El Dorado Hills · El Dorado County

Estate Planning Attorney in El Dorado Hills, CA

Living trusts, wills and incapacity documents for El Dorado Hills families, with flat fees and a local office by appointment.

Consultations in English, Romanian and Russian · Serving all of California

A Local Office for El Dorado Hills Families

AJ Law Firm (Law Office of Andrei Jingan) keeps an office in El Dorado Hills, where clients meet attorney Andrei Jingan by appointment. Many clients prefer Zoom or phone for the planning meeting and come in only to sign.

We also serve Cameron Park, Shingle Springs, Placerville, Folsom and the rest of El Dorado County.

What We Prepare

  • Revocable living trusts and pour-over wills
  • Wills and guardianship nominations for minor children
  • Durable financial powers of attorney
  • Advance health care directives and HIPAA authorizations
  • Trust amendments, restatements and funding reviews
  • Deeds transferring California real estate into a trust

Why a Trust Matters in El Dorado County

If an El Dorado County resident dies with assets outside a trust above California’s small-estate limit (currently $208,850 for most deaths on or after April 1, 2025), the family usually has to go through probate in the El Dorado County Superior Court. Probate is public, commonly takes a year or more, and California sets statutory attorney and executor fees by the size of the gross estate. For a $1,000,000 estate, those statutory fees total $46,000 before costs. A properly funded revocable living trust generally avoids that process.

Many El Dorado Hills households own a home with significant equity, retirement accounts and sometimes rental property or a small business. A trust lets a successor trustee manage and distribute those assets privately and without waiting on a court calendar.

Planning Points We Often See Here

  • Homes held as community property or joint tenancy that should be re-titled into a trust
  • Blended families who want to provide for a spouse and still protect children from a prior marriage
  • Parents of young children who need guardians named and an inheritance age set
  • Owners of rental property or an LLC whose interests need to pass smoothly

Proposition 19 changed how a home passed from parents to children is reassessed for property tax. We explain how it may affect your plan; for tax advice we coordinate with your CPA.

Flat Fees

Flat fees, confirmed in writing before any work begins: trust-based estate plan $3,500 for an individual or $4,500 for a couple; will-based plan $2,500 for an individual. Includes one California property deed. Additional properties and specialized trusts are quoted separately, in writing, before any work begins. See Legal Fees.

How It Works

1

Free 15-minute call. Tell us what you need and we’ll recommend the right approach.

2

Planning meeting. By Zoom, by phone, or in person in El Dorado Hills or Walnut Creek.

3

Review your documents. Read every page and ask anything until it’s right.

4

Sign and finish. We coordinate signing, notarization and next steps.

Work Directly with Your Attorney

Andrei Jingan is a California-licensed attorney practicing estate planning and business law, and a father of three. You work with him directly from the first call through signing.

  • Offices by appointment in El Dorado Hills and Walnut Creek
  • Serving all of California remotely, and in person where needed
  • Consultations in English, Romanian and Russian

El Dorado Hills Estate Planning FAQs

Do I have to come to an office to make an estate plan in El Dorado Hills?

No. Most El Dorado Hills clients meet by Zoom or phone, and in-person meetings are available at our El Dorado Hills office. Documents can be signed at the office or with a mobile notary near you.

How much does a living trust cost?

Our flat fee for a trust-based estate plan is $3,500 for an individual or $4,500 for a couple, including one California property deed. A will-based plan is $2,500 for an individual. Your fee is confirmed in a written engagement agreement before any work begins.

Does a living trust avoid probate in El Dorado County?

Generally yes, if the trust is properly funded, meaning your home and other assets are titled in the trust’s name or pass to it by beneficiary designation. We prepare the deed for one California property as part of the trust plan and give you written funding instructions for the rest.

Can you help in Romanian or Russian?

Yes. Attorney Andrei Jingan consults directly in English, Romanian and Russian.

Start Your El Dorado Hills Estate Plan

Book a free 15-minute call, phone us, or send a message. We reply within one business day.

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    Attorney advertising. Contacting AJ Law Firm (Law Office of Andrei Jingan) through this page does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send confidential information until we have agreed to represent you. This page provides general information, not legal advice for your situation.