With legal insurance, you pay a monthly premium that’s typically a fraction of the cost you’d pay in attorney fees. Legal insurance gives you asset protection planning for retirement access to a network of qualified lawyers who specialize in estate planning and other legal matters. This checklist gives you a fairly thorough plan for setting up an estate plan that will carry out your wishes for your assets after you’re gon


You can choose multiple beneficiaries and dictate how you want your estate divided up. Selecting beneficiaries and recording how you want your estate to be distributed among them can help prevent a legal battle between your beneficiaries. This will help you take stock of exactly what you have to pass on to heirs and document key information so your family has a record of accounts and property. Discussing the end of life and what happens to your assets is never an easy conversation to have, especially with family. Consult your tax, legal, or accounting asset protection planning for retirement professional regarding your individual situation. Guardian, its subsidiaries, agents, and employees do not provide tax, legal, or accounting advic


However, if you live in a state with inheritance taxes, plan to create a trust, or have philanthropic goals, your estate plan could be more specialized and benefit from professional guidance. Discuss your wishes with the person you select, and make sure you choose someone you trust to follow them. A health care proxy agent is the individual you designate to make decisions about your medical care if you're unable to do so. Be sure your selected guardians understand their potential responsibilities and can handle them. A guardian is responsible for raising your children to adulthood if both you and the children's other parent are deceased. If you have a Vanguard account, you can log in to review or update your beneficiaries.
Create a will
It has been prepared without regard to the individual financial circumstances and objectives of persons who receive it. After working hard to build your wealth, it’s important to protect your legacy and plan for what happens to your assets when you die. If you don’t choose a guardian before your death, a court will decide. Important considerations when choosing a guardian include age, health and location. If you don’t have direct family, you can name a relative, friend or charitable organization as the beneficiaries of your estate. But this type of planning is essential if you hope to ease what can be a difficult process for the people you love and to ensure that your wishes are respecte


A will helps make sure your wishes are followed and makes things easier for your family. Think of your estate plan like a supportive and comforting safety net for your family. Even if your situation remains steady, it’s still smart to review your plan periodically since the laws related to estate planning can change. Revisit your estate plan anytime big life changes happen—like getting married or divorced, retiring, losing a family member, or switching or losing jobs. Sharing your estate plan with family members now can prevent confusion, hurt feelings, and conflict down the road. Tell your executor and trusted family members where to find i

Estate planning is for everyone, not just wealthy people
Schedule a free consultation with Attorney Rozsa Gyene to discuss your estate planning needs. For families in Montecito, Beverly Hills, Pasadena, and Santa Ynez Valley, strategic planning can protect your legacy—especially with the 2026 estate tax exemption sunset approaching. The best time to asset protection planning for retirement create a living trust was yesterday. The $575-$3,500 upfront cost saves $30,000-$50,000+ in probate fees and spares your family months of court proceedings. Many attorneys, including our office, offer payment plans to make planning accessible. Some legal insurance plans (like LegalShield or group benefits) provide discounts, but often with limitations.
Revocable Living Trust – Married Package: $1,2


California trust law is complex, and mistakes can cost your family tens of thousands in litigation. Ask exactly what's included and why the cost is higher. If you have a special needs beneficiary requiring Medi-Cal or SSI benefit protection, specialized planning may cost $3,000-$5,000.
Our Glendale office has lower overhead than Beverly Hills or downtown Los Angeles, and we pass those savings to clients. Many people think a simple will is cheaper than a trust. If you want to make changes during the drafting process, some attorneys charge hourly fees ($300-$500/hour). Some attorneys charge $200-$500 for an initial consultation, then don't apply it toward your final fee if you hire them.
Optional Add-On Services:
The beginning of the process is simple enough as others have mentioned you can do... This service was recommended to me by family friends who had used it. They're just a trust mill churning out the same identical forms to every other family, no matter the circumstances. We offer the same high quality trust in-office and also by mail (for a further reduced price)!
Most importantly, a Living Trust, if properly funded, will avoid the time-consuming and expensive probate process. Michael Chulak prepared his first estate planning documents for clients, including Living Trusts and Pour-Over Wills in 1998, and has assisted hundreds of clients over the years. She thought she was protected with his Trust. My mother wanted to protect her kids if she died first as she knew my father would take the mone