Setting up a will or trust in Long Beach? Here is who to call.
Estate planning is mostly flat-fee work: a will or living-trust package, powers of attorney, and a health-care directive. The firms below all have verifiable Long Beach trusts-and-estates practices.
A good estate plan does three plain things: it says who gets what, who is in charge if you die or become incapacitated, and who raises your kids. In California that usually means a living trust, a pour-over will, and financial and health-care powers of attorney.
California has no state estate or inheritance tax, but it has one of the slowest and most expensive probate systems in the country. Statutory attorney and executor fees are set by law as a percentage of the gross estate, and a probate often runs a year or more through the Los Angeles County Superior Court. That is why most Long Beach families set up a revocable living trust to keep their home and accounts out of probate entirely.
Below are estate-planning firms with verifiable Long Beach practices, each confirmed across at least two independent directories or rankings.
How we picked these firms: We cross-referenced peer rankings and directories (Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Avvo, Martindale-Hubbell, Justia, Expertise.com) and client-review patterns. Every firm below appeared in at least two independent sources and has a verifiable Long Beach presence. We do not accept payment for placement, and we do not write sponsored reviews. More on our methodology →
An estate-planning attorney does more than fill in a form. They ask what you own, who depends on you, and what you want to happen, then build a coordinated set of documents - a will, a trust where it helps, financial and health-care powers of attorney, and beneficiary designations - that actually work together. They explain plain choices in plain words: who serves as executor or trustee, who raises your children, and what happens if you cannot make decisions for yourself. A good one also handles the unglamorous step most people skip, making sure your home and accounts are titled correctly so the plan holds up when it is needed.
You need an estate-planning lawyer once you own a home, have children, run a business, or simply want to spare your family a mess. A do-it-yourself form may cover the simplest situation, but it cannot tell you whether a trust fits, how to plan around an inheritance tax, or how to provide for a child with special needs. If you have a blended family, property in more than one state, or anyone you would not want inheriting outright, that is a clear sign to hire a professional rather than guess.
We list the 8 estate planning firms in Long Beach we could independently verify across at least two sources. We would rather show a shorter, verified list than pad it with names we cannot stand behind.
Practice focus: Living trusts, estate planning, estate administration
A family-owned Long Beach firm; Richard T. Williamson has practiced estate-planning law for more than 32 years.
Why they made the list: Maintains a Long Beach living-trust and estate-planning practice; listed in directories.
Good fit if you want hands-on attention directly from the attorney handling your matter.
Practice focus: Wills, living trusts, irrevocable trusts, gift & estate tax
Handles everything from basic wills to complex federal estate and gift-tax planning for California families.
Why they made the list: Listed in Long Beach estate-planning rosters; highly reviewed.
Good fit if you want a deeper bench while keeping a single point of contact.
Practice focus: Living trusts, wills, estate planning
A downtown Long Beach firm focused on living trusts and estate planning.
Why they made the list: Verifiable Ocean Boulevard office; listed in estate-planning directories.
Good fit if you want hands-on attention directly from the attorney handling your matter.
Practice focus: Wills, living trusts, probate, powers of attorney, health-care directives, trust administration
Offers flat-fee quotes and plain-English plans covering wills, living trusts, and trust administration for Long Beach families.
Why they made the list: Maintains a dedicated Long Beach estate-planning practice.
Good fit if you want hands-on attention directly from the attorney handling your matter.
Practice focus: Estate planning, trusts, probate
Helps families with estate planning, trusts, and probate, with more than 10 years of experience.
Why they made the list: Listed in Super Lawyers for Long Beach estate planning and probate.
Good fit if you want hands-on attention directly from the attorney handling your matter.
Practice focus: Estate planning, probate, trust administration & litigation
An estate-planning and probate firm serving Long Beach and the surrounding area.
Why they made the list: Listed in Super Lawyers for Long Beach estate planning and probate.
Good fit if you want a deeper bench while keeping a single point of contact.
Practice focus: Trusts & estates, estate planning
A trusts-and-estates practice serving Long Beach families.
Why they made the list: Listed in the Super Lawyers trusts roster for Long Beach.
Good fit if you want hands-on attention directly from the attorney handling your matter.
Practice focus: Trusts & estates, estate planning
A trusts-and-estates attorney recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star with a 10/10 Avvo rating.
Why they made the list: Super Lawyers Rising Star (2020, 2022); top Avvo rating.
Good fit if you want hands-on attention directly from the attorney handling your matter.
Tell us about your situation and we will match you with vetted estate planning attorneys in Long Beach. Free, confidential, no obligation.
Match the firm to the estate. A straightforward will and powers of attorney can be handled by a boutique on a flat fee. A taxable estate, a blended family, a special-needs child, or a business needs a deeper trusts-and-estates practice.
Ask whether they handle trust funding. A trust only works if your house and accounts are actually retitled into it. Ask whether the firm completes the funding or just hands you the documents.
Get flat-fee packages in writing. Most core estate planning is a defined product. A firm that will quote a flat fee for a will or trust package is easier to budget than open-ended hourly work.
Plan for updates. Ask how the firm handles future changes - a new child, a move, a death in the family - and whether reviews are included.
Real Long Beach ranges for 2026:
California has no state estate or inheritance tax, so most planning is about avoiding the state's slow, expensive probate and keeping control.
Long Beach sits in Los Angeles County, and local cases are heard in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, with family and probate matters handled through its dedicated divisions. California probate is slow and expensive because attorney and executor fees are set by statute as a percentage of the estate, so a Long Beach home alone can trigger five figures in fees. Keeping assets in a living trust avoids that, which is why trusts are the backbone of most Long Beach plans.
Guaranteed outcomes. No ethical attorney can promise a specific result. If a firm guarantees a win, a number, or a court ruling, walk away.
The disappearing senior partner. You meet a named partner at intake, then never hear from them again while an unsupervised junior runs the file. Ask in writing who handles your matter day to day.
Pressure to sign on the spot. Reputable firms give you the engagement letter in writing and time to read it. High-pressure intake is a volume-mill signal.
No verifiable track record. Look for named credentials, peer rankings, board or specialist certifications, or bar recognition — not "we have helped thousands of clients."
Vague fees. Every legitimate firm will put the fee structure, what is covered, and what triggers extra charges in a written engagement letter.
Many California families do. A living trust keeps your home and accounts out of California's slow, expensive probate, stays private, and makes things far easier for your family. A lawyer can tell you whether a trust or a simple will fits your situation.
A simple will package runs about $400-$1,500. A revocable living trust package typically runs $2,000-$4,500 flat for most families. Complex or taxable estates are usually billed hourly at $300-$550.
No. California has no state estate tax and no inheritance tax. Very large estates may still face the federal estate tax, which is why high-net-worth families plan around the federal exemption.
California sets probate attorney and executor fees by statute as a percentage of the gross estate, and a probate often takes a year or more. A living trust lets most assets pass without probate, saving time and money.
Your property passes under California's intestacy laws through probate, in fixed shares that may not match your wishes, and the court decides who administers the estate and who cares for minor children.
No. You still want a short pour-over will to catch anything not titled in the trust and to name guardians for minor children. They work together.
Review it after major life events - marriage, divorce, a new child, a death, a big change in assets, or a move - and otherwise every three to five years.
A good first call is short and direct. Bring these:
The most common mistake is treating estate planning as a one-time form. People download a will, never fund the trust they paid for, or forget to update beneficiaries after a divorce - and the plan fails exactly when it is needed. The second mistake is waiting. Powers of attorney and health-care directives only work if they are signed before a crisis, not during one.
One last thing. Choosing a lawyer is personal. Read the reviews. Call two or three firms before you sign. Ask each one: How many matters like mine have you handled in the last three years? The answer tells you a lot. — The LawFirmSquare team