Estate Planning Attorneys in Lincoln, CA

Clark Allison LLP serves families throughout Lincoln, including Sun City Lincoln Hills, from our Roseville office at 2520 Douglas Blvd., Suite 160. We help Lincoln homeowners protect their families and their homes with living trusts, wills, powers of attorney, and trust administration.

Estate planning is all we do. One of our estate planning attorneys will work 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 Lincoln Homeowners Need a Living Trust

If you own a home in Lincoln, whether in Sun City Lincoln Hills, Twelve Bridges, or anywhere else in Placer County, you need a living trust. California probate is expensive, slow, and public. And it catches families who only have a will by surprise.

California probate is the court-supervised process that applies to any asset held in your individual name without a beneficiary designation. For a Lincoln homeowner, that almost certainly means your home. The fees are set by California statute, calculated on the gross value of your estate, not your equity.

On a Lincoln home worth $650,000, the combined statutory attorney and executor fees run approximately $34,000, not including court costs, appraisals, or accounting. The process takes 12 to 18 months and becomes public record.

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.

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.

For Sun City Lincoln Hills Residents

Sun City Lincoln Hills is one of the largest active adult communities in Northern California. Many residents have been homeowners for decades, have accumulated meaningful assets, and in some cases have existing estate plans that are years or even decades out of date.

A well-funded living trust means your successor trustee steps in without court involvement - no conservatorship proceedings if you become incapacitated, no probate when you pass. Your family gets to focus on what matters, not on navigating the California court system.

If your trust was drafted more than five years ago, it's worth a review. Tax laws have changed significantly. The One Big Beautiful Bill permanently raised the federal estate tax exemption to $15,000,000 per person, and $30,000,000 for a married couple. If you have an older living trust estate plan, it may have an A/B provision you may not want anymore.

Estate Planning for Lincoln Families with Minor Children

For Lincoln families with children at home, 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.

A judge who has never met your family makes that call based on a statutory priority list. Your will is where you nominate a guardian. Your living trust is where you control your children's inheritance, including when and how they receive it. Without a trust, California law hands your children everything they inherit in a lump sum on their 18th birthday.

A complete California estate plan for a Lincoln 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: to change title to your living trust
Living Trust Updates and Reviews: updating outdated plans, including older trusts that need restating to reflect current law

Our Lincoln Estate Planning Process

Two meetings with one of our attorneys. Typically two to three weeks from start to finish. Flat fees with no hourly billing and no surprise invoices. Many of our Lincoln and Sun City clients complete their entire estate plan from home via Zoom, convenient, efficient, and identical in quality to an in-person appointment.

Meeting 1: Design. Via Zoom or in person at our Roseville office, your choice. Walk through your family situation and assets and design the right plan. No forms, no homework. Just a conversation.

Meeting 2: Review and Sign. Review your completed documents with our attorney, ask any remaining questions, and approve the final plan. Sign with our notary, online or in person, and you're done.

Frequently Asked Questions — Lincoln Estate Planning

Do I need a living trust if I own a home in Lincoln?	Almost certainly yes. California requires probate for real property. Lincoln homes are well above the threshold. A will does not avoid probate. A properly funded living trust avoids probate entirely.
What does California probate cost for a Lincoln home?	On a $650,000 Lincoln home, combined statutory fees run approximately $34,000 — before court costs. Probate also takes 12 to 18 months and is public record.
I live in Sun City and already have a trust. Do I need to update it?	Possibly. If your trust is more than five years old, or if your family situation has changed, a spouse has passed, you've bought or sold property, your named trustee is no longer the right person, it should be reviewed.
What happens to my kids if I die without an estate plan?	A California court decides who raises them, based on a statutory priority list. A complete estate plan puts that decision in your hands.
How long does estate planning take?	About two weeks from your first meeting. Two attorney meetings. Fixed fees. No hourly billing.
Do I need to drive to your office?	No. We offer complete virtual estate planning via Zoom, many Lincoln and Sun City clients prefer this. If you prefer in-person, our Roseville office at 2520 Douglas Blvd. is a straightforward drive from Lincoln.
How much does estate planning cost in Lincoln?	We charge flat fees and publish our prices. No hourly billing. No surprise invoices. And once you're a client, questions are always free.
What is the difference between a will and a living trust?	A will tells the court your wishes, but it still goes through probate. A living trust transfers your assets to your family without any court involvement.
Can I do my estate planning online?	Yes. Clark Allison offers complete virtual estate planning via Zoom from anywhere in California. You'll work one-on-one with Hannah David.

Why Lincoln 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 meet with us, you meet with an attorney.

Flat fees, no surprises. We publish our prices. You know the cost before you start. And once you're a client, questions are always free.

Virtual-friendly. Many of our Lincoln and Sun City clients complete their entire estate plan from home via Zoom. No traffic, no parking, same quality.

Over 25 years of California estate planning. Clark Allison has been doing this since 1996. We've seen what happens when families don't plan.

Common Estate Planning Mistakes Lincoln Families Make

Having a will but no living trust. A will alone means California probate. For a Lincoln homeowner with a $650,000 home, that's $34,000 in statutory fees and 12 to 18 months of court process.

Creating a trust and never funding it. A living trust only protects the assets actually transferred into it. We handle transferring title of your properties and guide you with the funding of your other assets.

Outdated beneficiary designations. Retirement accounts and life insurance pass by beneficiary designation. A deceased beneficiary still listed creates problems. Review your designations every few years.

Never reviewing the plan. For Sun City residents, especially, an estate plan written ten or twenty years ago may not reflect your current family situation, assets, or the law. We recommend a review every five years.

We Can Help

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. We’ll let you know what you need and what it will cost.