Living Trust & Estate Planning Attorney in Pasadena

If you own a home or other assets in California, a living trust is one of the most effective ways to keep your estate out of probate and make sure your wishes are carried out.

Pichon Irani Law, APC helps individuals and families throughout Pasadena, Los Angeles County, and the San Gabriel Valley create clear, personalized estate plans built around a revocable living trust.

What is a Living Trust?

A revocable living trust is a legal instrument that holds your assets during your lifetime and directs how they pass to your loved ones after you're gone. The trust, not you personally, holds title to your assets and can transfer to your beneficiaries without going through the California probate court.

You keep full control while you're alive including moving assets in and out, changing the terms, or revoking the trust entirely at any time.

Why Choose a Living Trust?

  • Avoid probate. California probate is slow and expensive, with statutory fees based on the gross value of the estate. A properly funded living trust generally avoids it.

  • Keep your affairs private. A will becomes a public court record in probate; a trust does not.

  • Plan for incapacity. A successor trustee can step in to manage your affairs if you become unable to, without a court conservatorship.

  • Provide for your family on your terms. You decide who receives what, when, and how.

Estate Planning FAQ

  • For many California homeowners, yes. Without a trust, your home typically passes through probate, and a properly funded living trust generally avoids that.

  • Assets passing under a will still go through probate, while a living trust lets them transfer to your beneficiaries without it. Many plans use both together, since a will can also name guardians for minor children and act as a backstop.

  • Your estate passes under California's intestate succession laws, which set a fixed order of who inherits regardless of your wishes. An estate plan lets you make those decisions yourself instead of leaving them to a statutory default.

  • Often, yes. Marriage or divorce, a new child, a death in the family, a major change in assets, or a move to or from California are all good reasons to review your plan.

  • The cost depends on the complexity of your estate and the documents your plan needs. Pichon Irani Law, APC offer flat-fee packages and quote a clear price after our free consultation.

  • The first step is a free consultation call, where we talk through your family, assets, and goals. From there I design your plan, prepare the documents, and help you sign and fund everything properly.

  • You can reach Pichon Irani Law, APC by phone at (626) 763-1911, by email at emma@pichoniranilaw.com, or through the contact form on this site. I aim to respond within one business day.