Plans that are clear, and funded.

Q: What documents are included in estate planning at CBM?

Typically a coordinated set: a revocable living trust (when appropriate), a will or pour-over will, a durable power of attorney, and an advance health care directive—plus guidance toward funding so a trust is not left as an empty safe. Exact documents depend on your goals and facts. We map the set in your free consultation.

Q: What is trust funding—and why does it matter?

Funding means retitling (and aligning designations) so the trust actually holds or controls the assets you intend. Signing builds the safe; funding puts the valuables inside. An unfunded trust is like an empty safe—or just paper. CBM helps Private Clients with funding after signing. See trust funding and how to fund a California living trust.

Q: Do I need both a living trust and a will?

Often yes. A common California plan is a funded revocable living trust plus a pour-over will, durable power of attorney, and advance health care directive. The pour-over will is a backup—not a substitute for funding.

Q: Do you handle probate?

No. Carmen B. Marquez, P.C. dba CBM Estate & Trust Law does not offer probate services. Our focus is planning and funding so families are less likely to need probate—and helping successor trustees administer a trust when someone has died. If a matter requires probate court, we can discuss referral options.

Q: How do I get started?

Book a free 60-minute consultation. We’ll talk through your home, accounts, family, and incapacity concerns in plain English. /contact · (805) 915-4793 · Trusts@cbm.estate

California estate planning for homeowners and families—wills, revocable living trusts, pour-over wills, durable powers of attorney, and advance health care directives—with the practical next step that makes a plan real: funding. This page explains what we build at CBM Estate & Trust Law and how to start. It is not legal advice. Your title, accounts, family, and goals are fact-specific—talk with a California estate planning attorney before you decide.

As of: September 27, 2026 (PT).

What California estate planning at CBM includes

At Carmen B. Marquez, P.C. dba CBM Estate & Trust Law, estate planning is more than a stack of signed papers. We help you choose the right tools, put them in writing, and—when a living trust is part of the plan—move toward a funded trust so the documents match how your property is actually titled.

A typical complete plan for many California families includes:

Revocable living trust

A revocable living trust is an arrangement you create during life. You (often as initial trustee) usually keep control of trust assets for your benefit. You name a successor trustee to step in if you resign, become unable to serve, or die. When assets are properly titled in the trust, a successor trustee can often administer and distribute those assets under the trust—often without a full probate for those assets. A properly funded revocable living trust may help keep properly funded trust assets out of probate.

Deep dive: Living Trust vs Will in California.

Will (including pour-over will companion)

A will states how you want probate assets distributed after death and can nominate an executor and, where appropriate, a guardian for minor children. A will generally does not, by itself, avoid probate for assets that must pass under the will through court administration.

When a living trust is the main vehicle, we typically prepare a pour-over will as a safety net. It is designed to send leftover probate assets into your trust after death. It is not a substitute for funding the trust during life—assets that “pour over” may still need a probate or other transfer process to reach the trust.

Durable power of attorney (DPOA)

A durable power of attorney lets you name someone to handle financial and property matters if you cannot. It covers assets and decisions that are not inside the trust. A funded trust helps with trust assets; a DPOA covers the rest of your financial world while you are alive.

Advance health care directive (AHCD)

An advance health care directive lets you name a health care agent and state preferences for medical decisions if you cannot speak for yourself. It pairs with—not replaces—your financial and trust documents.

How these pieces work together

Many California plans use all of the above: a funded living trust as the main container, a pour-over will as backup, plus DPOA and AHCD for incapacity. That combination addresses life, incapacity, and death—not just “who inherits.”

California Courts Self-Help describes wills, living trusts, powers of attorney, and advance care planning in plain consumer language. See Wills, estates, and advance care planning. Online summaries cannot replace advice about your deed, accounts, and family.

Signing builds the safe. Funding puts the valuables in.

Think of a living trust like a safe.

Signing the trust documents builds the safe.
Funding—retitling assets into the trust, and aligning related designations where appropriate—is what puts the valuables inside.
Until assets are funded, an unfunded trust is like an empty safe—or just paper.

Assets left in your individual name (for example, a home titled only to you, or a bank account with no aligned beneficiary or trust title) may still need probate or another transfer process—even though you signed a beautiful trust. That gap is one of the most common problems families discover later.

CBM helps Private Clients with funding after signing. Funding is not a brochure you take home and figure out alone. We point you to the practical next steps and, for Private Clients, help with the funding work after the documents are signed. No invented timelines—your asset mix and title control the path.

Service page: trust funding
Step-by-step guide: How to fund a California living trust

When it is time for a successor trustee to act after death or incapacity, clear funding and clear documents make administration smoother. Brief related reading: California successor trustee checklist · service: trust administration.

Wills, trusts, and probate—in plain English

Soft, accurate framing—no guarantees.

A will alone generally does not avoid probate for assets that must pass under the will through court administration. Having a valid will tells the court who should inherit and who should serve—it does not, by itself, remove those assets from the probate process.
A properly funded revocable living trust may help keep properly funded trust assets out of probate. Those assets can often be administered without a full probate for those assets.
Assets left outside the trust may still face probate, a pour-over process, or another transfer procedure.

Whether you need a will-only plan or a funded trust depends on your home, accounts, title, and goals. We compare options in plain English in a free consultation—not with scare tactics or promises no lawyer can keep.

MetLife Legal Plans

If your employer offers MetLife Legal Plans, you may be eligible to receive most estate planning services at no cost for yourself—and often for an eligible spouse and dependents under your plan. Coverage depends on your plan. MetLife members can upgrade to CBM’s Private Client package at a reduced rate for services beyond plan coverage. Mention MetLife when you book.

Learn more: MetLife Legal Plans estate planning.

ARAG legal plan

CBM Estate & Trust Law accepts the ARAG legal plan for estate planning in California. Whether a matter is covered depends on your own plan. Check that plan, get a case number from ARAG, and call the office before relying on the benefit. This page does not list covered documents and does not promise that the work costs nothing.

Learn more: ARAG legal plan estate planning.

Estate planning sits next to other firm services when your facts call for them:

Trust funding — retitling and alignment after (or with) a living trust.
Trust administration — help for successor trustees after a death or incapacity transition.
Elder law — planning themes for aging clients and families.
Medi-Cal planning — long-term care and Medi-Cal themes (fact-specific; no invented asset or lookback numbers on this page).

Guides hub: /guides. About the firm: /about.

Free 60-minute consultation

Start with a free 60-minute consultation. Bring questions about your home, your kids, incapacity, and whether a will-only plan or a funded living trust fits.

Book: /contact · Call: (805) 915-4793 · Email: Trusts@cbm.estate

Prefer to learn in a group setting first? Free Simi Valley seminars: /seminar-calendar.

Offices in Simi Valley and Glendale

We serve families across Ventura County and Los Angeles County from:

Simi Valley: 2655 First Street, Suite 110, Simi Valley, CA 93065
Glendale: Glendale Plaza, 655 N Central Ave, 17th Floor, Glendale, CA 91203

Local pages: Simi Valley estate planning attorney · Glendale estate planning attorney

Se habla español.

FAQs

What documents are included in estate planning at CBM?

Typically a coordinated set: a revocable living trust (when appropriate), a will or pour-over will, a durable power of attorney, and an advance health care directive—plus guidance toward funding so a trust is not left as an empty safe. Exact documents depend on your goals and facts. We map the set in your free consultation.

Does a living trust avoid probate in California?

Soft answer: a properly funded revocable living trust may help keep properly funded trust assets out of probate, and those assets can often be administered without a full probate. Assets left in your individual name may still need probate or another process. A will alone generally does not avoid probate for assets that must pass under the will through administration. See Living Trust vs Will in California.

What is trust funding—and why does it matter?

Funding means retitling (and aligning designations) so the trust actually holds or controls the assets you intend. Signing builds the safe; funding puts the valuables inside. An unfunded trust is like an empty safe—or just paper. CBM helps Private Clients with funding after signing. See trust funding and how to fund a California living trust.

Can I use MetLife Legal Plans for estate planning?

Can I use an ARAG legal plan for estate planning?

CBM accepts the ARAG legal plan. Coverage still depends on your plan and the matter. Contact ARAG for a case number, then call the office. This page does not list covered documents and does not promise zero cost. Guide: ARAG legal plan estate planning.

Do I need both a living trust and a will?

Often yes. A common California plan is a funded revocable living trust plus a pour-over will, durable power of attorney, and advance health care directive. The pour-over will is a backup—not a substitute for funding.

Do you handle probate?

No. Carmen B. Marquez, P.C. dba CBM Estate & Trust Law does not offer probate services. Our focus is planning and funding so families are less likely to need probate—and helping successor trustees administer a trust when someone has died. If a matter requires probate court, we can discuss referral options.

How do I get started?

Book a free 60-minute consultation. We’ll talk through your home, accounts, family, and incapacity concerns in plain English.
/contact · (805) 915-4793 · Trusts@cbm.estate

Next step

Clear documents matter. Funded documents matter more. We will help you build a plan you understand—and take the funding steps that put the valuables in the safe.

Free 60-minute consultation
/contact · (805) 915-4793 · Trusts@cbm.estate

Simi Valley: 2655 First Street, Suite 110, Simi Valley, CA 93065
Glendale: Glendale Plaza, 655 N Central Ave, 17th Floor, Glendale, CA 91203

Se habla español. · Free seminar calendar: /seminar-calendar · Guides: /guides · About: /about

This page is for general educational and informational purposes about California estate planning practice as of the date above. It is not legal advice, does not create an attorney-client relationship, and may not reflect future law or form updates. Outcomes and MetLife coverage are fact-specific. Consult an attorney about your circumstances. Attorney advertising.