Legal Review By
Rozsa Gyene, Esq.
California State Bar #208356 | Licensed Since 2000
25+ years estate planning experience in California
Reviewed by Rozsa Gyene, California attorney. Last reviewed October 2026.
Compare the Best Online Estate Planning Apps & Services for California 2026
Who prepares your documents, whether an attorney reviews them, what the deed costs, and what renews every year. Prices checked October 8, 2026 on each company's own website.
It depends on whether you want an attorney to prepare your documents. Living Trust California is a California law office: attorney Rozsa Gyene prepares your trust for a $400 flat fee ($500 for a married couple), and attorney review is included. LegalZoom's Basic trust is $399 ($499 for a couple) without attorney consultations; its Premium trust, $549 ($649 for a couple), adds a year of attorney phone consultations that renews at $199 a year. Trust & Will's trust is $499 ($599 for a couple), with Attorney Support a $299 add-on. Quicken WillMaker & Trust's Plus plan is $149 software you complete yourself. Prices checked October 8, 2026.
Looking specifically at LegalZoom? See our 2026 LegalZoom vs. California attorney deep-dive for the full pricing breakdown and California-specific issues.
Six ways to get a living trust, side by side. Every competitor price and feature below comes from that company's own website, checked October 8, 2026, with the exact wording and links listed under Sources. Where a company's own site did not show a price, the table says "See their site." Prices change; confirm on each site before you buy. On a phone, swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Feature | Living Trust California | LegalZoom | Trust & Will | NetLaw | Quicken WillMaker & Trust (Nolo) | Rocket Lawyer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type of company | California law office of attorney Rozsa Gyene, State Bar #208356 | Online legal services company. Its site says it "is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice, except where authorized through its subsidiary law firm LZ Legal Services, LLC." | Online forms service. Its site says: "We are not a law firm, we do not provide legal advice." | Online platform sold through financial advisors and agents. Its site says it "is a self-guided software product and is not a law firm." | Estate planning software you complete yourself, online or as a download | Online legal documents with attorney access by membership. Its site says it is not a law firm and "does not provide legal representation." |
| Living trust price, individual | $400 | $399 Basic $549 Premium |
$499Payment plans available, per Trust & Will | See their siteNo public price shown; access is by an advisor's invitation or redemption code | $149 Plus plan (includes a living trust) $219 All Access plan |
Living trust document included with membership: $149 a year or $34.99 a month (Standard)Free 7 day trial |
| Living trust price, married couple | $500 | $499 Basic $649 Premium |
$599 | See their siteNetLaw says the spouse's plan is included at no additional cost | Same plan price; WillMaker says up to 5 family members can be added free | Same membership price |
| Attorney preparation | Yes. Rozsa Gyene, California attorney, prepares your documents from your questionnaire answers. | You complete an online questionnaire. LegalZoom says its living trusts "were created by experienced attorneys." | You complete an online questionnaire. Trust & Will says its documents are "designed by estate planning attorneys and customized by you." | Self-guided interviews that generate documents NetLaw describes as "attorney-drafted." | You prepare the documents yourself in the software. | You complete an online template. |
| Attorney review | Included in the $400 or $500 price | Premium only: "Unlimited 30 min attorney consultations for 1 year," then renews at $199 a year. Not in Basic. | Optional Attorney Support, $299 flat fee: phone access to an attorney for 1 year from purchase | Not described in the packages shown. NetLaw says it "does not provide legal advice." | Not included in the plans shown | Membership includes Ask an Attorney written questions (12 a year on Standard). A Legal Advice Session is $149 (30 min) or $249 (60 min). Its living trust page says you can also "request a more in-depth document review." |
| California-specific drafting | California only. Every document is prepared under California law. | National service. LegalZoom says its living trusts "have been accepted in all 50 states." | National service. Trust & Will says its plans are "state specific." | National service. NetLaw says its documents are "specific to your state's laws." | National software with signing instructions for your state; not available for Louisiana | National template that "will update based on the information you provide" |
| Deed preparation | $100 per property, prepared by the attorney. You record the deed with your county recorder. | Separate product: $249 Standard or $289 Express, plus state filing fees. Includes filing with the County Recorder. LegalZoom says the deed is reviewed by a licensed attorney "where it's required." | Through its partner Bundle: $140 per deed plus local recording fees. Includes recording. Trust & Will says the deed is "prepared and reviewed by a licensed attorney." | Not shown on the pages checked. Packages include trust funding instructions. | Forms you complete yourself: transfer on death deed and quitclaim deed (most states) | Not shown on the pages checked |
| PCOR (Preliminary Change of Ownership Report) | Prepared with each $100 deed | Not mentioned on the deed page checked | Not mentioned on the deed page checked | Not shown on the pages checked | Not shown on the pages checked | Not shown on the pages checked |
| Notarization guidance | Signing and notarization instructions included. You sign before a notary you choose. | Not described on the trust page checked | Trust page says to "sign and notarize" your documents. Deed notarization through Bundle is $100 extra. | State-specific instructions to "sign, witness, and notarize" | WillMaker says all documents "come with signing instructions specific to your state." | Not shown on the pages checked |
| Document vault | Secure Digital Vault access, with trusted access for people you choose and reminders | Not shown on the trust page checked | Digital Safe with the Essentials membership, $49 a year. Not in the free Basic tier. | 15 GB of secure cloud storage in every package | Secure document storage in the All Access plan, with a 1 year subscription | Not shown on the pages checked |
| Updates | Revisions before signing. Later changes by trust amendment or restatement, for a separate fee (updating your trust). | Basic: "30 days of free revisions." Premium: "Unlimited revisions for 1 year" and an annual 1 hour estate planning review. | Ongoing edits with the Essentials membership, $49 a year. Not in the free Basic tier. | NetLaw says edits are "free for life." | Free changes for the first year, then $39.99 a year to extend | Unlimited documents while the membership is active |
| Guarantee or refund policy | 30-Day Satisfaction Guarantee: "If you are not satisfied, request a refund in writing within 30 days of purchase. You will receive a full refund before we begin drafting your documents, or a prorated refund of fees not yet earned while work is in progress, less any costs already incurred." Full terms | LZ Guarantee: refund requests "within 60 days of purchase so long as your order hasn't been completed," and "Estate plans are refundable up to 7 days after the first estate plan product is completed." | 30-Day Satisfaction Guarantee (help center): "please submit a refund request within 30 days of purchase, and we'll review it within seven business days." Part of the price may be withheld if you used services such as Attorney Support, notary or deeds. Its terms of service say refunds are "discretionary." | "7-day money-back guarantee; refunds are void once documents are downloaded." | Pricing page says its products are covered by a "No Hassle" return policy; the terms are not shown there. See their site. | Terms of service: refund requests "must be made within 30 days of purchase," except where state law allows otherwise |
| Spanish support | Spanish-language website and email support (/es). Documents are prepared in English. | Not shown on the pages checked | Spanish-language pages, including its trust plan page | Not shown on the pages checked | Not shown on the pages checked | Not shown on its US pages checked |
The LegalZoom trust cost starts at $399 for the Basic trust, which you complete and sign on your own. Attorney consultations come with the $549 Premium trust and renew at $199 a year after the first year. Our $400 flat fee includes a California attorney who prepares and reviews your documents, with no yearly fee. For the full tier-by-tier breakdown, see our LegalZoom living trust cost guide.
NetLaw now reaches families through financial advisors and agents. Its site says "NetLaw access is provided through personalized invitation links and redemption codes from advisors and agents," and it shows no public price, so we do not list one.
Its Probate Avoidance Package adds a revocable living trust, children's trust, pet trust, assignment of personal property, personal property memorandum and trust funding instructions to its Essentials documents. NetLaw says every package includes the spouse's plan, 15 GB of secure cloud storage and free edits, with a 7 day money-back guarantee that ends once documents are downloaded. Its site also announces that the NetLaw team is now part of Hargrove MSO.
Software you complete yourself. The $149 Plus plan includes wills, a health care directive, final arrangements, a durable power of attorney, letters to survivors, a living trust and a transfer on death deed. The $219 All Access plan adds a one year subscription with secure document storage. The $109 Starter plan does not include a living trust.
Changes are free for the first year; after that, WillMaker says you can extend for $39.99 a year. It is not available for Louisiana residents.
Rocket Lawyer offers a living trust document with a membership: Standard is $149 a year or $34.99 a month, Plus is $249 a year or $49.99 a month, and Pro is $349 a year or $64.99 a month, each with a free 7 day trial that converts to a paid membership unless you cancel.
Members can send written questions to an attorney (12 a year on Standard) and book a Legal Advice Session for $149 (30 minutes) or $249 (60 minutes). Its living trust page notes the template "is not appropriate for individuals whose estate exceeds the federal estate tax applicable exclusion limit."
Attorney: Rozsa Gyene, Esq. (CA Bar #208356)
Price: $400 individual / $500 married couple, one time
Documents: revocable living trust with schedule of assets, certification of trust, pour-over will (names guardians for minor children), durable power of attorney, advance health care directive, HIPAA authorization, trustee affidavit, assignment of personal property and personal property memorandum
Attorney review: included in the price
Deed and PCOR: $100 per property; you record the deed
Also included: funding instructions, notarization guidance and secure Digital Vault access
Proposition 19 changed how a property tax base passes from parents to children. A child who moves into the family home keeps the parents' taxable value only up to an exclusion amount, which is $1,044,586 for transfers from February 16, 2025 through February 15, 2027. A trust that will hold a family home should be written with those rules in mind.
California is one of nine community property states. A married couple's trust should identify which assets are community property and which are separate property, because the character of each asset affects who controls it and its income tax basis after the first spouse dies.
For deaths on or after April 1, 2025, California's small estate limit under Probate Code Section 13100 is $208,850 (the earlier figure was $184,500). Above that amount, assets left outside a trust generally need a court process.
Section 13100 lets a successor collect a decedent's personal property with a written declaration, without probate, when the estate is within the limit. Assets in a funded living trust pass under the trust instead, whatever their value.
Searching for an "estate planning app"? Here is the practical difference for California families: a do-it-yourself app assembles documents from your answers without an attorney reviewing them, while an attorney-backed service like Living Trust California pairs an online questionnaire with an attorney who prepares and reviews the documents.
Bottom line: For a $400 flat fee, Living Trust California gives you the convenience of an online questionnaire with a California attorney preparing and reviewing your documents.
No. LegalZoom's website says it "is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice, except where authorized through its subsidiary law firm LZ Legal Services, LLC." Its Basic living trust ($399, or $499 for a couple) does not include attorney consultations. Its Premium trust ($549, or $649 for a couple) includes unlimited 30 minute attorney consultations for one year, which then renew at $199 a year. Prices checked October 8, 2026.
No. Trust & Will's website says: "We are not a law firm, we do not provide legal advice." Its Trust Plan is $499 for an individual and $599 for a couple. The optional Essentials membership is $49 a year and includes ongoing edits, and Attorney Support is a $299 add-on that gives you phone access to an attorney for one year from purchase. Prices checked October 8, 2026.
A document service gives you an online questionnaire and forms. You choose the provisions, you are responsible for the result, and the company does not give legal advice. A law firm is run by licensed attorneys who can advise you on your own situation and who answer for the documents they prepare. At Living Trust California, a California attorney prepares your trust from your questionnaire answers and reviews it before delivery.
California has rules that change how a living trust should be written: Proposition 19 property tax rules for a home passed to children, community property characterization for married couples, and the $208,850 small estate limit under Probate Code Section 13100 for deaths on or after April 1, 2025. An attorney who prepares the trust applies those rules to your facts and can answer your questions about them.
Living Trust California: $400 for an individual or $500 for a married couple, with attorney preparation and review included, plus $100 per property if you want us to prepare the deed and PCOR. LegalZoom: $399 Basic or $549 Premium ($499 or $649 for a couple); Premium attorney consultations renew at $199 a year, and a deed transfer is $249 or $289 plus state filing fees. Trust & Will: $499 ($599 for a couple), plus $299 if you add Attorney Support, $49 a year if you want the Essentials membership for ongoing edits, and $140 per deed through its partner. Prices checked October 8, 2026.
It depends on how much help you want. Software such as Quicken WillMaker & Trust ($149 for the Plus plan, which includes a living trust) lets you prepare documents yourself. Online services such as LegalZoom and Trust & Will offer questionnaires with optional attorney access. Living Trust California offers an online questionnaire, and a California attorney (State Bar #208356) prepares and reviews every document for a $400 flat fee.
Yes. Several online services and programs produce a living trust from a questionnaire. Before you buy, check who prepares the final documents, whether an attorney reviews them, and whether the deed for your home is included, because a trust controls only the assets you transfer into it. Living Trust California's questionnaire leads to documents prepared and reviewed by attorney Rozsa Gyene (CA Bar #208356) before delivery.
An app can produce valid documents if you choose the right provisions and sign them correctly, and those choices are yours. An attorney looks at your facts and can catch issues such as a home that still needs a deed, a blended family, or a beneficiary who receives public benefits. Living Trust California combines an online questionnaire with a licensed California attorney who prepares and reviews your documents.
Estate planning software assembles documents from your answers without an attorney reviewing them; you are responsible for the choices and for signing correctly. A traditional law office meets with you in person, and attorneys often charge considerably more. Living Trust California works online like software, and a California attorney prepares and reviews every document for a $400 flat fee.
Usually not as part of the trust price. At Living Trust California, the deed and the Preliminary Change of Ownership Report are a $100 add-on per property, and you record the deed with your county recorder. LegalZoom sells a deed transfer for $249 or $289 plus state filing fees, and Trust & Will offers one through its partner Bundle for $140 per deed plus local recording fees. Prices checked October 8, 2026.
Competitor prices, features and quoted wording were checked on each company's own website on October 8, 2026. Prices and terms change; confirm on each site before you buy.
A California attorney prepares and reviews your trust for a $400 flat fee, or $500 for a married couple. Add the deed and PCOR for your home for $100 per property.
Start My Living Trust: $400Questions? Call (818) 337-4071
Legal Review By
California State Bar #208356 | Licensed Since 2000
25+ years estate planning experience in California
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