Orinda · Contra Costa County
Living trusts, wills and incapacity documents for Orinda families, at flat fees.
Consultations in English, Romanian and Russian · Serving all of California
We work with Orinda clients by Zoom and at our Walnut Creek office, a short drive east on Highway 24.
Where we meet: our Walnut Creek office (by appointment), or by Zoom or phone. We do not have an office in this city. Signing can be arranged in person or with a mobile notary.
If a Contra Costa 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 Contra Costa County Superior Court in Martinez. 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 Orinda households already have a trust, sometimes written 15 or 20 years ago. Since then, trustees may have moved or passed away, children have grown, and California law has changed, including Proposition 19’s rules on property-tax reassessment when a home passes to children. A review tells you whether an amendment, a restatement, or no change at all is needed.
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.
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Free 15-minute call. Tell us what you need and we’ll recommend the right approach.
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Planning meeting. By Zoom, by phone, or in person in El Dorado Hills or Walnut Creek.
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Review your documents. Read every page and ask anything until it’s right.
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Sign and finish. We coordinate signing, notarization and next steps.
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.
No. Most Orinda clients meet by Zoom or phone, and in-person meetings are available at our Walnut Creek office. Documents can be signed at the office or with a mobile notary near you.
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.
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.
Yes. Attorney Andrei Jingan consults directly in English, Romanian and Russian.
Book a free 15-minute call, phone us, or send a message. We reply within one business day.
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.
