Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in California

After a death in California, the estate either qualifies for the simplified procedure for estates under $208,850 or goes through probate, where creditors have 4 months to file claims after notice.

All Planning ahead Settling an estate

36 tools for California

How Much Does Probate Cost?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in California costs an estimated $27,235. Attorney fees are statutory (set by law).

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How Much Can an Executor Charge?

California sets executor compensation by statute — about $13,000 on a $500,000 estate, roughly 2.6%.

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Who Inherits Without a Will?

California is a community property state, so the surviving spouse already owns half of what the couple acquired during the marriage. Without a will in California, descendants divide what passes to them per capita with representation, and an heir must survive the decedent by 120 hours to inherit.

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What's Fair Trustee Compensation?

In California, trustee compensation follows "reasonable compensation" (UTC § 708 or equivalent) unless the trust instrument sets a different amount.

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How Much Are Estate & Inheritance Taxes?

California levies no estate or inheritance tax; only the federal estate tax applies above $15,000,000.

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How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?

In California, certified death certificates come from the California Department of Public Health - Vital Records; the first copy costs $26.

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Do I Need Probate?

In California, estates valued at $208,850 or less skip probate with the Small Estate Affidavit, 40 days after death.

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What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable trust in California runs $4,320 to $6,480 and a simple will $1,329 to $2,658, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in California runs $4,320 to $6,480 for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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How Much Does a Will Cost?

An attorney-prepared will in California runs $1,329 to $2,658, against $0 to $299 up front with an online service, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $27,235.

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How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?

In California, four years at a public university cost about $99,700 and the cost of living is 11% above the U.S. average; no state estate or inheritance tax applies.

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What Taxes Apply to My Inheritance?

California imposes no inheritance or estate tax; probate assets arrive when the estate closes, 9 months to 12 months for a simple estate.

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How Does Step-Up in Basis Work?

Inherited assets in California take a basis reset to fair market value on the date of death, and the gain on a later sale faces ordinary income tax at the state's regular rates.

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Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?

California automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorce; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.

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What Are the Estate Laws in My State?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in California costs an estimated $27,235 and takes 9 months to 12 months for a simple estate, with attorney fees set by statute as a percentage of the gross estate. Estates under $208,850 can use a small-estate procedure instead.

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How Does SimplyTrust Compare to LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and Other Services?

Compare what it costs to make a trust official across SimplyTrust, LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Rocket Lawyer, and Quicken WillMaker.

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How Do I Name a Guardian for My Minor Children?

In California, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a will or a separate signed writing, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18.

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What Are the Burial and Cremation Laws in My State?

California allows you to name your own agent in a signed, written document, and that designation takes priority over the statutory order of next of kin who otherwise control disposition of the remains.

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How Do I Sign Estate Documents?

Find witness, notary, and remote signing requirements for all 50 states.

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Will My Estate Documents Transfer?

Check if estate planning documents signed in one state are valid in another.

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California allows estates valued at $208,850 or less to use the Small Estate Affidavit, which avoids full probate administration. The Small Estate Affidavit is presented directly to the bank, employer, or other holder of the property — it is not filed with a court. The waiting period is 40 days after death.

Probate costs in California typically include attorney fees set by statute as a percentage of the gross estate, executor fees, court filing fees, and publication costs. On a $500,000 estate, total costs run about $27,235, roughly 5% of estate value, varying with complexity. Estimate executor compensation separately with the California executor fee calculator.

California intestacy law decides. As a community property state, California distinguishes community property (acquired during the marriage) from separate property (owned before it, or received as a gift or inheritance), and the surviving spouse's share differs for each. The estate passes to the closest surviving relatives, in most cases the spouse and children first, then in order: Parents; Issue of the parents; Grandparents and their issue; Issue of a predeceased spouse; Next of kin; Parents of a predeceased spouse and their issue; The State of California.

No. California imposes no state estate tax and no inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax applies, on an estate above $15,000,000, an exemption the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21 §70106) set permanently from 2026 and indexes for inflation.

A will in California costs what the provider charges. An online service runs $0 to $299 up front. An attorney in California charges around $443 an hour for wills and estates, which puts a simple will at $1,329 to $2,658. The document is only part of the cost: probate adds about $27,235 on a $500,000 estate in fees the heirs pay later.

Free Estate Planning Tools in California

The tools are grouped by who you are. Planning ahead covers the questions that come before any document is drafted: what a will, a trust, or a full plan costs in your state, whether a trust or a transfer on death deed changes anything for you, and how documents are signed. Someone I love died covers the first weeks: death certificates, burial and cremation rules, and whether the estate needs probate at all. The executor and trustee groups follow an administration from appointment to distribution, and inheriting covers what a death triggers in estate, inheritance, and income tax.

In California, probate on a $500,000 estate costs about $27,235, and a simple estate closes in 9 months to 12 months. California sets executor compensation by statute — about $13,000 on a $500,000 estate, roughly 2.6%. California levies no estate or inheritance tax; only the federal estate tax above $15,000,000 applies.

SimplyTrust Editorial·Updated October 15, 2026

Legal Sources

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Data sourced from California statutes and official state code. How we research.