Do-It-Yourself Wills in California (CA)

Are you looking for a simple and affordable way
to create a last will and testament?

Have you found yourself preparing for a trip and worrying about your children and your estate? Do you have a small and simple estate to transfer yet wish to avoid paying attorney fees?

This website provides the basics of what a last will and testament can and cannot do. This website also covers other commonly used estate planning documents used in addition to a last will and testament.

Three ways to create a will include:

1. Do it yourself
2. Hire an attorney
3. Use a template or website, such as D.I.Y. Wills

If you have any estate planning questions or concerns, consult an estate planning professional. Many situations can arise in which paying for professional advice upfront costs less than the results of poor estate planning.

Common estate planning topics include:

• Naming Beneficiaries
• Appointing Executors
• Guardians for Minor Children
• Controlling Distributions
• Probate
• Estate Taxes
• Power of Attorneys
Medical
Mental Health
Financial

• Living Will

Overview of Last Will and Testaments,
Testamentary Trusts and Living Trusts

A will is simply a piece of paper listing executors, beneficiaries and guardians. A trust can be pictured as a box which can hold assets long after you have passed, often for the purpose of controlling distributions to young beneficiaries.

A testamentary trust is created by a will after the will's creator passes, at which time assets are transferred into the trust. A living trust is created before the will's creator passes and assets are placed in the trust before the will's creator passing to avoid formal probate for estates with over $100,000 of certain assets, such as real estate. Probate is not a tax but a court process for reviewing wills and ensuring instructions and rules are followed.

	Will	Testamentary Trust	Living Trust
Nominate guardians for children	Yes	No	No
Nominate executors/people to manage estate	Yes	Yes	Yes
Name beneficiaries of an estate	Yes	Yes	Yes
Control when beneficiaries receive their inheritance	No	Yes	Yes
Help assets avoid probate	No	No	Yes
Reduce likelihood of estate being contested	No	No	Yes
Reduce estate taxes (estates over $5M)	No	Seek Legal Advice	Seek Legal Advice
Avoid Medicaid spendown	No	No	No
Protect assets from lawsuits	No	No	No

If you think a will is right for you, complete a last will and testament in as little as 15 minutes.

$49.95 per will Includes Last will and testament Self-proving affidavit Asset and Liability Checklist Burial Instructions Emailed and mailed copy Compare to Legalzoom: $69.00

$69.95 per will + POAs Includes Last will and testament package on left Financial Power of Attorney Medical Power of Attorneys Mental Health Power of Attorneys Living Will (regarding life support) Compare to Legalzoom: $104.00

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