If you pass in an accident or in an accident with your spouse, or shortly after each other, without a trust, your estate may be subject to probate. California has some of the highest attorney fees, which start at 4% of the first $100k of the gross probate estate and can easily add up to tens of thousands of dollars.

One of the main advantages of having a living trust is being able to bypass the time and cost of probate, which is a process of administering an estate that may easily cost thousands of dollars and over a year or more to resolve.

The greater the value of your assets (particularly if you own real estate), the greater the benefits of a living trust.

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