If you are choosing an estate planning attorney in Simi Valley, the fastest way to sort options is to look for three things: real experience in California trusts and probate, a clear flat fee for a trust plan, and someone who will actually help you fund the trust after signing. You have good local and regional choices, and Simi Valley sits close enough to several Ventura County and San Fernando Valley firms that you are not limited to one office. This page lists real attorneys who serve the area, explains what an estate plan and probate each cost in plain numbers, and covers the local details that matter here, including the fact that Simi Valley probate is handled in Ventura, not Los Angeles.
This is general information, not legal advice.
What to look for in a Simi Valley estate planning attorney
Estate planning is not a commodity, and the cheapest document is not the best value. Here is what actually separates a good choice from a bad one.
- Genuine estate planning focus. You want an attorney whose practice centers on wills, trusts, trust administration, and probate, not someone who does a little of everything.
- Third-party credentials you can verify. The strongest signal is a State Bar of California Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. It is a specific certification, and few attorneys hold it. Peer recognition such as Super Lawyers and years in practice also help.
- A flat fee for the trust plan. For a standard living trust package, a flat fee is normal and lets you know the cost before work begins. Be cautious with hourly quotes for basic planning.
- Funding help, not just documents. A trust only avoids probate for the assets actually titled into it. Ask directly: after I sign, who makes sure the house and accounts are moved into the trust? If the answer is vague, keep looking.
- A real consultation. You should meet the attorney who will do the work, not a salesperson, and leave understanding what you are buying and why.
Estate planning attorneys serving Simi Valley
The firms below serve Simi Valley and the surrounding Ventura County and west San Fernando Valley area. This list is neutral and not ranked. Details are drawn from each firm’s own public information; verify current credentials, fees, and availability directly with the office before hiring.
The Werner Law Firm
A California estate planning and living trust firm founded by L. Rob Werner in 1975, with a Simi Valley office at 2655 First St, Suite 250. The firm focuses on living trusts, wills, and probate, and offers free appointments. Phone (805) 583-2027. One of the longest-established local options with a physical Simi Valley presence.
Law Office of David A. Esquibias (Westlake Village)
David A. Esquibias is a State Bar of California Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law, with more than 30 years of experience. He has been selected to Super Lawyers for many consecutive years and holds a Master’s in Taxation. The office is in Westlake Village, an easy reach for Simi Valley residents, and handles estate planning, trust administration, probate, and estate and trust litigation. A strong choice if you want a certified specialist, particularly for tax-sensitive or contested matters.
The Law Office of Theresa L. McConville (Camarillo)
Theresa L. McConville has more than 40 years of experience and a practice dedicated exclusively to estate planning, probate, and related matters. She is a lifelong Ventura County resident. The office is in Camarillo at 340 Rosewood Ave, phone (805) 910-7905. A focused, long-established Ventura County estate planning practice.
Law Offices of Darrell C. Harriman
Darrell C. Harriman has practiced since 1980, with over 40 years of experience concentrated in probate administration, estate planning, and trusts across Ventura County, the San Fernando Valley, and Los Angeles County. A good option to consider if your primary need is probate or trust administration after a death.
Dallara Law Firm
A Simi Valley area firm handling estate planning and probate, with a team that reports having served thousands of clients. Consultations available at (805) 456-1066. A local general estate planning and probate option.
Susan Borquez Law
Susan Borquez has practiced in Ventura County for more than 35 years and limits her practice to wills, trusts, advance health care directives, financial powers of attorney, trust administration, probate, conservatorships, and guardianships. A focused Ventura County estate practice, useful if conservatorship or guardianship issues are part of your situation.
AK Miller Law
An estate planning and probate practice with nearly 30 years of experience, serving Simi Valley, other Ventura County communities, and clients throughout California. Also handles business and real estate matters, which can help when a family business or real property is central to the plan.
Ridley Law (Eric D. Ridley)
Eric D. Ridley has practiced California estate planning, trust administration, and probate since 2010. The office is based in Port Hueneme and serves Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles Counties, plus the rest of California by phone and Zoom, so Simi Valley clients are commonly served remotely or with a short drive. The first consultation runs about 60 minutes, is free, and is with Eric himself. Trust plans are a flat fee, published up front (see the full living trust pricing). The process runs in five steps: consultation, plan design, document preparation, review and signing, and ongoing support including funding. Phone (805) 244-5291.
Several of these firms also serve Moorpark and Thousand Oaks, which is worth noting if you split time between homes or are helping a parent in a nearby town.
What estate planning costs vs. what probate costs
The most useful number is not the price of the trust. It is the price of doing nothing.
A living trust plan from a California attorney typically costs in the low thousands of dollars, usually as a flat fee. That one-time cost is what you compare against probate, which is what your family faces if you die with only a will, or with no plan at all.
California probate is a court process. It is public, it commonly takes about one to two years, and the attorney and executor fees are set by statute under California Probate Code sections 10800 and 10810. Those fees are calculated on the gross value of the estate, before subtracting any mortgage. The schedule is:
- 4% of the first $100,000
- 3% of the next $100,000
- 2% of the next $800,000
- 1% of the next $9,000,000
The attorney and the executor are each entitled to that amount. On a $1,000,000 estate, that is about $23,000 each, or roughly $46,000 total. And because the fee is on gross value, a Simi Valley home worth $900,000 with a $400,000 mortgage is still counted at $900,000 for the fee calculation. The mortgage does not reduce it.
That is the comparison that matters. A trust plan in the low thousands, paid once, against a court process that can cost tens of thousands and tie up the house for a year or more. You can read a fuller breakdown in this guide to California probate costs, and see how a living trust is priced in California.
Simi Valley-specific considerations
Your probate is in Ventura, not Los Angeles
This trips up a lot of Simi Valley families. Simi Valley sits right on the Los Angeles County line, near the west San Fernando Valley, and much of daily life points toward LA. But Simi Valley is in Ventura County. If a Simi Valley resident dies and their estate goes through probate, the case is filed at the Ventura Superior Court, not in Los Angeles. If you hire a probate attorney, confirm they handle Ventura County matters. A helpful overview is on our Simi Valley probate page.
Local home values and the $750,000 threshold
Simi Valley’s median home price in 2025 and 2026 has hovered around the mid-$800,000s. That number matters because of a change in California law. Under AB 2016, effective April 1, 2025, a decedent’s primary residence worth up to $750,000 can pass through a simplified court petition rather than full probate, using California Probate Code sections 13150 through 13158 and Judicial Council form DE-310.
Here is the catch for Simi Valley: many homes here are worth more than $750,000. If the house is over that cap, the simplified petition is not available and the estate can be pushed into full formal probate, with the statutory fees above. That single fact is one of the strongest reasons to put your home into a properly funded living trust. There is also a separate small-estate affidavit for personal property (not real estate) with a limit of $208,850 for deaths on or after April 1, 2025, and the residence petition and the affidavit can stack. More detail is in our explainer on simplified probate for a primary residence.
Prop 19 and the move-in clock
If you plan to leave your Simi Valley home to a child, Proposition 19 changed the rules. A child keeps a parent’s low property-tax base only if the home becomes the child’s principal residence. To qualify, the child generally must move in within one year and file for the homeowners’ exemption. Even then, the protected amount is capped: the parent’s factored base value plus $1,044,586 (for the assessment period running February 16, 2025 through February 15, 2027). If the child does not move in, the property is reassessed to current market value, which in Simi Valley can mean a large jump in the annual tax bill. This is worth planning for deliberately; see our overview of Prop 19 planning.
Funding is what makes the trust work
A living trust only avoids probate for the assets actually titled into it. A trust sitting in a drawer with the house still in your own name does not avoid probate, because the house was never moved in. This is the single most common failure point. Ask your attorney directly whether the deed to your Simi Valley home will be transferred into the trust as part of the engagement, and confirm your accounts are retitled too. Our short check on whether your living trust is actually funded walks through how to verify it.
Common questions
Who is the best estate planning attorney in Simi Valley?
There is no honest single answer, and any attorney who claims to be the “best” is telling you more about their marketing than their work. The right attorney depends on your situation. If your estate has tax exposure or you expect a family dispute, a State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law is worth prioritizing. If you want a straightforward trust at a predictable price, focus on a firm with an estate planning focus, a clear flat fee, and real funding help. Meet two or three, ask who will do the work, ask how the house gets into the trust, and choose the person who explains things clearly and answers those questions without dodging.
How much does an estate plan cost in Simi Valley?
A living trust plan from a California attorney generally runs in the low thousands of dollars as a one-time flat fee. Compare that against probate, where statutory attorney and executor fees on a $1,000,000 estate come to roughly $46,000 total and the process can take one to two years. For most Simi Valley homeowners, the trust is far cheaper than the probate it prevents.
Do I need a trust or a will?
Almost everyone needs a will as a backstop. Whether you also need a living trust usually comes down to one question: do you own real estate in California? If you own a home in Simi Valley, a will alone still sends that home through probate. A funded living trust is what keeps the house out of court. Given local home values, most Simi Valley homeowners are good candidates for a trust, but an attorney should confirm that against your specific assets rather than assume it.
Is Simi Valley probate handled in Ventura or Los Angeles County?
Ventura. Even though Simi Valley borders Los Angeles County and much of the area faces toward the San Fernando Valley, Simi Valley is in Ventura County. Probate for a Simi Valley resident is filed at the Ventura Superior Court. Make sure any probate attorney you hire regularly handles Ventura County cases.
Does California have an estate tax or inheritance tax?
No. California has neither an estate tax nor an inheritance tax. There is a federal estate tax, but the exemption is high: $13.99 million per person in 2025, rising to $15 million per person (and $30 million per married couple) starting January 1, 2026. The vast majority of Simi Valley families owe no estate tax at all. The reason to plan is usually probate avoidance and control, not federal tax.
Can I just move the house into a trust myself?
You can attempt it, but this is where do-it-yourself plans and low-cost document mills most often fail. A trust that is signed but never funded, meaning the deed was never actually transferred, does not avoid probate. The transfer has to be done correctly and recorded. This is why funding help is one of the first things to ask any attorney about.
Talk to an attorney
If you want to talk through your options, Eric D. Ridley offers a free consultation of about 60 minutes, and you meet with Eric directly. He practices California estate planning, trust administration, and probate, serves Simi Valley and the surrounding area by phone, Zoom, or a short drive, and charges a published flat fee for trust plans. Call (805) 244-5291 to set up a time. Whether you work with Eric or one of the other firms above, the important thing is to get the house handled correctly and the trust actually funded.
This is general information, not legal advice. Laws change and every situation is different. Consult a licensed California attorney about your specific circumstances.
Written by Eric D. Ridley. Estate Planning Attorney at Ridley Law, serving Ventura County since 2010.
Ready to protect what you’ve built?
Schedule a no-pressure consultation with Eric Ridley.
Schedule a Consultation