# Free California Estate Planning Guides > 28 free plain-English estate planning guides for California families: probate costs, trust funding, successor trustee duties, and more. Sent by email. Source: https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/ **Want a quick read on where you stand?** The checkup takes two minutes and tells you whether your plan has gaps. [Free Checklist](https://app.lawmatics.com/forms/share/8352ece9-4680-4a87-94ae-2d4afae95dfa) [Talk to Eric](https://app.lawmatics.com/forms/share/345a2f20-b321-4eed-8a15-db3c88789bd8) The plain-English answer to the question you were about to Google: free, by email, no follow-up calls unless you ask. Every guide here is the plain-English version of a question families actually bring us: what probate really costs, what a trust will and will not do, what to do in the first month after a death. Pick the ones that fit your situation, tell us where to send them, and they arrive by email. Free, no follow-up calls unless you ask for one. ## Interactive tools [The Free 44-Point Trust Checkup](https://ridleylawoffices.com/trust-checkup/) Upload your living trust and get a plain-English report graded against a 44-point checklist. About two minutes, and your document is never stored. [Run the checkup](https://ridleylawoffices.com/trust-checkup/) [Do You Need Probate?](https://ridleylawoffices.com/probate-screener/) Answer a few questions about the estate and find out whether it needs full probate or qualifies for a simplified transfer. [Find out in two minutes](https://ridleylawoffices.com/probate-screener/) Also free: the [Probate Fee Calculator](https://ridleylawoffices.com/probate-calculator/), the statutory cost of a California probate at any estate size. For figures with sources, see [California probate statistics](https://ridleylawoffices.com/california-probate-statistics/). ## Before anything happens [A Clear Explanation of Wills and Trusts](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/wills-and-trusts/) What a will really does, what a trust really does, and who honestly doesn't need one. The plain-English starting point for a California estate plan. [The 7 Estate Planning Mistakes That Destroy California Families](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/estate-planning-mistakes/) The seven mistakes that cause most probate-court damage, what each costs, and how to shut them down. [The Bank of Mom and Dad](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/bank-of-mom-and-dad/) Gift, loan, or advance? Label the help in writing before it becomes an inheritance fight. [The Blended Family Estate Plan](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/blended-family/) California's defaults were written for first marriages. Pick who's protected on purpose. [Who Signs Payroll on Friday?](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/business-continuity/) If you died on Tuesday, who lawfully signs payroll on Friday? The short list that keeps the doors open. [Disinheriting Without a War](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/disinheriting/) You can leave someone out. The difference between clean and a courtroom is doing it the way the law recognizes. [The Family Meeting Guide](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/family-meeting/) Estate fights are rarely about money. They're about surprise. One honest conversation prevents most of them. [The New Parent Guardianship Kit](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/new-parents/) Who raises your kids if you can't? Name them properly, in the right document, before the court picks for you. [Leaving Money to a Child on Benefits](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/special-needs/) An outright inheritance can cut off SSI and Medi-Cal. How special needs trusts keep the benefits and the money. [Estate Planning for Unmarried Couples and Registered Domestic Partners](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/unmarried-couples/) California gives your partner nothing by default, and registering fixes only the California half. What federal law still refuses, and what it costs. [When a Parent Starts Slipping](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/slipping-parent/) The legal moves to make at the first signs of decline, while every option is still open. ## After a death [The First 30 Days After a Death](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/first-30-days/) Almost nothing has to happen this week. What actually needs doing, in order, and what to leave alone. [The Heggstad Rescue: When an Asset Never Made It Into the Trust](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/heggstad/) When a house or account never made it into the trust, a court petition can finish the job without probate. [The Successor Trustee's First 90 Days](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/trustee-90-days/) You're the trustee now. The notices, deadlines, and first moves, in the order they're due. [How to Administer a California Special Needs Trust](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/snt-administration/) You're the trustee now. What the trust can safely pay for, what quietly costs SSI dollars, and the one thing you never do. [The Small Estate Playbook](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/small-estate/) Under $208,850, California lets you skip probate with an affidavit. The forms, the waiting periods, the steps. [Selling a House in a Trust or Estate](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/house-sale/) Who signs, what escrow needs, and the tax clock that starts at death. The playbook for both situations. [What Probate Actually Costs in California](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/probate-costs/) Statutory fees on the gross estate, the timeline, and the math that makes trusts pay for themselves. [Do You Get Paid? Executor and Trustee Compensation](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/fiduciary-pay/) Yes, you're entitled to be paid. How much, and whether to take it, is a tax question worth thinking through. ## The plan you already have [Amendment or Restatement? The Right Way to Change Your Trust](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/amendment-vs-restatement/) Patch small, rebuild big. How to tell which change your trust actually needs. [The Beneficiary Designation Audit](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/beneficiary-audit/) The form you signed the day you opened the account outranks your will. Check every one in an afternoon. [The Estate Plan Review Scorecard](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/plan-scorecard/) Grade your plan against ten questions in ten minutes. Find out if it still does what you paid for. [The Capacity Window: Trust Changes After a Dementia Diagnosis](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/capacity-window/) What your family can still change after a dementia diagnosis, and how to make it stick. [New to California: Does Your Old Estate Plan Still Work?](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/new-to-california/) Your out-of-state documents are probably valid here and probably wrong here. What community property changes. [The 12 Defects We Find in Online Trusts](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/online-trust-defects/) The specific failures we see in DIY and online trusts, and how to check yours for each one. [Is Your AB Trust Obsolete?](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/ab-trust/) The mandatory split that saved estate tax in 2005 may be costing your family capital gains today. [The Trust Funding Checklist](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/trust-funding/) An unfunded trust is an expensive stack of paper. Every asset type, and exactly how each gets retitled. [What a Trust Won't Protect You From](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/trust-limits/) Living trusts are oversold. What yours actually does, what it doesn't, and what fills each gap. ## Money, tax & property [The Inherited IRA Tax Map](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/inherited-ira/) The 10-year rule turned inherited IRAs into a tax planning problem. Map your withdrawals before the deadline maps them for you. [Does Your Rental Really Need an LLC?](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/rental-llc/) The honest math on LLCs for California landlords, and what actually protects most families. [Asset Protection in California: What Actually Works (and What Is a Myth)](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/asset-protection-what-works/) Fourteen asset protection myths I hear every week, busted one at a time, and the four things that actually work, in the order that makes them work. [Asset Protection by Profession](https://ridleylawoffices.com/guides/asset-protection-by-profession/) Which of California's five real asset protection tools work for physicians, real estate investors, business owners, tech founders, contractors, and attorneys. Want everything? Get the whole library in one email. All 30 guides, one click, free. Free guide A Clear Explanation of Wills and Trusts What a will really does, what a trust really does, and who honestly doesn't need one. The plain-English starting point for a California estate plan. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide The 7 Estate Planning Mistakes That Destroy California Families The seven mistakes that cause most probate-court damage, what each costs, and how to shut them down. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide The Bank of Mom and Dad Gift, loan, or advance? Label the help in writing before it becomes an inheritance fight. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide The Blended Family Estate Plan California's defaults were written for first marriages. Pick who's protected on purpose. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide Who Signs Payroll on Friday? If you died on Tuesday, who lawfully signs payroll on Friday? The short list that keeps the doors open. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide Disinheriting Without a War You can leave someone out. The difference between clean and a courtroom is doing it the way the law recognizes. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide The Family Meeting Guide Estate fights are rarely about money. They're about surprise. One honest conversation prevents most of them. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide The New Parent Guardianship Kit Who raises your kids if you can't? Name them properly, in the right document, before the court picks for you. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide Leaving Money to a Child on Benefits An outright inheritance can cut off SSI and Medi-Cal. How special needs trusts keep the benefits and the money. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide Estate Planning for Unmarried Couples and Registered Domestic Partners California gives your partner nothing by default, and registering fixes only the California half. What federal law still refuses, and what it costs. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide When a Parent Starts Slipping The legal moves to make at the first signs of decline, while every option is still open. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide The First 30 Days After a Death Almost nothing has to happen this week. What actually needs doing, in order, and what to leave alone. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide The Heggstad Rescue: When an Asset Never Made It Into the Trust When a house or account never made it into the trust, a court petition can finish the job without probate. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide The Successor Trustee's First 90 Days You're the trustee now. The notices, deadlines, and first moves, in the order they're due. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide How to Administer a California Special Needs Trust You're the trustee now. What the trust can safely pay for, what quietly costs SSI dollars, and the one thing you never do. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide The Small Estate Playbook Under $208,850, California lets you skip probate with an affidavit. The forms, the waiting periods, the steps. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide Selling a House in a Trust or Estate Who signs, what escrow needs, and the tax clock that starts at death. The playbook for both situations. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide What Probate Actually Costs in California Statutory fees on the gross estate, the timeline, and the math that makes trusts pay for themselves. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide Do You Get Paid? Executor and Trustee Compensation Yes, you're entitled to be paid. How much, and whether to take it, is a tax question worth thinking through. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide Amendment or Restatement? The Right Way to Change Your Trust Patch small, rebuild big. How to tell which change your trust actually needs. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide The Beneficiary Designation Audit The form you signed the day you opened the account outranks your will. Check every one in an afternoon. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide The Estate Plan Review Scorecard Grade your plan against ten questions in ten minutes. Find out if it still does what you paid for. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide The Capacity Window: Trust Changes After a Dementia Diagnosis What your family can still change after a dementia diagnosis, and how to make it stick. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide New to California: Does Your Old Estate Plan Still Work? Your out-of-state documents are probably valid here and probably wrong here. What community property changes. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide The 12 Defects We Find in Online Trusts The specific failures we see in DIY and online trusts, and how to check yours for each one. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide Is Your AB Trust Obsolete? The mandatory split that saved estate tax in 2005 may be costing your family capital gains today. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide The Trust Funding Checklist An unfunded trust is an expensive stack of paper. Every asset type, and exactly how each gets retitled. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide What a Trust Won't Protect You From Living trusts are oversold. What yours actually does, what it doesn't, and what fills each gap. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide The Inherited IRA Tax Map The 10-year rule turned inherited IRAs into a tax planning problem. Map your withdrawals before the deadline maps them for you. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide Does Your Rental Really Need an LLC? The honest math on LLCs for California landlords, and what actually protects most families. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide Asset Protection in California: What Actually Works (and What Is a Myth) Fourteen asset protection myths I hear every week, busted one at a time, and the four things that actually work, in the order that makes them work. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide Asset Protection by Profession Which of California's five real asset protection tools work for physicians, real estate investors, business owners, tech founders, contractors, and attorneys. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.) Free guide The whole guide library One email, download links for every guide on this page. Check your email — it’s on its way. (Give it a couple of minutes, and peek at spam the first time.)