Legal Insurance & Estate Planning
Yes, your legal insurance covers a living trust in California.
Most ARAG, MetLife Legal Plans (MetLaw), and LegalEase plans generally cover estate plans, but coverage varies depending on which plan you're enrolled in. When your plan covers it, attorney fees are fully paid by insurance. Most insured clients pay $360 (individuals) or $420 (couples) out of pocket — and nothing is due until you sign.
$360–$420
typical out-of-pocket cost
~3 hrs
of your time total
2–3 wks
start to signed plan
70%
of our plans are insurance-based
Insurance clients receive the exact same service as everyone else. About 70% of our plans are insurance-based — this is the heart of our practice.
Nothing due until you sign. We confirm all costs before your signing appointment. No surprises. If you decide not to move forward — for any reason — nothing is owed.
Insurance plans we accept
Which legal insurance plans cover estate planning?
Summerall Law accepts all major legal insurance plans. Here is what each plan covers and exactly what you can expect to pay.
What every plan covers
All plans cover attorney fees for a complete estate plan — living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney, and advance health care directive. You pay notarization (up to $60 per person) and the deed recording fee ($300 for your primary residence).
$420
for most couples
$360
for most individuals
Includes one property deed. Additional fees may apply in some cases. See full pricing details →
Good to know
Many legal insurance plans also cover your parents or adult children — either fully or with partial coverage. This is a valuable way to make sure your parents have a trust in place and avoid the costs of probate (which averages $30,000 in California) or the need for a conservatorship. Ask your HR department or check your plan details to see if family members are eligible.
What's different by plan
ARAG
Available through many California employers and as an individual plan
MetLife Legal Plans
Also known as MetLaw or Hyatt Legal Plans. Offered through many large employers in manufacturing, automotive, and tech
LegalEase / LegalGuard / LegalAccess
Also known as Nationwide Legal Plans
Not sure which plan you have? Call us at 415-944-9406 — we will help you figure it out.
Insurance plan contact numbers
- ARAG: 1-800-247-4184
- MetLife Legal Plans
(MetLaw/Hyatt): members.legalplans.com or 800-821-6400 - LegalEase/LegalGuard/
LegalAccess: 1-888-416-4313
If you have coverage through CLC or Workplace Options, we don't participate in those programs, but we will give you 10% off our regular prices if you want to work with us.
The process
How to use your legal insurance with Summerall Law
We handle all insurance billing and communication. Most clients spend about three hours total over two meetings — separated by a week or two while we prepare your draft.
Book and complete your intake
Schedule online or by phone, complete a short form about your family, assets, and goals, and meet with your attorney by video or phone.
We will submit your insurance details and verify your coverage before your signing appointment.
Review your plan draft
We prepare your complete estate plan and send you the draft with plain-English summaries of every document. Most clients receive their draft within a couple of weeks of their intake meeting.
Sign at a location near you
Choose any of our 20+ Bay Area locations. We notarize everything in a single 30-minute visit. You leave with a completed, notarized estate plan.
80% of our clients need only these two meetings. If you have more questions or a more complex situation, additional attorney time is available and covered by most insurance plans. Attorneys are on staff every day responding to client emails and chat messages. The goal is for you to feel completely comfortable with your plan before you sign — not to rush you through the process.
What you actually pay
Full cost breakdown: insured vs. out of pocket
Here is exactly what most clients pay — and what additional fees apply in specific circumstances. All costs are confirmed before your signing appointment.
Full coverage
When your plan covers all services
With Legal Insurance
Without Insurance
+ $500 / deed for each additional property beyond the primary residence
Partial coverage
Additional fees when your plan covers some services. This applies to a small number of clients.
With Legal Insurance
Without Insurance
We identify any applicable fees during the coverage verification step — before your signing appointment and before any payment is due. Summerall Law does not create estate plans without a living trust. A will alone does not avoid probate in California, and the average California family pays approximately $30,000 going through the probate court process.
Common in the Bay Area
Many Bay Area employers offer legal insurance
If you work in tech, healthcare, government, or education — or are a union member — you may already have legal insurance as a benefit you have never used. Common Bay Area employers that may offer legal insurance include:
Not sure if you have coverage? Check your benefits portal, ask HR, or call our office — we are happy to help you figure it out before you book.
A note from our team
Insurance clients are not second-class clients. Full stop.
70%
of our annual plans are insurance-covered
6,000+
insurance-based estate plans completed
20+
California locations
80%
of clients complete their plan in just two meetings
We know that some people worry about using legal insurance with an attorney — that they will be deprioritized, receive a template plan, or not be taken as seriously as clients who pay out of pocket. That is not how we work.
About 70% of the estate plans we complete each year are covered by legal insurance. It is not a side service. It is a core part of our practice and one of the things we are most proud of — helping California's working professionals access high-quality estate planning at a fraction of the usual cost.
Insurance clients have the same service level as out-of-pocket clients — your coverage works with all of us, and you can choose any intake attorney you prefer (signing attorneys are based on location). Insurance clients share our intake and signing calendars, receive a fully tailored plan, and move on the same timeline as every other client. There is no separate queue, no slower track, and no difference in service level.
The most common complaint we hear about legal insurance at other firms is that it takes six months or more to get a plan done because insurance clients are not a higher priority for the attorney. That is not how we practice. Most clients are signed and done in two to three weeks — unless they prefer to take longer, and that's fine too.
Most clients spend about two hours with us total — not because we are rushing, but because our process is designed to be that efficient. We have refined our systems over 10,000+ plans so that your time is spent on the decisions that matter, not on paperwork or unnecessary meetings.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions about legal insurance and estate planning
Your estate plan may already be covered.
Most Bay Area families with employer legal insurance pay only up to $420. Book a free consultation — we confirm your coverage and costs before you commit to anything. Nothing is due until you sign.