Basic Estate Plan

$1895. No hidden fees. No catch.

$1595 introductory price through August 31, 2026!

SAME PRICE whether your plan is based on a will or a trust.

SAME PRICE whether you are a single person or a married couple.*

The Basic Estate Plan includes:

•Primary Estate Planning Documents – your choice of either:
◦Last Will and Testament (if married, one for each of you)
◦One Revocable Living Trust (single or joint) with Pour-Over Will(s)
•Durable Financial Power of Attorney (if married, one for each of you)
•Advance Health-Care Directives (if married, one set for each of you)
◦Health Care Power of Attorney
◦Living Will
◦HIPAA Authorization
•Nomination of Guardian for minor children (if needed)
•Deed for one local primary residence

Why don't you charge more for a trust than for a will?

We don't believe in “simple wills.” Too many things can go wrong, and those “what-ifs” can get expensive quickly. In California, probate is rarely simple, and it is never free. A well-crafted plan involves nearly the same amount of work whether it is based on a will or a trust. Most importantly, we don't want you to choose a plan that's not best for you simply because one type of plan is cheaper! So we made them both equally affordable.

Why don't you charge more for a married couple than for a single person?

If you are planning together with the same goals and the same beneficiaries, you will likely only need one trust, and your wills will likely be nearly identical. Drafting a joint plan for a married couple with the same goals and the same beneficiaries involves about the same amount of work as drafting a plan for one person. If we are only drafting one trust, or if your wills are nearly identical, we will only charge you for one plan.

*Do you ever charge more for a couple than for a single person?

If you have different beneficiaries (common with blended families) or if you are not legally married, a joint trust is a major risk because it can trigger accidental gifts (unmarried partners), it can spark hostility and even litigation between unrelated beneficiaries, and it can be a nightmare to untangle if you ever separate. However, if you are planning together and have similar goals, two plans are not twice as much work. We offer a discount of 50% off the second Basic Estate Plan for spouses or partners who are planning together with similar goals using separate trusts or non-reciprocal wills.

How can you charge this low price? What are the trade-offs?

We've streamlined the estate planning process in order to take as much “fat” out of the pricing as possible to make the Basic Estate Plan affordable for more members of our local community.

For you, trade-offs include:

You must attend our one-time, two-hour Estate Planning Foundations class in person in Twain Harte. This allows us to explain basic concepts once to many people, which helps us get the price down. Tuition for the class is $25 per person. If you are planning as a couple, you must both attend. Tuition is non-refundable, but if you choose to plan with us, your tuition will be applied to your plan fee in full.
You are responsible for retitling your own financial accounts and updating your own beneficiary designations to align with your completed estate plan. We will provide general instructions on how to do this, but this important step is yours to complete.

For us, trade-offs include:

We don't have a fancy office. We will meet with you privately in a community meeting space in Twain Harte.
Your attorney will not be getting rich by working at Twain Harte Law. For us, this work is a labor of love that allows us to make a living while helping to meet a community need.

Who is the Basic Estate Plan best suited for?

Twain Harte Law's Basic Estate Plan is an affordable estate planning process best suited for ordinary individuals and married couples whose primary goal is to empower the people they choose to manage their assets effectively for the benefit of those they love while minimizing unnecessary confusion, expenses, and delays. Our Basic Estate Plan does not prioritize estate tax planning (for estates approaching $15M individual/$30M married couple), planning for government benefits qualification (MediCal/Medicaid, special needs, elder care, veterans benefits), business succession planning, current asset protection, or other complex situations. If your situation is complex, Twain Harte Law may have other pricing plans that fit your unique needs. Regardless of your needs or which plan is right for you, everyone is encouraged to register for and attend our Estate Planning Foundations class to familiarize yourself with basic estate planning concepts.

Estate Plan Pricing