Sacramento · Placer · El Dorado Counties

Estate Planning Lawyer Serving Greater Sacramento

Living trusts and wills for families across the Sacramento region, by Zoom or at our El Dorado Hills office by appointment.

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

Serving the Sacramento Region

We help clients in Sacramento, Elk Grove, Roseville, Rocklin, Granite Bay, Folsom, Rancho Cordova, Citrus Heights, Carmichael, Fair Oaks and nearby communities.

Where we meet: our El Dorado Hills 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.

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

Probate in the Sacramento Region

If a Sacramento 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 Sacramento 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.

Placer County estates go through the Placer County Superior Court and El Dorado County estates through the El Dorado County Superior Court. The same rules and statutory fees apply. A funded trust generally keeps your family out of all of them.

State Employees and Retirees

Many Sacramento-area clients have CalPERS or CalSTRS benefits, 457 or 401(k) plans and deferred compensation. These pass by beneficiary designation, not by your trust or will, so we review how each one is set up and recommend changes that fit your plan.

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

Greater Sacramento Estate Planning FAQs

Do I have to come to an office to make an estate plan in Greater Sacramento?

No. Most Greater Sacramento 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 Sacramento 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 Greater Sacramento 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.