Guides
The stuff nobody teaches you about life.
Straightforward guides to the decisions, documents, money, family, and life stuff you’re somehow expected to already understand.
Start here
New to estate planning? Start with the basics.
Want to explore further?
Read our complete introduction to estate planning.
Core guides
The questions California families ask most.
Start with the parts of estate planning that tend to matter most.
01
California Probate
How probate works, when it may apply, what it can cost, and why families often plan around it.
Explore probate
02
Living Trusts
What a living trust does, how it can help avoid probate, and why funding it matters.
Explore living trusts
03
Wills
What a will controls, what it doesn't, and where it fits into a broader estate plan.
Explore wills
Decision guide
Do I Need a Living Trust in California?
A practical guide to when a living trust may make sense, who commonly benefits, and how home ownership and probate risk can affect the answer.
Explore more
There’s more to planning than the documents.
Explore guides on family, money, digital life, business, and the decisions that come with planning ahead.
Tools
Reading is useful. Sometimes it’s easier to just check.
Use Pillar’s free tools to get a clearer picture of where you stand.
