California estate planning for families who worked too hard to leave anything to chance.
Remote. Flat-fee. Your family, protected.
Trusted by families across California
California State Bar
Michelle Bosio, Esq.
Managing Attorney · Smart Estates Law, APC
Online forms can fill in blanks, but they can’t ask the right questions. When you work with Smart Estates Law, you work directly with me, from your first conversation to your finished plan. I’ll get to know your family, explain your options in plain English, and draft a California estate plan built to hold up when the people you love need it most.
Meet Michelle →What Probate Could Cost Your Family
Without a plan, California law takes over. The costs to your family can be staggering.
High Fees
On a $900,000 home, close to the California average, attorney and executor fees alone total $42,000 under the state's statutory fee schedule. On higher-value homes, that number climbs further. Fees are calculated on the gross value of the estate, not your equity.
Months of Delay
The average California probate takes 16 to 24 months. During this time, your family faces months of delay before anyone has legal authority to act, and no one can receive their inheritance until the court process is complete.
Public Record
Everything filed in probate court becomes public record: your assets, your debts, your family details. Anyone can see it.
A living trust costs a fraction of what probate takes from your family. Protect a $900,000 home for $3,500, or risk over $42,000 in statutory probate fees.
One-time, flat fee. No billing by the hour. No surprises.
You Choose Who Raises Your Children. Not a Judge.
If something happens to you tomorrow, there are decisions your family can’t legally make: who steps in for you, who raises your kids, who signs for your home, who talks to the doctors. California’s default plan picks for you. A judge decides. A courtroom runs the clock.
Your own plan writes those decisions down, in your words, so the people you love follow your instructions instead of a court’s calendar.
Our Simple 3-Step Process
Estate planning does not have to feel overwhelming. We guide you through a clear, supportive process from start to finish, beginning with a consultation to understand your goals and confirm the right plan for your family.
Tell Us About Your Family
We begin with an initial consultation to understand your goals and answer your questions. You then complete a comprehensive questionnaire at your own pace. We follow up with a second meeting to review your answers together and confirm the right plan for your family.
We Draft Your Documents
Based on your questionnaire and our conversation, we prepare your complete set of legal documents, living trust, will, powers of attorney, healthcare directive, and guardianship nominations. You receive drafts to review on your own time.
Review, Sign, and You're Done
We meet to review everything together, answer any remaining questions, and finalize any changes. Once you're happy, we walk you through signing. You leave with a complete, signed California estate plan.
What We Help With
Frequently Asked Questions
Free The California Estate Planning Guide
A fifteen-minute read that could save your family tens of thousands of dollars and years in court. Plain language, real numbers, no legal jargon.
- What California's default plan would do to your family
- The real cost of probate, in actual dollars
- Who speaks for you if you can't, and how to fix it
- How to legally name your children's guardian
- The truth about wills vs. living trusts
Start Protecting Your Family Today.
Schedule your consultation. We'll answer your questions and help you determine exactly what kind of planning you need.