Frequently Asked Questions

Our flat fee is $1,500 per person or $3,000 for a couple. With legal insurance, most clients pay $360 for an individual or $420 for a couple. There is no hourly billing.

Yes. The flat fee includes two hours with an attorney after the free initial consultation.

Trust and will, power of attorney, health care directive, certification of trust, primary residence deed, and trust funding instructions. Guardianship nominations and a special needs trust are included if your family needs them.

Yes. We accept ARAG, MetLife and LegalEASE/LegalACCESS. With full coverage you pay recording and notary fees only: $300 to record your primary residence deed and $15 per signature — about $360 for an individual, $420 for a couple.

Payment is due when you sign the plan. Plans covered by legal insurance are paid at the signing appointment.

No. Drafting time, and any email that takes five minutes or less, does not count toward attorney time. Other questions and edits are handled during your meetings.

Your primary residence deed is included. Additional deeds are $500 per property. A separate property trust is $750 when one is needed — fewer than one plan in a hundred.

Yes. We provide a 10% discount to veterans and all those who serve our communities through the military, fire, and police departments, as well as those teaching in public schools (K-12). Just let us know when you schedule your consultation.

California has no simplified probate. Without a trust your home goes through full probate court regardless of what it is worth. A trust avoids it.

Our clients avoid roughly $25,000 in probate costs and about $10,000 in administrative and legal fees. Probate also commonly leaves an inheritance waiting more than a year.

Yes. Our flat fee applies to new clients and to clients who already have a trust or a will.

Most clients finish in two to three weeks and spend two to three hours of their own time — usually one intake meeting and one signing appointment.

A list of where your assets are held (Fidelity, Bank of America, and so on), who you want in charge, and who you want to receive your assets. Most clients can answer 90% of our questions on the first call without any research.

Yes, and most clients prefer it. Only the signing has to happen in person.

A notary and an attorney are both present. We walk you through the plan, supervise the signing, and take your thumbprint as California law requires. These documents have to be signed and notarized in person.

Across the Bay Area — Oakland, San Francisco, Pleasanton, Campbell, Palo Alto and others — and in Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego and Tracy.

Yes. We work with clients throughout California with virtual meetings and remote planning. You can sign at any of our locations, or, if you live out of the area, locally at a UPS Store or another notary.

Yes, and you should expect to. Updating property and asset information, temporary guardians and pet guardians costs nothing. Changing who is in charge or who receives your assets is handled through a restatement — about $60 for the notary with ongoing coverage, or $750 without.

First, we wanted to make you smile and bring in a personal touch. That's Sarah's dog, Captain Schnuggles (Capi), he is kind and friendly and so are we. We know that estate planning can bring up hard issues; so we strive to make the process a little more warm and welcoming. Second, we are a different type of firm, and we want that to be clear from our branding. This is not a practice that is stuck in the 90's. We are shaking things up and moving forward.