Estate Planning Attorneys in Granite Bay, CA
Clark Allison LLP serves families throughout Granite Bay from our Roseville office at 2520 Douglas Blvd., Suite 160. We help Granite Bay homeowners protect their families and their homes with living trusts, wills, powers of attorney, and trust administration.
Estate planning is all we do. Our Roseville office estate planning attorney Hannah David (scroll below for her bio), works directly with you from your first meeting to your last. You won't be handed off to a paralegal. When you meet with us, you meet with an attorney.
Why Granite Bay Homeowners Need a Serious Estate Plan
Granite Bay is one of the most affluent communities in the Sacramento region. Homes regularly sell for $1,000,000 to $3,000,000 or more. Many Granite Bay families also have investment accounts, retirement plans, and business interests beyond the home. The stakes are higher here than in most communities - and so is the cost of not planning.
California probate is the court-supervised process that applies to any asset held in your individual name without a beneficiary designation. For a Granite Bay homeowner, that almost certainly means your home, and potentially much more. The fees are set by California statute, calculated on the gross value of your estate, not your equity.
On a $1,500,000 Granite Bay estate, the combined statutory attorney and executor fees exceed $58,000 before court costs, appraisals, or accounting. On a $2,000,000 estate, they exceed $78,000. The process takes 12 to 18 months and becomes public record. Anyone can look up what you owned, what you owed, and who received it.
A revocable living trust avoids California probate entirely. Your successor trustee manages and distributes your assets without any court involvement, on your timeline, in private. For Granite Bay families with significant assets, privacy alone is worth the investment.
Most California married couples own their home as joint tenants. When the first spouse dies, the home passes automatically to the surviving spouse without probate. But when the second spouse dies, if there's no trust, the estate goes through probate. A living trust protects your family at both deaths. And if either spouse becomes incapacitated, your successor trustee steps in without any court involvement. No conservatorship. No judge.
Beyond the Basics: What Granite Bay Families Should Consider
For families with larger or more complex estates, a living trust is the foundation, but it's not always the whole picture.
If your estate includes investment accounts, business interests, or rental properties, those assets need to be properly coordinated with your trust. Beneficiary designations on retirement accounts and life insurance need to be reviewed and aligned with your overall plan.
For families whose combined estate approaches or exceeds $15,000,000, federal estate tax planning may also be relevant. The current exemption under the One Big Beautiful Bill is $15,000,000 per person, $30,000,000 for a married couple. For most Granite Bay families that means no estate tax today. But for families with appreciating real estate, investment portfolios, and business interests, it's worth keeping an eye on.
We work with Granite Bay families in the $1,000,000 to $15,000,000 range. And if your estate is more complex than a home and savings account, we can help you determine what you need, and what you don't need.
Estate Planning for Granite Bay Families with Minor Children
For Granite Bay families with young children, estate planning has a dimension beyond avoiding probate: if you both die without a completed estate plan, a California court decides who raises your kids and who manages their inheritance.
Without a living trust, California law places your minor children's inheritance under court supervision until they turn 18. Then they receive everything outright. In one lump sum. On the day they legally become an adult. For families with significant assets, that's a meaningful concern.
A living trust lets you set the terms. Distributions for education and living expenses. Full control at 25 or 30 when they're actually ready. And if you want to protect their inheritance from future divorce or lawsuits, asset protection provisions can be built into the trust.
A California Estate Plan for a Granite Bay Family Includes:
- Revocable Living Trust: avoids probate and protects your assets during incapacity
- Pour-Over Will: catches stray assets and names a guardian for your minor children
- Durable Power of Attorney for Finances: authorizes someone to manage your money if you're incapacitated
- Advance Health Care Directive: names a health care agent and documents your medical wishes
- HIPAA Authorization: allows your doctors to speak with the people you trust
- Trust Transfer Deed for your real properties
- Living Trust Updates and Reviews: updating outdated plans to reflect current law and family circumstances
- Asset Protection Trust Provisions: protecting your children's inheritance from divorce and lawsuits
Our Granite Bay Estate Planning Process
Two meetings with Hannah. Typically two to three weeks from start to finish. Flat fees with no hourly billing and no surprise invoices.
Meeting 1: Design. In person at our Roseville office or via Zoom, your choice. Walk through your family situation and assets with Hannah and design the right plan. No forms, no homework. Just a conversation.
Meeting 2: Review and Sign. Review your completed documents with Hannah, ask any remaining questions, and approve the final plan. Sign with our notary - in person or online, and you're done.
We've been doing this for over 25 years. A well-crafted estate plan for a Granite Bay family should be thorough, customized, and completed efficiently. That's exactly what we do.
Frequently Asked Questions — Granite Bay Estate Planning
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Do I need a living trust if I own a home in Granite Bay?
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Yes. California requires probate for real property. Granite Bay homes are well above the threshold. A will does not avoid probate. A properly funded living trust avoids probate entirely, and for Granite Bay families, the cost savings are substantial.
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What does California probate cost for a Granite Bay estate?
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On a $1,500,000 Granite Bay estate, combined statutory fees exceed $58,000. On a $2,000,000 estate, they exceed $78,000 — before court costs. Probate also takes 12 to 18 months and is entirely a public record.
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My estate is complex — investment accounts, business interests, rental property. Can you help?
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Yes. We work with Granite Bay families whose estates include multiple asset types. If something is outside what we do, we'll tell you and refer you to the right specialist.
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What happens to my kids' inheritance without a trust?
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Without a living trust, minor children's inheritance goes under court supervision until they turn 18, then they receive everything outright. A living trust lets you set the terms and can include asset protection to significantly protect their inheritance from divorce or lawsuits.
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How long does estate planning take?
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About two to three weeks from your first meeting. Two attorney meetings. Fixed fees. No hourly billing.
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I already have a living trust. Do I need to update it?
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Probably. If your trust is more than five years old, if your assets or family have changed, it should be reviewed. That review call is always free.
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Do I need to come into the office?
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No. We offer complete virtual estate planning via Zoom. If you prefer in-person, our Roseville office at 2520 Douglas Blvd. is a short drive from Granite Bay.
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How much does estate planning cost in Granite Bay?
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We charge flat fees and publish our prices. No hourly billing. No surprise invoices. And once you're a client, questions are always free.
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What is the difference between a will and a living trust?
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A will tells the court your wishes, but it still goes through probate. A living trust transfers your assets without any court involvement. For California homeowners, a living trust is almost always the better choice.
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Why Granite Bay Families Choose Clark Allison
We only do estate planning. This is not our side hustle. We do estate planning and trust administration. That focus means we're very good at it.
You work with an attorney. Not a paralegal. Not a staff member. When you work with us, you work with Hannah.
Flat fees, no surprises. We publish our prices. You know the cost before you start. We don't bill hourly. And once you're a client, questions are always free.
We work with the right clients. We serve families with estates from $1,000,000 to $15,000,000. We're not the right fit for everyone, and we'll tell you that upfront. But for Granite Bay families in that range, we do exactly what they need - thoroughly and efficiently.
Over 25 years of California estate planning. Clark Allison has been doing this since 1996. We've seen what happens when families with significant assets don't plan.
Common Estate Planning Mistakes Granite Bay Families Make
Having a will but no living trust. A will alone means California probate. For a Granite Bay homeowner with a $1,500,000 estate, that's $58,000 in statutory fees and 12 to 18 months of court process. A living trust avoids it entirely.
Creating a trust and never funding it. A living trust only protects the assets actually transferred into it. If your home is still in your individual name, it goes through probate. We handle the funding process for every client.
Misaligned beneficiary designations. Retirement accounts and life insurance pass by beneficiary designation, completely outside your will and trust. For Granite Bay families with substantial retirement accounts and life insurance, getting these right matters.
Not protecting your children's inheritance. A standard trust distributes assets outright. If your children are later divorced or sued, that inheritance may be at risk. Asset protection provisions can shield what you've built.
Never reviewing the plan. For families with growing estates, periodic reviews matter more, not less. We recommend a review every five years.
It's Time
Ready to get your estate plan done? Call us at (916) 983-9410 or click the Get Started link below to schedule a free intro conversation with Hannah. We’ll tell you exactly what you need and what it will cost.
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