Simplify Inheritance With a Living Trust

Can you avoid probate without a trust?

Technically, yes. Realistically? Good luck.

Unless you’re the most disciplined, detail-oriented person alive—someone who updates every account, title, and policy after every life change—you’re likely to miss something. And the minute you do? Boom: you’ve got a probatable asset on your hands.

Let’s break this down simply.

What Makes an Asset “Probatable”?

In estate planning, there are two types of assets:

• Probatable assets require a court’s help to transfer after death. These include real estate, cars, business interests, bank accounts with no beneficiary, and even your household belongings.

• Non-probatable assets transfer automatically. These typically have a named beneficiary: think 401(k)s, life insurance policies, and accounts with transfer-on-death (TOD) designations.

Your goal? Avoid probate.

Can You DIY Your Way Out of Probate?

Sure. In theory, you could:

• Add TOD designations to your bank accounts

• Title cars jointly

• Update beneficiary forms across every financial institution

• Build trigger clauses into your business agreements

But here’s the catch: one change in your life—like buying a new car, refinancing your home, or switching banks—means starting all over again.

Unless you’re obsessively tracking every detail of every asset every day, you’re going to miss something. And when you do, that asset goes through California probate, which is:

• Slow: 12–24 months on average

• Expensive: $50,000 or more for a $1 million estate

• Stressful: Your family loses time, money, and peace of mind

The Set-It-and-Forget-It Power of a Living Trust

With a revocable living trust, you don’t have to chase every account.

You simply:

1. Create a trust with a qualified estate planning attorney

2. Transfer ownership of your key assets into the trust or name the trust as a beneficiary

3. Sleep well knowing your assets are non-probatable by default

Your trust becomes the central hub for your estate—one you can update as life changes. No more constant beneficiary updates. No need to worry about missing something.

It’s efficient, flexible, and private. And unlike probate, it doesn’t require a judge to make decisions about what your family inherits.

Don’t Be a Nerd (Unless You Want To Be)

If you enjoy managing spreadsheets with your bank accounts, car titles, insurance policies, and business shares—by all means, go for it.

But if you’d rather avoid that headache and protect your family with a smart, streamlined plan, a living trust is your best friend.

And your future non-nerd self will thank you.

Ready to Start Your Estate Plan?

Book a free, no‑obligation strategy session today → https://calendly.com/mpevney/strategysession