Trust or Probate—You Decide

Discuss Your Options with a Probate & Trust Attorney in Los Angeles

Probate typically takes 12 to 16 months (or longer) to run its course through the courts, is very costly, and all information becomes public record.

In contrast, trust administration is much less expensive, can be accomplished in a few short months, and is conducted under complete privacy. It vastly expedites the process of transferring the decedent’s assets to the intended beneficiaries at a fraction of the cost, leaving more of the assets to the beneficiaries.

Real property, in particular, is administered in the county/state where it is located. Owning real property located in various states makes its administration infinitely less expensive and simpler when it is owned in trust, which avoids having to probate each property in each of the counties/states where it is located, thus undergoing multiple probates. When real property is owned but not transferred in the trust, and such real property is located in other states, ancillary probate becomes necessary (i.e., probate in another state, alongside probate in CA).

Trust or Probate Handout