Fees, stated plainly
We bill for time actually spent and never mark up costs. You'll receive our full fee schedule in writing before any work begins. Your first consultation, up to one hour, is free.
Hourly rates
| Service | Rate |
|---|---|
| Agent under power of attorney or healthcare directive | $200 per hour |
| Conservatorship of the person and/or estate | $200 per hour, subject to court approval |
| Daily money management (bill paying and record-keeping) | $150 per hour |
| Extraordinary services (such as litigation, court appearances and tax matters) | $250 per hour |
Time is billed in tenths of an hour (6 minutes), with a minimum of 0.2 hour (12 minutes) per task.
Trust administration
| Trust value | Annual fee |
|---|---|
| Up to $5 million | 1% of the fair market value of all trust assets, with a minimum fee of $6,000 per year |
| Over $5 million | Please contact us to discuss a customized fee arrangement |
Extraordinary trustee services, such as litigation or tax matters, are billed separately at $250 per hour. For any real property transaction handled as trustee, the fee is 1% of the gross contract price, in addition to the annual trustee fee.
Probate administration
Compensation for a personal representative in probate is set by California Probate Code §10800, based on the value of the estate (gross assets, plus receipts and gains, less losses):
| Portion of estate value | Statutory rate |
|---|---|
| First $100,000 | 4% |
| Next $100,000 | 3% |
| Next $800,000 | 2% |
| Next $9,000,000 | 1% |
| Next $15,000,000 | 0.5% |
| Above $25,000,000 | Set by the court |
Extraordinary services under Probate Code §10801, such as tax issues, real property sales and litigation, are subject to court approval and charged at the minimum rate the county allows. All probate fees are paid only as the court approves.
Other fees
- Set-up fee: $500, one time, to open the file and set up accounting records.
- No minimum monthly fee.
- Travel time: billed at half the hourly rate of the person traveling, door to door, with no charge within 20 miles of our office.
Costs
We charge out-of-pocket costs at what we actually pay, with no markup or overhead charge. Common costs include court filing and certified-copy fees, appraisals, bond premiums, postage and courier, mileage at the IRS standard rate, parking, and pre-approved out-of-town travel.
Attorneys, CPAs, investment advisors, care providers and other professionals bill the client, trust or estate directly, not through us.
How we bill
- Each entry on our statements shows the date, the person who did the work, and a description of the task.
- Statements are sent quarterly.
- Routine scheduling is not billed. We do not bill for preparing our own statements, training staff, or responding to a complaint about our services.
- When serving as trustee or agent, we pay our statements from the funds we manage after sending them, and every payment to us appears in our accountings.
- Fees in court-supervised matters (probate and conservatorship) are paid only as the court approves.
- We review rates once a year and give at least 60 days' written notice before any increase.