Estate Planning Attorneys in Yuba City & Marysville
Estate planning is one of the most important steps you can take to protect your family’s future and ensure your wishes are carried out after you pass away. Whether you’re creating a will, establishing a trust, or planning for incapacity, our experienced estate planning attorneys are here to guide you through every step of the process.
Estate Planning Services
Wills
Express instructions for property disposition after death, nominate guardians, and appoint an executor to manage your estate.
Revocable Trusts / Living Trusts
Avoid probate, maintain control of your assets during your lifetime, and transfer them seamlessly to your beneficiaries.
Probate
The court-supervised process for transferring a deceased person’s assets to their beneficiaries in an orderly and legal manner.
Trust Administration
The steps required after the death of a trustor to comply with the law and transfer assets to beneficiaries according to the trust agreement.
Advanced Healthcare Directive & Power of Attorney
Appoint trusted agents to make medical and financial decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated.
Joint Ownership
Co-ownership with right of survivorship to avoid probate and ensure smooth asset transfer to your co-owner.
Conservatorship
Court appointment of an adult to manage the financial and personal affairs of an incapacitated person.
Guardianship
Court appointment of a guardian to care for and manage the affairs of children whose parents cannot provide for them.
Why Estate Planning Matters
Without an estate plan, California intestacy law decides who inherits your property, who raises your minor children, and how your healthcare decisions are made if you become incapacitated. Those default rules rarely match what most people would actually choose for their families. A properly drafted estate plan replaces those defaults with your decisions — and protects your loved ones from the cost, delay, and public exposure of probate.
For families in Yuba and Sutter Counties with farmland, rental property, family businesses, or blended families, the stakes are particularly high. A well-crafted plan can keep agricultural land in the family across generations, avoid step-up basis disputes, protect a surviving spouse from creditor claims, and minimize federal and state estate taxes when applicable.
When to Update Your Estate Plan
An estate plan is not a one-time document. It should evolve as your life evolves. We recommend reviewing your plan every three to five years, and immediately after any of these life events:
- Marriage, divorce, or remarriage
- Birth or adoption of a child or grandchild
- Death of a beneficiary, executor, or trustee
- Significant change in assets (inheritance, business sale, real estate purchase)
- Move to a new state
- Children reaching adulthood
- Diagnosis of a serious illness
- Significant changes in federal or California estate tax law
Even without a triggering event, a plan drafted twenty years ago likely doesn’t reflect current law, current asset values, or current family dynamics. Outdated trustee or executor designations, beneficiary forms that contradict your trust, and untransferred property are the most common problems we find when reviewing older plans.
Frequently Asked Questions About Estate Planning in California
Do I need a will if I have a trust?
Yes. Even with a fully funded living trust, you should have a “pour-over” will that catches any assets not titled in the trust at your death and directs them into the trust for distribution. The pour-over will is also where you nominate guardians for minor children — you cannot do that in a trust alone.
What’s the difference between a will and a trust?
A will takes effect only at your death and must go through probate — a public, court-supervised process. A revocable living trust takes effect immediately, can manage assets if you become incapacitated, avoids probate at death, and remains private. Most California estates of meaningful size benefit from having a trust as the primary planning instrument, with a will as a backup.
How much does estate planning cost in California?
A simple will package may cost a few hundred dollars. A comprehensive trust-based estate plan for a married couple, including a revocable living trust, pour-over wills, durable powers of attorney, and advance health care directives, typically ranges from $1,500 to $4,500 depending on complexity. We provide a flat-fee quote at the consultation.
What happens if I die without a will in California?
You die “intestate,” and California law decides who inherits. Your spouse receives all community property, and separate property is divided among your spouse and children based on a statutory formula. Without a will, you have no say in who serves as guardian for minor children or who manages your estate.
Do all California estates need to go through probate?
No. Estates valued under $184,500 (the current California small-estate threshold) qualify for simplified procedures. Assets held in trust, in joint tenancy, or with valid beneficiary designations pass outside probate entirely. Most planning is designed precisely to keep assets out of probate.
How often should I update my estate plan?
Every three to five years, or sooner after any major life event — marriage, divorce, birth or death of a family member, significant change in assets, or move to a new state. Even small amendments through a codicil or trust amendment are far less expensive than litigating an outdated plan.
Can I write my own will in California?
Technically yes. California recognizes both formal typed wills (witnessed) and holographic (entirely handwritten) wills. But homemade wills are the most common source of estate litigation we see. Ambiguous language, improper execution, and failure to address common contingencies often cost the family far more in disputes than a properly drafted will would have cost up front.
What is an Advance Health Care Directive?
An Advance Health Care Directive lets you appoint someone to make medical decisions for you if you can’t make them yourself, and lets you state your preferences regarding life-sustaining treatment, organ donation, and end-of-life care. Without one, your family may need to go to court to obtain authority to make those decisions — a slow, expensive, and emotionally devastating process at the worst possible moment.
Get Started With Your Estate Plan
Don’t wait to get your affairs in order. Contact us today to schedule a consultation with one of our experienced estate planning attorneys. Call us at (530) 742-7371 to discuss your needs and learn how we can help protect your family’s future.