Free California Estate Planning Tools

Calculators, Checklists and Guides

Probate

• California probate cost calculator

  Statutory attorney and executor fees under Probate Code §10810 and §10800 on the gross value of an estate.

• Do I need probate?

  Checks a California estate against the small estate affidavit, the primary residence petition and the spousal property petition, by date of death.

• California probate timeline

  The statutory steps of a simple probate, from the petition and the four month creditor period to the final accounting.

Taxes

• Prop 19 calculator

  Estimates the new assessed value and property tax when a parent's home passes to a child under Proposition 19.

• Step-up in basis calculator

  Compares the capital gain an heir would face with and without the step-up in basis, including community property.

• Estate tax check

  California has no estate tax. This check shows whether the federal exclusion matters for your estate, with portability for married couples.

Planning and Checklists

• Trust or will: find your plan

  A short quiz on whether a living trust or a will fits your situation.

• Estate plan health check

  Twelve questions about your documents, funding and beneficiaries, with the most important fixes to make first.

• California living trust checklist

  The documents and information to gather before you make a living trust.

• Trust funding checklist

  Asset by asset steps to move your home, accounts and other property into your trust, with the forms named.

• Successor trustee checklist

  What a successor trustee does in the first 30, 60 and 90 days after a death, including the 60 day notice to beneficiaries and heirs.

Reference

• Compare your options

  LegalZoom, Trust & Will and a California attorney side by side: price, what is included and who prepares the documents.

• Living trust FAQ

  Answers to common questions about California living trusts, probate, deeds and cost.

• Glossary of estate planning terms

  Plain definitions of the terms you will see in a trust, a deed and a probate case.

• Search the site

  One search box for the FAQ, the glossary, these tools and the articles, with a form to ask the attorney a question.

• Digital vault for clients

  Clients can keep their signed trust, will and powers of attorney in their account. Requires login.

Frequently Asked Questions