Why Santa Monica Estate Planning Requires Tech Expertise
Santa Monica isn't just a beach town anymore. It's Silicon Beach—home to Snap's headquarters, Google's massive campus, Amazon Studios, Hulu, Riot Games, and hundreds of startups. If you work in tech, your estate is fundamentally different from what LegalZoom or Trust & Will are designed to handle.
Tech Equity Complexity
Your net worth isn't just your house. It's RSUs vesting quarterly, ISOs with tax implications, ESPP shares, and maybe founder equity. Generic trusts don't address any of this.
Coastal Property Values
Santa Monica median home: $1.7M. North of Montana: $3-8M+. That means $60,000-$150,000 in probate fees without a trust. These aren't Ohio prices.
The 10 Freeway Problem
Your family will drive 45-60+ minutes to Stanley Mosk Courthouse in DTLA—not the Santa Monica courthouse. Multiple trips over 18-24 months. A trust eliminates this.
Estate Planning for Silicon Beach Tech Equity
If you work at Snap, Google, Amazon, Hulu, or any Santa Monica tech company, your estate includes assets that LegalZoom doesn't even ask about.
What National Websites Get Wrong
LegalZoom asks: "Do you own a house?" Trust & Will asks: "Do you have bank accounts?"
Neither asks:
- Do you have unvested RSUs?
- Are your ISOs in an early-exercise window?
- What's your vesting schedule?
- Do you have a 409A deferred comp plan?
- Is your ESPP set up correctly?
- Do you have founder equity with a different cap table?
A generic template can leave millions in tech equity outside your trust, forcing your family through probate anyway.
Our Silicon Beach Trust Includes
- RSU provisions for vested and unvested shares
- ISO/NSO handling with tax coordination notes
- ESPP share guidance
- Deferred compensation beneficiary coordination
- Startup equity and cap table considerations
- Brokerage account titling guidance (Schwab, E*Trade, Fidelity)
Companies We've Served: Snap, Google, Amazon, Hulu, TikTok, Riot Games, Activision, Bird, Headspace, and dozens of Santa Monica startups.
Santa Monica Neighborhoods: What Your Estate Plan Must Address
Each Santa Monica neighborhood has distinct characteristics affecting estate planning. Here's our local expertise at work:
Premium Coastal
North of Montana ($3M - $15M+)
Santa Monica's most prestigious address. Historic estates and modern mansions. Probate fees of $86,000-$300,000+ are standard. Many families need dynasty trust provisions and generation-skipping strategies.
Ocean Park Walk Streets ($2M - $5M)
Charming pedestrian streets near the beach. Tech executives love this area. Complex estates with stock, property, and often rental income from ADUs.
Rustic Canyon ($2.5M - $8M)
Secluded canyon living bordering Pacific Palisades. Large lots with privacy. Tech executives and startup founders seeking tranquility while managing complex equity portfolios.
Tech Professional Neighborhoods
Sunset Park ($1.4M - $2.2M)
Family-friendly area near tech campuses. Heavy concentration of Snap, Google, and Amazon employees. RSU-heavy estates are our specialty here.
Ocean Park ($1.3M - $2.5M)
Creative neighborhood with bungalows and condos. Startup founders and early employees often have complex equity with multiple cap table positions.
Mid-City Santa Monica ($1.2M - $1.8M)
More affordable entry to Santa Monica. Many young tech professionals creating first trusts—often with more equity than real estate.
Wilshire/Montana ($1.5M - $3M)
Condos and townhomes near Montana Ave. Professionals, doctors, and attorneys who need trusts addressing practice interests.
Protecting Santa Monica's coastal estates—from the Pier to the Palisades
The "Silicon Beach Probate Tax": What Santa Monica Families Lose
Statutory fees under CA Probate Code §10810. These are mandatory—there's no negotiating with the court.
Tech Equity Alert: Probate fees are calculated on your total estate. If you have a $1.7M Santa Monica home plus $500K in vested RSUs plus $200K in brokerage accounts, your estate is $2.4M—that's $74,000 in probate fees.
Stanley Mosk Courthouse: 111 N. Hill St., DTLA
45-60+ minutes from Santa Monica via the 10
The Santa Monica Courthouse Doesn't Handle Probate
Many Santa Monica residents assume their estate will be handled at the beautiful Santa Monica Courthouse on Main Street. Wrong. That courthouse handles criminal cases, civil lawsuits, and small claims—not probate.
The Santa Monica-to-DTLA Probate Commute:
- 18 miles from Santa Monica to 111 N. Hill St.
- 45-90 minutes each way (the 10 is unpredictable)
- $20-30 parking per visit in DTLA
- Multiple hearings over 18-24 months
- Time off work for your family members
We've seen Santa Monica families spend more hours sitting in traffic on the 10 than it takes to create a trust. Your 30-minute investment today saves your family dozens of frustrating trips later.
A living trust means everything is handled privately—at a Santa Monica bank, your attorney's office, or over Zoom. No courthouse. No commute. No 405/10 interchange.
Prop 19 Alert for Santa Monica Homeowners
If you've owned your Santa Monica home for decades, you likely have an incredibly low Prop 13 tax base. Proposition 19 threatens to destroy this coastal advantage when you pass your home to children.
Without Planning
Your $6,000/year tax bill becomes $25,000+/year if children don't move in within 12 months of inheritance.
With Proper Trust Planning
We structure your trust to maximize Prop 19 exclusions and help families understand the 1-year residency rule.
Santa Monica Example: An Ocean Park bungalow purchased in 1990 for $350,000 is now worth $2.3M. Current taxes: $5,800/year. Without proper planning, heirs who don't move in will pay $27,600/year—an extra $21,800 annually, forever.
How to Create Your Santa Monica Living Trust
Complete Questionnaire
Answer questions about your Santa Monica property, tech equity, and beneficiaries
⏱️ 15 minutes
Attorney Review
Attorney Rozsa Gyene (Bar #208356) reviews for RSU/ISO provisions and coastal property needs
📋 Same week
Sign Locally
Visit our Glendale office or any notary on Montana Ave or Main Street
✍️ Your choice
Fund Your Trust
Transfer your property + coordinate equity account beneficiaries
🏠 Protected!
What Silicon Beach Professionals Say
★★★★★ 4.9/5 average from 127 reviews
"I work at Snap and had a complex equity situation—RSUs, ISOs, and a vested options package. Attorney Gyene understood tech compensation better than any estate attorney I talked to. She created a trust that properly addresses all my equity, not just my Santa Monica condo."
— Kevin L., Sunset Park
Snap Employee, November 2024
"We own a home in North of Montana worth over $4M. After watching my colleague's Brentwood estate spend 22 months in probate, I knew we needed a trust immediately. Attorney Gyene handled our high-value coastal property with expertise."
— Dr. Amanda S., North of Montana
Physician, October 2024
"Google acquired my startup and I suddenly had significant equity. I needed a trust that could handle both my Ocean Park bungalow and my tech assets. LegalZoom didn't even have fields for RSUs. Attorney Gyene built exactly what I needed for $400."
— Jason M., Ocean Park
Startup Founder, September 2024
Frequently Asked Questions: Santa Monica Living Trusts
How much does probate cost for a Santa Monica home?
For a median Santa Monica home valued at $1.7 million, California statutory probate fees total approximately $60,000. Under CA Probate Code §10810, fees are based on gross market value—not equity. In premium areas like North of Montana or the Ocean Park Walk Streets where homes exceed $3M, fees climb to $86,000 or more. A living trust bypasses these fees entirely for just $400.
Can a living trust hold Silicon Beach tech RSUs and stock options?
Yes. A properly drafted California living trust includes specific provisions for tech equity compensation including RSUs (Restricted Stock Units), ISOs (Incentive Stock Options), NSOs (Non-Qualified Stock Options), and ESPP shares. Our attorney-reviewed trusts address the unique vesting schedules, tax implications, and beneficiary designation requirements that Silicon Beach professionals at companies like Snap, Google, Amazon, and Hulu need. Learn about funding your trust with tech equity →
Where is the probate court for Santa Monica estates?
All Santa Monica probate cases are filed at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse at 111 N. Hill St. in Downtown Los Angeles—not at the Santa Monica courthouse on Main Street. The Santa Monica courthouse handles criminal and civil matters, not probate. The commute via the 10 freeway takes 45-60+ minutes each way, and your family will make this trip multiple times over 18-24 months. A living trust eliminates this entirely.
Serving Silicon Beach from Our LA Office
Unlike national websites based in Texas or Delaware, we're a real California law firm. Attorney Rozsa Gyene (Bar #208356) has over 25 years of experience helping LA families protect their estates—including dozens of Silicon Beach tech professionals and high-value coastal properties.
While our office is in Glendale, most Santa Monica clients complete everything online. Your documents are reviewed by a California attorney who understands RSUs, ISOs, and coastal real estate—not a form processor in another state.
Most Santa Monica Clients:
- Complete questionnaire online (15 min)
- Receive attorney-reviewed documents via email
- Sign at any Santa Monica notary (Montana Ave, Main St)
- Record deed at LA County Recorder
450 N Brand Blvd, Suite 600, Glendale, CA 91203
California-based • Most work done online
Also Serving Nearby Westside Communities
Santa Monica Neighborhoods Served
North of Montana • Ocean Park • Sunset Park • Mid-City • Wilshire/Montana • Ocean Park Walk Streets • Rustic Canyon • Santa Monica Canyon • Pico • Northeast Santa Monica • and all Santa Monica zip codes (90401-90411)
Silicon Beach Companies We've Served
Snap • Google • Amazon • Hulu • TikTok • Riot Games • Activision • Bird • Headspace • Beachbody • Ring • Dollar Shave Club • and dozens of Santa Monica startups
