La Jolla Estate Planning Attorney

La Jolla median home values exceed $3M, and many residents have substantial appreciated assets: real estate, biotech equity, family-owned businesses, or significant retirement accounts. Estate planning here is rarely about the basic will package. It is about coordinating the revocable living trust with potential federal estate tax exposure, Prop 19 succession on appreciated coastal real estate, and asset-protection considerations.

With an LL.M. in Taxation and 20 years of California estate planning practice, we work with La Jolla families on the integrated tax and trust strategies their situations call for.

Managing Attorney T. Owen Rassman, Esq., LL.M.
Last Updated: May 21, 2026

20+ Years of California Estate Planning in San Diego County

Why La Jolla Families Benefit From an Estate Plan

California statutory probate fees under Probate Code 10800 and 10810 apply identical sliding scales to both the personal representative and the attorney. On a $3M La Jolla coastal home plus assets, combined statutory fees approach $86,000.

For couples whose combined estate approaches or exceeds the OBBBA exemption of $15M per individual or $30M per couple (Pub. L. 119-21), federal estate tax planning remains relevant. The TCJA-sunset narrative is obsolete; OBBBA made the elevated exemption permanent.

La Jolla median home values often exceed the $1,044,586 Prop 19 parent-child exclusion cap (cap above factored base year value, per BOE Letter to Assessors No. 2025/009). For inherited La Jolla coastal property, planning options include trust-based Prop 19 succession with the child as primary resident, sale at stepped-up basis at the parent’s death, or hold in trust for grandchildren under the grandparent-grandchild exclusion if both parents of the grandchild are deceased.

For multigenerational South Bay households where the family home will pass to an adult child, the Prop 19 parent-child exclusion (cap of $1,044,586 above factored base year value per BOE Letter to Assessors No. 2025/009) is one of the most valuable planning tools available.

Approximate Statutory Probate Cost On A $1M California Estate: ~ $46,000*

A Revocable Living Trust generally avoids this entirely

Based on Cal. Prob. Code §§10800 and 10810. Actual fees may vary*

La Jolla Estate Plan vs. No Plan: Side-by-Side

A La Jolla family with a properly funded California estate plan generally avoids most of the cost, delay, and public exposure that probate creates.

Without an Estate Plan

Probate court oversight required for most estates above the small-estate thresholds
Combined statutory fees approximately $46,000 on a $1M California estate
9 to 18 months from filing to distribution
Probate filings are part of the public court record
Court-appointed administrator if family conflicts arise
No incapacity planning unless separately documented

With an Opelon Estate Plan

Probate generally avoided through a properly funded revocable living trust
Flat fee quoted up front, with no hourly billing surprises
Trust distribution typically begins within 60 days of death
Trust administration stays private
You name your own successor trustee
Durable Power of Attorney and Advance Health Care Directive included

What to Expect: Our 4-Step Estate Planning Process

A clear, predictable process from first call to a fully funded plan, generally completed within 4 to 6 weeks.

Free Consultation

A 30-minute call or video meeting. We learn your situation, answer questions, and quote a flat fee.

Design Meeting

We walk through trust structure, beneficiaries, guardianship choices, and your specific concerns.

Document Review

We deliver drafts for your review. You request changes, and we finalize the documents.

Signing & Funding

Sign at our Carlsbad office or via mobile notary. We then retitle assets into your trust.

What Opelon LLP Handles (And What We Refer Out)

We Focus On

Non-contested California estate planning, probate administration, and trust administration. This includes revocable living trusts, wills, powers of attorney, advance health care directives, guardianship designations, trust funding, Heggstad petitions, and high-net-worth planning under OBBBA.

We Do Not Handle

Trust contests, will contests, or any adversarial proceedings; conservatorship as a discrete practice; Medi-Cal crisis planning; M&A, or business litigation; family law or divorce; personal injury; or criminal defense.

La Jolla Estate Planning Services Offered by Opelon LLP

Revocable Living Trust

Avoid probate, maintain privacy, and control how your assets pass to your family. When funded properly, the trust transfers your estate to your beneficiaries without court involvement.

Wills + Pour-Over Wills

A pour-over will catches anything not titled into your trust at death and directs it through to the trust. Includes guardianship nominations for minor children, which most California families consider the single most important estate planning decision.

Durable Power of Attorney

Authorizes a trusted agent to manage your finances if you become incapacitated. We tailor the document for deployment, illness, extended travel, or aging-parent scenarios.

Advance Health Care Directives

Names a health care agent and documents your medical wishes if you cannot speak for yourself. Includes HIPAA authorization so your agent and family can access your medical records.

Guardianship Designations

Names who will raise your minor children if both parents are unavailable. The single most important provision in any estate plan for parents of children under 18.

Trust Funding + Deed Retitling

The most-skipped step in DIY plans. We retitle your California real estate, bank accounts, and brokerage accounts into your trust so the trust actually controls the assets.

Trust Administration

When a loved one passes, we guide the successor trustee through the 60-day notice under Probate Code 16061.7, asset valuation, beneficiary distribution, and final accounting.

Beneficiary Designations

Retirement accounts, life insurance, and payable-on-death accounts pass by designation, not by will or trust. We coordinate your designations so your full plan works as intended.

Pet Trusts

Under California Probate Code 15212, a pet trust provides for your pet's lifetime care with a named caregiver, a separate trustee for the funds, and a remainder beneficiary for what's left.

Where La Jolla Probate Cases Are Filed

San Diego Superior Court Central Division (Madge Bradley Building) handles probate for La Jolla residents. 1100 Union Street, San Diego, approximately 12 miles south of La Jolla. A trust-based plan generally avoids court filings entirely.

How Opelon LLP Works With La Jolla Families for Estate Planning

In-Person at Our Carlsbad Office

26 miles from La Jolla on the I-5 Freeway. Free Parking by Appointment

Video Meetings via Zoom

Plan from home. Document signing arranged separtely via mobile notary

Mobile Notary

Final Signing meeting at your kitchen table. No travel Required

Flat-fee pricing quoted up front. No hourly billing surprises.

"California probate is daunting when you're grieving. In 20+ years of San Diego County practice, I've walked families through every step: the petition, the notices, the inventory and appraisal, the creditor claims, and the final distribution. At Opelon, you get a transparent flat fee, a real attorney on the case, and most non-contested probates finished in 9 to 18 months."

T. Owen Rassman, Esq., LL.M.

Managing Partner, Opelon LLP | Super Lawyers 2023–2026

FAQs for Estate Planning in La Jolla

Do La Jolla HNW families still need federal estate tax planning under OBBBA?

Yes for couples whose combined estate approaches or exceeds the $30M couple exemption. OBBBA made the elevated exemption permanent at $15M per individual but did not eliminate tax exposure for HNW families above the threshold.

How does Prop 19 affect inherited La Jolla coastal homes?

The parent-child exclusion preserves the parent’s factored base year value plus up to $1,044,586. The inheriting child must use the property as a primary residence within 1 year and claim the Homeowners’ Exemption (BOE-19-P). Otherwise full reassessment to fair market value applies.

What is a SLAT and is it useful for La Jolla couples?

A Spousal Lifetime Access Trust is an irrevocable trust that one spouse establishes for the benefit of the other spouse and other beneficiaries. SLATs remove transferred assets from the taxable estate while providing indirect spousal access through the beneficiary spouse.

What is the difference between a will and a trust for La Jolla HNW families?

A will directs probate distribution after court oversight, typically 9 to 18 months, with public filings. A revocable living trust generally avoids probate, distributes within 60 days of death, stays private, and continues to function during incapacity. HNW estate plans typically include the revocable living trust as the foundation, with irrevocable trust structures layered for federal estate tax planning.

Where is the probate court for La Jolla residents?

San Diego Superior Court Central Division (Madge Bradley Building, 1100 Union Street, San Diego), approximately 12 miles south of La Jolla. A trust-based plan generally avoids court filings entirely.

How much does HNW estate planning cost in La Jolla?

Standard packages are flat-fee. HNW engagements involving multiple trust structures (SLAT, GST, ILIT, QPRT) are typically billed at flat fees quoted in advance after the initial consultation. We coordinate with your CPA and financial advisor when appropriate.

Does Opelon offer video meetings for La Jolla residents?

Yes. Most La Jolla clients meet with us by video for design and review sessions, with optional in-person signing meetings at our Carlsbad office or via mobile notary at your home or office.

What is a QPRT and is it useful for an appreciated La Jolla home?

A Qualified Personal Residence Trust transfers the primary or second residence to beneficiaries at a discounted gift value while allowing the grantor to live in the home for a retained term. For long-tenured La Jolla coastal homes with substantial appreciation, a QPRT can remove significant value from the taxable estate.

Can a Trust hold biotech stock or RSUs?

Yes. Revocable living trusts can hold publicly-traded stock, private company stock, and (with proper coordination with the company’s stock plan administrator) RSUs. Beneficiary designation coordination is critical so the trust does not inadvertently break post-termination exercise windows or other plan provisions.

Common Estate Planning Situations for La Jolla Families

La Jolla families typically come to estate planning around one of these recurring life events. Each situation has a clear planning path.

HNW Couple Approaching the Federal Exemption

For La Jolla couples whose combined estate approaches or exceeds the $30M federal couple exemption, strategies under consideration include SLAT (one or both spouses), GST trust planning, QPRT for the La Jolla primary residence, and ILIT to hold life insurance outside the taxable estate.

Biotech / Tech Founder With Appreciated Stock

For La Jolla biotech, Scripps, or tech founders with appreciated stock positions, planning often involves charitable remainder trusts to diversify and reduce capital gains, GRATs to transfer appreciation to next-generation beneficiaries, and coordination with the stock plan administrator on beneficiary designations.

Long-Tenured Homeowner With Low Property Tax Base

La Jolla residents who have owned their home since the 1970s or 1980s have very low Prop 13 factored base year values. The Prop 19 parent-child exclusion (cap $1,044,586) can preserve significant property tax advantage if the inheriting child uses the property as a primary residence.

La Jolla Estate Planning Attorney Reviews

Schedule a Free La Jolla Estate Planning Consultation

(760) 278-1116

T. Owen Rassman, Esq., LL.M.

T. Owen Rassman, Esq., LL.M. is the founding partner of Opelon LLP and a California-licensed estate planning, trust, and probate attorney based in Carlsbad. Admitted to the California Bar in 2005 (State Bar No. 236974), Owen has drafted 700+ California trusts and shepherded 250+ San Diego County estates through probate. He earned his LL.M. in Taxation at the University of San Diego School of Law, his J.D. at Pepperdine University School of Law, his M.B.A. at the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, and his B.A. in English Literature at UCLA. Owen has been selected to Super Lawyers every year from 2023 through 2026 (4 consecutive years) and is an active member of the California State Bar Trusts and Estates Section, the San Diego County Bar Association (Taxation and Business & Corporate Law Sections), and the North County Bar Association. Opelon offers flat-fee pricing and free trust-administration consultations. Reach Owen directly at owen@opelon.com.

Important Information About This Page

This page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice. Dollar thresholds and statutory provisions cited were current as of the page's last-updated date but may have changed; verify before relying.

Practice Scope. Opelon LLP is a Carlsbad-based California estate planning law firm limiting its practice to non-contested estate planning, probate administration, and trust administration. Opelon does NOT handle trust or will contests, conservatorship, Medi-Cal crisis planning, business litigation, family law, or any adversarial proceedings.

Attorneys. Opelon LLP is licensed in California only. T. Owen Rassman, Esq., LL.M. (CA Bar No. 236974), Managing Partner, handles all legal matters at the firm. Matt Odgers (CA Bar No. 290722), Co-Founder, does not practice law at Opelon; his practice is at Odgers Law Group, a separate firm.

No Attorney-Client Relationship. Visiting this site, submitting a form, or scheduling a consultation does not create an attorney-client relationship. That relationship forms only after a signed engagement agreement.

Past Results. Awards, testimonials, and case outcomes referenced describe past results. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Attorney ranking selection criteria vary by publication.

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