Question 1

Are there other details regarding the pricing that are good to know?

Accepted Answer

Yes, our flat rate pricing above applies to new clients as well as clients with existing trusts or wills. Any time your attorney spends drafting your plan or responding to an email that can be answered in just a few minutes or less does not count toward attorney time. Other emails will be responded to in meeting time. If you need additional time with your attorney to complete your plan, the fee would fall under normal advice time at $250 per half hour.

Question 2

Is this going to be expensive and take a ton of time?

Accepted Answer

Most clients find our flat fee pricing easier to budget for than open-ended hourly billing—you see the numbers up front on this page. For more info, reference our   pricing page . A typical plan is finished in about two to three weeks with only a few hours of your time, usually across two meetings.

Question 3

What if I have more than one property trust or deed that I need done?

Accepted Answer

You can add a separate property trust to an estate plan for $750. Extra deeds are generally $500 per property tied to trust, or $500 per deed for other types of deeds (for example, interspousal deeds, deeds moving property out of a prior trust, and deeds removing the name of someone who passed).

Question 4

How does payment work?

Accepted Answer

The payment for the estate plan flat fee price is due when you sign the plan. If you purchase additional meeting time then you will pay when scheduling the meeting and is fully earned on the day of the meeting if you do not cancel with at least a 24-hour notice.

Question 5

Why would I need to book extra time?

Accepted Answer

Because we have worked on thousands of estate plans, we can almost always help you get done in two meetings, no matter how complicated or unique your situation. Most clients who pay for extra time do so for reasons such as: They simply want some extra time with us to discuss the fine points of the plan There is family conflict and they want our expertise to help mediate Very few clients each year pay for additional time (less than 1%).

Question 6

Am I going to have to find a bunch documents like social security information, bank account numbers and birthdays?

Accepted Answer

Nope. All you need to prepare your estate plan is a list of where your assets are located (Fidelity, Bank of America, etc.), who you want to be in charge, and who you want to receive your assets (beneficiaries). Most clients can answer 90% of our questions during the first call without any research.

Question 7

If I have legal insurance coverage, are there other details that are good to know?

Accepted Answer

Yes, most of these services will be fully covered, but property recording and notary fees are not. The property recording fee is $300 to transfer your primary residence to your trust and notary fees are $15 per signature. In most cases, those fees are about $360 for an individual and $420 for a couple. Also, if your plan does not have trust coverage, then the fee to add a trust is $750 for each trust (most clients only have one trust, but if you are doing 2 individual trusts, it is $750 per person). We do not offer plans that do not include a trust. Payments for plans covered by legal insurance are due at the notarization/signing appointment.

Question 8

Where are you located?

Accepted Answer

We have 20+ locations throughout the Bay Area (Oakland, San Francisco, Pleasanton, Campbell, Palo Alto, to name a few) and California (Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Tracy). Most clients prefer to meet with an attorney over the phone or through a video conference. We also offer in-person intakes at a few of our offices. Here is a link to our   full location list .

Question 9

Can I update my estate plan later?

Accepted Answer

Yes — and you should expect to. Your estate plan is meant to evolve with your life. The key question is what kind of change you are making. You can make certain updates without a fee, including: Updating property and asset information Updating temporary guardians Updating pet guardians If you are changing who is in charge (trustees, agents) or who is receiving assets, we typically handle that through a restatement — a clean, fully updated version of your plan. Cost structure: With ongoing coverage, you typically just cover the notary (~$60) per person Without ongoing coverage: a restatement is $750

Question 10

What happens at the signing appointment?

Accepted Answer

The signing appointment is where everything becomes legally effective. We walk you through the key parts of your plan, answer any final questions, and make sure everything reflects your intentions. At the signing: A notary and an attorney are present We supervise the process to ensure everything is done correctly We take your thumbprint, as required under California law California law requires that these documents are signed and notarized in person; we make this easy by offering more than 20 signing locations throughout the state.

Question 11

Do you work with clients outside the Bay Area?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We work with clients throughout California with virtual meetings and remote planning. For signing, you have several options across our 20+ locations: Bay Area Sacramento Los Angeles San Diego Stockton You can also sign locally at a UPS Store or with another notary. As long as the plan is being created under California law, we can work with you anywhere in the state.

Question 12

Do you offer any discounts?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 13

Why is your logo a dog?

Accepted Answer

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. Third, when I added Capi's puppy picture to our google pictures, our click-through rate went up 800%.

Estate Planning Pricing

Flat Fee Pricing

With Legal Insurance

Out of Pocket

Additional Services

Additional meetings

Add a deed

Separate property trust

Non-Attorney Services

Deeds for Summerall Law Trusts

Power of Attorney or Health Care Directive

How Our Pricing Compares

Why finishing faster matters for your family

Key Features

Summerall Law

Traditional Firms

Solo / Small Firms

Online DIY

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Common Estate Planning Pricing Questions