Estate planning, probate, wills and trusts · Ventura, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties, and statewide by video.
Estate planning in Ventura County that keeps your family out of probate court.
Most trusts end at the signing table. Yours starts there.
A flat-fee living trust for $4,900, then the part most plans skip: I move your house into the trust, record the transfer with the county, and map how every account gets re‑registered, so the plan holds when your family needs it.
Eric RidleyFounding Attorney, Ridley Law
- 2010Practice opened
- 673Families protected
- 4.9★★★★★ Across 198 Google reviews
- Avvo & Super LawyersPeer recognized
- Top 3 Estate Planning
Lawyers in Ventura, CAThreeBest Rated® - American Academy of
Estate Planning AttorneysMember
Why the signing table is only the start
Probate pays lawyers a percentage of everything you own and puts your family’s inheritance in a public court file.
A trust stops that only when the house and the accounts are actually inside it. Most plans stop at the signature. Mine don’t:
- I move your house into the trust.
- I map every account and how it gets re‑registered.
- I sit down with you again every three years.
So when the day comes, your family’s whole job is one phone call.
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Five meetings, then the part most plans skip.
Every plan starts with a free thirty-minute call. From there the work follows the same five meetings, so you always know what comes next.
The Conversation
Thirty minutes by phone or Zoom, no fee. You tell me about your family and what you’re planning for. Nothing is drafted.
Asset Review
A full inventory of what you own: accounts, real property, beneficiary designations, insurance, business interests.
The Design
An in-depth planning session where we make every plan decision, repeated until your plan reflects your family, your values, and your life.
Final Review
Each decision reconfirmed, then a map of how every asset will be protected, one at a time.
The Signing
Executed and witnessed, with a notary at your home, even nights and weekends.
The house goes into the trust
Your property is re‑titled and the transfer recorded with the county. You get a full map of how your Schwab and Fidelity accounts need to be re‑registered, and your beneficiaries get aligned.
You sit down again
A standing review keeps the plan current instead of filed away.
One honest number, set before anything starts.
$4,900
Flat fee, in writing before work begins, and it doesn’t change.
- Revocable living trust
- Will
- Incapacity documents
- Up to two deeds moving California real estate into the trust
- A map of how every account is re‑registered, tracked to completion
- A notary at your home for the signing, even nights and weekends
- Lifetime access to me, with no hourly meter*
A second property, a business or rental in an LLC, a child with special needs, or children from a prior marriage take more drafting. You still get the full number in writing first. Read every published fee
What probate would cost your family
California sets probate fees by statute, on the gross value of the estate. Enter yours.
- Attorney’s statutory fee
- $23,000
- Executor’s statutory fee
- $23,000
- Total before court costs
- $46,000
Difference against a funded $4,900 trust plan
$41,100
Ordinary-service fees under California Probate Code sections 10800 and 10810, figured without subtracting any mortgage. Court costs and fees for extraordinary services are extra. Above $25 million, the court sets the amount. Use the full probate calculator
Four kinds of work, and nothing else.
From the planning that protects a family before the call comes to the administration that steadies it after.
- Living trusts and wills A working plan, drafted to keep your family out of probate court and funded so it does.
- Trust administration Quiet, careful work after a death, for the trustee handed a trust they didn’t write, and a family that’s grieving.
- California probate When there’s no plan, or the plan failed. Court-supervised administration with as little friction as the law allows.
- Plan review and repair A second opinion on the plan you already have. Plans fail at the same few points: an unfunded house, a stale beneficiary form, the wrong person named to serve.
Why I practice this way.
My father died thinking he had it handled, with a will, a trust, and thirty years of work behind them. It didn’t protect anyone. That’s why I build plans that hold when a family needs them, instead of a binder that only looks like an estate plan.
“The job is keeping you out of court, with someone you chose in charge and the money going where you meant it. I’ll tell you what you need, what you don’t, and why, then build it so it works.”
Eric Ridley, Founding Attorney. Member, State Bar of California. Member, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys.
Read my whole story“Unlike other attorneys I’ve encountered, Eric genuinely puts people before paperwork. His personalized approach made us feel confident and at ease throughout the entire process.”
“After meeting with several firms, I felt that Eric was the most forthright and upfront about the whole process. He and his team are patient, informative, and helpful. A great experience all around.”
“Eric and Spencer took my hand and walked me through the process of building my trust, and to the finish line. They were always available to answer all my questions. I’m happy I picked Ridley Law, and you will too.”
This testimonial or endorsement does not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your legal matter.
The questions families ask first.
Plain answers to what people ask before they call, each with a guide that goes further.
Still deciding? Call (805) 244-5291 and ask me directly.
Do I need a living trust, or just a will?
If you own a home in California, a will alone still goes through probate. A funded living trust is what keeps your family out of court. Answer it in two minutes
Will my children’s property taxes rise when they inherit?
Under Proposition 19, often yes, and sometimes sharply. There are ways to plan for it, but only before the property changes hands. Read about Prop 19 planning
Which of my children should be in charge?
Trustee is a job, not an honor. Naming the oldest by default, or all of them together, is how many family fights start. See how to choose a trustee
I already have a trust. Is it actually working?
A trust that was never funded doesn’t hold anything. If your home and accounts were never moved into it, your family can still end up in probate. Read about trust funding
Not ready to call? Start with a free guide.
Thirty plain-English guides to California estate planning, probate, and trust administration. Free, instant, no meeting required.
The 7 Estate Planning Mistakes That Destroy California Families
The seven mistakes that cause most probate-court damage, what each costs, and how to shut them down.
Read the guide 02What Probate Actually Costs in California
Statutory fees on the gross estate, the timeline, and the math that makes trusts pay for themselves.
Read the guide 03The Trust Funding Checklist
Every asset type, and how each one gets retitled into the trust.
Read the guide
Begin the conversation.
The first call is unhurried, and there’s no fee for it. I’ll tell you whether you need me, what a working plan looks like for your family, and what it would cost, all before you decide anything.
Ridley Law
567 W. Channel Islands Blvd. #210
Port Hueneme, CA 93041
(805) 244-5291
eric@ridleylawoffices.com
Tuesday to Saturday, 8 to 5 Pacific, by appointment. Serving Ventura, Los Angeles, and Santa Barbara counties, and anywhere in California by video.
Request your free call
A free thirty-minute call by phone or Zoom. Pick a time that works for you.
Not ready to talk? See if your current plan would actually work, or browse free guides and tools. Handling a death in the family? Start here.
* Lifetime access means you can call me with questions about your plan for life, and my advice is included in your flat fee. No hourly charges.
Photos: AragonChristopherR17Z (CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized); Tim Marshall (CC0); Carol M. Highsmith (Public domain); Robert Schwemmer (Public domain). Via Wikimedia Commons.
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