Los Angeles Revocable Living Trust Attorney
The Centerpiece of Many California Estate Plans
A revocable living trust is a legal arrangement you create during your lifetime, naming yourself as trustee and retaining full control over the assets you place inside it. Because California probate can be slow, costly, and entirely public, many of our Los Angeles clients use a revocable living trust as the foundation of their estate plan, with a will serving as a backup.
The Law Office of Mitchell A. Port has drafted revocable living trusts for California families for over four decades, and we place particular emphasis on the step most attorneys rush through: actually funding the trust.
Why Avoid Probate
Assets held in a properly funded revocable living trust bypass the probate process entirely, passing directly to your named beneficiaries according to the trust's terms. This avoids the statutory attorney and executor fees that apply in a probate proceeding, which are calculated as a percentage of the estate's gross value under Probate Code sections 10800 and 10810, and it keeps the details of your estate out of the public record, since a trust, unlike a probated will, is not filed with the court.
Planning for Incapacity, Not Just Death
A revocable living trust does more than address what happens after you die. Because you name a successor trustee who steps in if you become incapacitated, the trust allows for a seamless transition of financial management without any need for a court-supervised conservatorship. This incapacity planning function is often just as valuable to clients as the probate avoidance itself.
The Critical Step of Funding the Trust
A living trust only protects the assets that are actually retitled into its name. We routinely see trusts prepared by other firms, or purchased online, that were never properly funded, meaning bank accounts, real estate, and investment accounts remained in the client's individual name and had to go through probate anyway. Our office works through your specific assets one by one, whether that means recording a new deed for your Los Angeles County property, retitling brokerage accounts, or updating beneficiary designations, so the trust actually accomplishes what it was designed to do. We also prepare a pour-over will as a safety net for anything inadvertently left out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a revocable living trust protect my assets from creditors?
No. Because you retain full control and can revoke the trust at any time, its assets remain reachable by your creditors during your lifetime, and generally by estate creditors after death. Asset protection typically requires an irrevocable trust instead.
Do I still need a will if I have a living trust?
Yes. We pair every living trust with a pour-over will to catch any assets not transferred into the trust and, if you have minor children, to name a guardian, since guardianship nominations belong in a will rather than a trust.
Call (310) 526-3433 to build and properly fund a revocable living trust with the Law Office of Mitchell A. Port.
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"I highly recommend Mitchell A. Port"Living outside California, I needed an attorney from the Los Angeles area to handle my difficult LA Probate case. I went online and fortunately found a very experienced Probate Attorney in LA named Mitchell A. Port. Mitchell took my Probate case and did an excellent job helping me navigate through the intricacies of the LA Court Probate system. He quickly responded to any questions I had and was extremely knowledgeable about the steps required to complete the entire Los Angeles County Probate process. I highly recommend Mitchell A. Port to handle any of your future needs concerning the LA Court Probate system.- Randall
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"Knowledgeable, Personable and Results-oriented"Mitch is a great attorney - knowledgeable, personable and results-oriented. He helped me work through a challenging probate issue and his expertise was invaluable in terms of moving the case forward. Two thumbs up and five stars from me.- Jason
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"I found Mitch online and it was the best click I ever made"When I needed a probate attorney I found Mitch online and it was the best click I ever made. Thanks, Mitch- Norman S.
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"My brother and I have been so fortunate that my father chose Mitch Port to create his Trust!"My brother and I have been so fortunate that my father chose Mitch Port to create his Trust!- Cathy W
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"Mitch is compassionate, extremely knowledgeable and professional"
Mitch is compassionate, extremely knowledgeable and professional
- Lynne -
"Mitchell met my highest expectations."Mitchell met my highest expectations.- LaTrisha M
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"Mitch was awesome throughout this entire process and made this a stressless process."Mitch was awesome throughout this entire process and made this a stressless process.- M. C.
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"Probate cases can be difficult but attorney Mitchell Port makes them easier to understand."Probate cases can be difficult but attorney Mitchell Port makes them easier to understand.- Glendene W.
