Keep Your Home Out of Probate.
Keep Thousands in Your Family.

Most Shasta County estate attorneys charge between $3,000 and $8,000+ for trust preparation. Our complete estate document package is $1,995 flat, which covers your revocable living trust, pour-over will, advance healthcare directive, financial power of attorney, and property transfer deed including recording with Shasta County.

A Legal Document Assistant (LDA) is a California-registered, bonded professional authorized to prepare legal paperwork at your direction. LDAs are not attorneys and cannot give legal advice, but for straightforward estate planning we deliver the same documents at a fraction of the typical attorney fee. Madison Kopta is registered as LDA #LDA082 in Shasta County.

If you own real estate anywhere in California, a living trust is strongly recommended. Without one, your home is required to pass through probate — a public, court-supervised process that typically takes 12 to 18 months in Shasta County and can cost your family $15,000 to $30,000 or more. A properly funded trust transfers your home directly to your heirs, privately and without court delay.

A will gives instructions for distributing your assets, but it still has to be validated by probate court before anything transfers. A revocable living trust holds your assets while you're alive and then passes them directly to your named beneficiaries when you die — no court, no public record, no waiting period. In California, where home values are high, the probate costs avoided by a trust usually dwarf the price of preparing one.

Probate cases in Shasta County Superior Court generally run 12 to 18 months for straightforward estates. Complicated estates — multiple properties, business interests, or family disputes — can stretch well past two years. During probate, families often can't sell property or fully access bank accounts, and the statutory fees for an average estate run $15,000–$30,000+.

A revocable living trust is a legal arrangement that holds your assets during your lifetime and then transfers them to your chosen beneficiaries when you die — without going through probate. The word "revocable" simply means you can change or cancel it any time while you're alive and competent.

Your estate is sent through probate court, which takes a year or more and can cost your family thousands in statutory fees. Your assets become part of the public record. If you also didn't have a will, the court applies California's intestate succession rules to decide who inherits — which may not match what you would have wanted.

Yes — that's the whole point of a revocable living trust. You can amend or fully revoke it any time while you're alive and competent. Marriage, divorce, new children or grandchildren, a property purchase, or simply changing your mind are all common reasons clients return to update their trusts.

A trustee is the person responsible for managing the trust's assets according to your instructions. A beneficiary is the person (or people) who actually receives those assets. While you're alive and well, you can serve as both your own trustee and your own beneficiary — you stay in full control of everything in the trust.

Yes. Every trust package we prepare includes a "pour-over will." Its job is to catch any asset you forgot to transfer into the trust and route it there after you pass. It's also the document that names guardians for any minor children — something a trust cannot do.

An advance healthcare directive puts your medical wishes in writing and names a person to make healthcare decisions for you if you can't speak for yourself. Without one, your family may be forced to make agonizing decisions — or fight each other about them — during the worst possible moment.

A financial power of attorney authorizes someone you trust to handle your money matters — paying bills, managing investments, dealing with property — if you become incapacitated. Without one, your family typically has to go to court (and pay legal fees) just to get permission to help you.

No. A paralegal works under an attorney's supervision. A registered LDA works directly with the public, preparing documents at the client's direction. We're registered and bonded with the county, and we can help you prepare your estate plan without an attorney's hourly bill — though we can't give legal advice.

Yes. The trust, will, healthcare directive, power of attorney, and deed we prepare are the same legal instruments an attorney would draft. The difference is that an LDA prepares them at your direction without providing legal advice. For ordinary estate planning, the documents are fully valid, enforceable, and recognized by California courts.

We cannot give legal advice, recommend strategies, or represent you in court. We can explain the options that exist and prepare the documents you choose. If your situation requires legal advice — say, a contested estate or a complex tax strategy — we'll refer you to a trusted local attorney.

Online services hand you a form. We sit across from you at the table. You get a human guide through every decision, a complete document package, and — critically — we record your property deed with Shasta County so your trust is actually funded. That last step is what makes the difference between an estate plan that works and one that just looks like it does.

California law requires every Legal Document Assistant to register with the county where they do business, pass a background check, and post a surety bond that protects consumers. Madison's registration (LDA #LDA082) is on file with the Shasta County Clerk-Recorder's office, which means every state requirement has been met.

Funding a trust means moving your assets into it — retitling your home, updating bank account ownership, changing beneficiaries on life insurance and retirement accounts. A trust is only useful for assets that are actually titled in its name. We handle the single most important piece: recording your property deed.

A trust only avoids probate for property that's actually titled in the trust's name. Recording the new deed with the Shasta County Recorder is what officially transfers your home into the trust. Skip this step — which most DIY platforms do — and your family will still end up in probate for the house, no matter how perfect the trust document looks.

Yes — this is one of the most valuable parts of the service. We prepare and record your Property Transfer Deed with Shasta County. So many people create trusts and then never transfer the property in. We close that gap for you.

Not a problem. We can prepare and record deeds for properties in any California county. Recording fees vary slightly by county, and we'll walk you through what to expect for each one.

Yes. If you buy a new home or other real estate after your trust is created, we can prepare and record a new deed to transfer that property in. Same goes for inherited property.

Bring a rough picture of your assets (home value, bank and investment accounts, retirement accounts, life insurance), your beneficiaries' full names and contact info, and any thoughts on who you'd want to manage things if you couldn't. You don't need to have it all figured out — we'll work through it together.

Yes. Most married couples we work with choose a joint revocable living trust, which is included in the $1,995 package. We'll talk through whether a joint or individual trust makes more sense for your situation during the consultation.

We'll go through each document with you to make sure everything looks right, then you'll sign with a notary present. The whole thing takes about 30 to 45 minutes. You'll leave with your complete documents, and we'll take it from there to record the deed.

For most local clients we meet at our office at 5000 Bechelli Lane in Redding. But virtual planning appointments are available anywhere in California, and we can arrange mobile notary service for signing if you can't make it in.

Payment is collected at your Planning Appointment, after the free initial phone consultation. We accept cash or card.

Your documents stay valid until you amend or revoke them. That said, it's smart to give your estate plan a once-over every 3 to 5 years, or after any major life event — marriage, divorce, a new child or grandchild, a property purchase, or a significant change in assets.

For most families with straightforward situations, an LDA delivers exactly what you need. If you're dealing with complex tax planning, business succession, a contentious family dynamic, or an estate above the federal exemption threshold, we'll refer you to a trusted attorney instead of trying to fit a square peg in a round hole.

Our Redding office at 5000 Bechelli Lane serves clients across Shasta County — including Anderson, Shasta Lake, Palo Cedro, Cottonwood, Bella Vista, and Igo — and we welcome clients from neighboring Tehama, Trinity, and Siskiyou counties, including Red Bluff. Virtual appointments are available anywhere in California. Need help in Placer County or the greater Sacramento area? Visit our sister location at Redding Trust & Insurance Co.

Yes. Redding Trust & Insurance Co. is also a licensed insurance broker (CA License #4384531, NV License #4083101). Life insurance and related coverage often work hand-in-hand with an estate plan, and we can review both together. Just select "Insurance Quote" on the contact form or mention it during your free consultation.