The 10 Best Estate Planning Lawyers in Los Angeles (2026)

The main reason is probate. The California Courts self-help site says that property in a living trust may pass directly to the listed beneficiary without probate, and that an estate may need to go through probate even if the person had a will. A trust can also name who manages your assets if you become unable to. Whether a trust makes sense depends on what you own and your family, so read the court's guide to transferring property without probate and talk to a lawyer.

Many trust-based plans include a pour-over will, which directs any property left outside the trust into it. Chaney Counsel and the Law Offices of Alice A. Salvo, for example, each list pour-over wills or trusts and wills among their services. Ask your lawyer how your plan handles anything you forget to put in the trust, and how guardians for minor children are named.

The California Courts site lists several ways property can pass without formal probate: assets with a named beneficiary such as life insurance and retirement accounts, jointly owned property that passes to the surviving owner, property in a living trust, small estates under a limit that depends on the date of death, and a spousal property petition when a surviving spouse or domestic partner is entitled to all the property. It also notes that limits change and that, if none of these options apply, formal probate may be required. See the court's guide.

Costs vary by estate. The California Courts self-help guide says you can usually pay a lawyer's fees from the property in the estate, and it recommends talking to a lawyer for answers specific to your situation. Formal probate also involves court filing fees and other costs. Ask any attorney for fee terms in writing, including whether they charge a percentage, hourly or a flat fee, and what is billed separately.

Look up any attorney in the State Bar of California attorney search to confirm the license is active and see any public discipline. The State Bar certifies specialists in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law, and its specialty areas page lists the program. Several firms on this list say on their own sites that an attorney is certified; confirm it in the State Bar search before relying on it.

If nobody is disputing anything and you want a trust, will and powers of attorney, a planning-focused firm is the usual fit. If a beneficiary is contesting a will or trust, a trustee is being challenged or a conservatorship is disputed, look at litigation-focused firms such as Hinojosa & Forer or the Law Offices of David A. Shapiro. For other kinds of legal problems, see our guide to the best lawyers in Los Angeles.