Compare all online living trust services side-by-side. See why California residents choose Living Trust California over LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and Rocket Lawyer.
Here's how Living Trust California compares to LegalZoom, Trust and Will, Rocket Lawyer, and other online trust services. We're the best online living trust service California 2025 for price, quality, and California-specific expertise.
| Feature | Living Trust California ⭐ WINNER |
LegalZoom | Trust & Will | Rocket Lawyer |
FreeWill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Living Trust Price | $150 | $279 | $499 | $240/yr | Free* |
| Attorney Review | ✓ INCLUDED | ✗ +$199 | ✗ None | ⚠ Limited | ✗ None |
| TOTAL with Attorney Review | $150 | $478 | $499 | $240/yr | N/A |
| California-Specific Documents | ✓ Yes | ✗ Generic | ✗ Generic | ✗ Generic | ⚠ Basic |
| Attorney Experience | 25+ years CA Bar #208356 |
Call center varies |
No attorney | Network varies |
No attorney |
| Direct Attorney Contact | ✓ Yes | ✗ Call center | ✗ No | ⚠ Limited | ✗ No |
| Completion Time | 30 min | 30 min | 30 min | 45+ min | 20 min |
| Community Property Provisions | ✓ Yes | ⚠ Generic | ⚠ Generic | ⚠ Generic | ✗ No |
| Prop 13 Tax Protection Guidance | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| CA-Specific Deed Formats | ✓ Yes | ⚠ Generic | ⚠ Generic | ⚠ Generic | ✗ No |
| Documents Included | 5 documents | 5 documents | 4 documents | Varies | 2 documents |
| Pour-Over Will Included | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Power of Attorney Included | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✗ Separate |
| Healthcare Directive Included | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✗ Separate |
| HIPAA Authorization | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✗ No | ⚠ Varies | ✗ No |
| Hidden Fees | ✓ None | ✗ Many | ⚠ Some | ✗ Subscription | ✓ None |
| Subscription Required | ✓ No | ✓ No | ✓ No | ✗ Yes | ✓ No |
| Customer Support | Email + Phone | Phone | |||
| Money-Back Guarantee | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ⚠ Limited | N/A |
| BEST FOR | California residents | National use | Simple estates | Multiple docs | Charitable giving |
| OVERALL RATING | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 |
⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 |
⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 |
⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 |
⭐⭐ 2/5 |
Best Value: $150 vs $478 (LegalZoom with attorney review) = Save $328
California-Specific: Only service built exclusively for California law
Attorney Review Included: Not an extra $199 like LegalZoom
25+ Years Experience: Direct access to California attorney, not a call center
Attorney review INCLUDED
$279 base + $199 attorney review
LegalZoom makes sense if you: (1) Live outside California, (2) Need documents for multiple states, (3) Have a very complex estate requiring in-person attorney consultation. For California residents with typical estates, Living Trust California offers better value and California-specific accuracy.
Attorney review INCLUDED
NO attorney review available
Trust & Will does not offer attorney review at any price. Their documents are software-generated with no attorney oversight. For complex estates or California-specific situations, this creates significant legal risk. Many Trust & Will customers end up paying a local attorney $500-$1,500 to review their documents anyway — negating any convenience and costing more than using an attorney-reviewed service from the start.
One-time payment, lifetime use
Recurring subscription required
Complete estate plan with attorney review
Basic will only, donation requested
FreeWill creates a basic will, which does NOT avoid probate. If you own a California home, your estate will still go through probate, costing your family $27,000-$68,000+ and 12-18 months of delays. A free will that costs your family $27,000 later is not really "free." Our $150 living trust saves your family $27,000+ — a 180x return on investment.
LegalZoom's advertised price of $279 doesn't include attorney review. To get an attorney to review your documents, you must pay an additional $199, bringing the total to $478. Many customers don't discover this until after they've started the process. Living Trust California includes attorney preparation and review in the $150 base price.
LegalZoom serves all 50 states with the same basic templates. California has unique laws (community property, Prop 13 property tax rules, specific probate code requirements) that generic templates may miss. California-specific services ensure your documents include all necessary state-specific provisions.
LegalZoom uses call centers for customer support. Even if you pay the $199 attorney review fee, you get limited time with an attorney you've never met. Living Trust California gives you direct access to California attorney Rozsa Gyene (State Bar #208356, 25+ years experience).
LegalZoom's business model relies on upselling additional services throughout the process: registered agent services, annual compliance, business filings, etc. The advertised price is rarely the final price. Living Trust California has no upsells — the price you see is the price you pay.
California attorneys frequently see LegalZoom documents that need correction:
Fixing these errors costs $500-$1,500 with a local attorney — more than just starting with a California-specific service.
For California residents, a California-specific service offers better value: $150 vs $478 (LegalZoom with attorney review), California-specific provisions included, direct attorney access, no hidden fees, and legal accuracy guaranteed by a California attorney who knows California law inside and out.
Living Trust California is the best LegalZoom alternative for California residents. We offer attorney-prepared living trusts starting at $150 (vs LegalZoom's $279 + $199 for attorney review = $478). Our documents are California-specific, not generic 50-state templates. Every trust is prepared and reviewed by California attorney Rozsa Gyene (State Bar #208356, 25+ years experience) — included in the price, not an extra $199 surcharge.
LegalZoom works but has significant drawbacks for California residents: (1) Generic 50-state templates lack California-specific provisions, (2) Attorney review costs an extra $199 on top of the $279 base price ($478 total), (3) Customer service is a call center, not direct attorney access, (4) Documents may require customization for California law. A California-specific service provides better value and legal accuracy.
Yes, Trust and Will is a legitimate company that provides online estate planning documents. However, they do not offer attorney review at any price, charge $499-$599 for living trusts (3-4x more than Living Trust California), and use generic templates for all states. For California residents who want attorney-reviewed, California-specific documents, Living Trust California offers superior value at $150.
LegalZoom charges $279 for living trusts and offers attorney review for an extra $199 ($478 total). Trust and Will charges $499-$599 and does not offer attorney review at any price. Both use generic 50-state templates. Living Trust California charges $150, includes attorney review, and provides California-specific documents prepared by a licensed California attorney.
California has unique estate planning laws (community property, Prop 13 property tax protections, specific probate code requirements, unique deed formats). Generic 50-state templates from LegalZoom may miss critical California-specific provisions. A California-specific service ensures your documents comply with California law, include proper state-specific language, and maximize protections available only to California residents. Plus it's half the price.
Yes, if they include attorney review. Online living trust services are legitimate when documents are prepared or reviewed by licensed attorneys. The key difference: Living Trust California includes attorney preparation and review in the base price ($150). LegalZoom charges $199 extra for attorney review. Trust and Will offers no attorney review. Rocket Lawyer has limited attorney access. Always choose a service with attorney review for legal protection.
Attorney-prepared living trusts starting at $150. Attorney review INCLUDED — not $199 extra. California-specific documents. No hidden fees.
✓ Save $328 vs LegalZoom ✓ Attorney review included ✓ California-specific ✓ No hidden fees
Attorney-prepared California living trusts and wills. Online, affordable, legally valid.
📞 (818) 291-6217
✉️ rozsagyenelaw@yahoo.com
📍 Glendale, CA 91203
© 2025 Living Trust California. Rozsa Gyene, Attorney at Law. State Bar #208356.