, detailed | Good | Basic |
All three are easy to use, but Living Trust CA provides the most California-specific guidance.
Why California-Specific Matters
You might be thinking: "Do I really need a California-specific service? Can't a national service work just fine?"
Here's why California-specific matters:
1. Proposition 19 (2021)
Changed parent-child property tax transfer rules. National services may not include proper Prop 19 language, costing your family thousands in property tax reassessment.
2. AB 139 (2025)
New law raised small estate threshold to $208,850 and added $750K principal residence provision. California-focused services update immediately; national services may lag behind.
3. California Community Property Laws
California is one of only 9 community property states. Generic templates often miss critical community property provisions that affect tax basis and distribution rights.
4. California Probate Code
California has unique probate procedures, trustee duties, and timelines. California-specific trusts reference proper code sections.
5. County Recorder Requirements
Each California county has different deed recording requirements. Living Trust CA provides county-specific guidance.
💡 Real-World Example
Sarah used a national service to create her trust. It worked fine for the basic trust document. But when she tried to transfer her $800K San Diego home, the generic deed template was missing Prop 19 language. The county recorder accepted it, but her children later faced $70,000 in property tax reassessment.
With Living Trust CA: Sarah would have had California-specific deed templates with proper Prop 19 exemption language, saving her family $70,000.
Real Customer Comparison
Living Trust CA
Customer Feedback:
- "Attorney Rozsa Gyene personally answered my questions about California community property. You don't get that with LegalZoom." — Maria S., Los Angeles
- "Best value for California residents. Everything I needed for $400." — David K., San Diego
- "Finally, a service that understands California Prop 19!" — Jennifer L., San Francisco
Trust & Will
Positive feedback:
- "Beautiful, modern interface"
- "Free updates for a year is great"
- "Customer support was helpful"
Common complaints:
- "More expensive than Living Trust CA"
- "Generic California guidance, not specific enough"
LegalZoom
Positive feedback:
- "Well-known brand name"
- "Got the job done"
Common complaints:
- "Hidden costs — will, healthcare docs all extra"
- "$149 per update is expensive"
- "Customer service slow to respond"
- "Interface feels outdated"
The Verdict: Which Service is Best?
Overall Scores (out of 10)
Winner: Living Trust CA — Best choice for California residents in 2025.
Here's the bottom line:
- ✅ Living Trust CA is built exclusively for California residents by a California attorney
- ✅ Best value at $400-500 with everything included
- ✅ California expertise you won't get from national services
- ✅ Personal support from Attorney Rozsa Gyene and her team
- ✅ Complete package with all essential documents
Trust & Will is good if: You value modern interface and don't mind paying more for a national service
LegalZoom makes sense if: You want the cheapest base price and don't mind hidden costs
But for most California residents, Living Trust CA is the clear winner.
Get Your California Living Trust Today
Why choose a national service when you can work with California's estate planning experts?
Created by Attorney Rozsa Gyene • 100% California-Focused • Best Value
See Our Pricing — $400✅ Complete package ✅ Attorney support ✅ Updates included ✅ 30-day guarantee
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, for California residents. Living Trust CA is built exclusively for California by a California attorney (Rozsa Gyene, State Bar #208356). LegalZoom is a national service serving all 50 states with generic templates. Living Trust CA includes California-specific provisions (Prop 19, AB 139, community property) that national services may miss or handle generically.
We focus exclusively on California. Trust & Will serves all 50 states and has higher overhead costs. Living Trust CA only serves California, allowing us to offer better value ($400-500 vs $499-599) while providing superior California-specific expertise.
LegalZoom's $279 base price is misleading. You MUST add pour-over will ($99), healthcare directive ($39), and financial POA ($39) for complete protection. Real cost: $456+, plus $149 per update. Living Trust CA is $400-500 with everything included and updates free first year — actually better value.
They work, but aren't optimized. National services provide generic California compliance but may miss nuanced provisions like proper Prop 19 language, AB 139 updates, or county-specific recording requirements. For straightforward situations they're adequate, but California-specific services provide better protection and guidance.
Attorney Rozsa Gyene (State Bar #208356) is a licensed California estate planning attorney who created Living Trust CA. She specializes exclusively in California living trusts, probate, and estate planning. You can verify her credentials at the California State Bar website.
Living Trust CA includes: (1) Prop 19 compliance for property tax transfers, (2) AB 139 (2025) small estate updates, (3) California community property provisions, (4) California Probate Code references, (5) County-specific deed templates, (6) Medi-Cal estate recovery language, (7) California trustee duty provisions. National services provide generic templates adapted for California.
Yes. Living Trust CA is created by Attorney Rozsa Gyene, and attorney review is INCLUDED in your package at no extra charge. This is a huge advantage — other services charge $169-299 for attorney review. Call (818) 291-6217 for personal support.
Updates are included free for the first year. After that, amendments are available at reasonable rates. Compare to LegalZoom ($149 per update) or Trust & Will ($19/year subscription). Living Trust CA provides better value for California residents who need ongoing support.
Ready to Protect Your California Estate?
Don't settle for generic national services. Get California-specific expertise from Attorney Rozsa Gyene.
Get Started Now📞 Questions? Call (818) 291-6217 • California Estate Planning Expert
Disclaimer: This comparison is based on publicly available information as of January 2025. Prices and features may change. Living Trust CA is a service of Attorney Rozsa Gyene, State Bar #208356. This article provides general comparison information and should not be considered legal advice.