Without a plan, everything you own goes through probate court — a public, months-long process your family manages while grieving. A properly funded trust keeps them out of court entirely. One flat fee, signed and funded in about two weeks.
A will is the foundation of any estate plan — it names guardians and says where things go. A trust is an additional layer that keeps your home and accounts out of probate court. The honest question isn't "which one" — it's whether your situation calls for the added layer. A free 20-minute call gets you a specific answer.
Names guardians for your kids and says where things go. It's better than nothing — but on its own, a will still sends your estate through probate court after you're gone. Months, cost, and a public process your family manages while grieving.
A properly funded trust keeps your home and major accounts out of probate court — and it still includes wills as the backstop, catching anything outside the trust and naming guardians. Your family follows your instructions privately, typically within days, not months.
If your estate includes a business, multiple properties, or is above roughly $2M, a trust alone may not be enough. We'll scope the additional structure needed and quote it plainly before any work begins.
This is the price for the plan most families choose. If a simpler will-based plan fits your situation better, that's published too — we'll tell you honestly on the call which one fits.
A complete, funded estate plan — not just documents in a drawer.
For estates where a full trust genuinely isn't necessary — a complete will-based plan, published flat, same as everything else we do.
The date depends a little on how quickly we hear back from you — here's the shape of it.
"Funding" means retitling your home and major accounts into the trust's name — the step a lot of DIY services skip entirely, leaving families with a trust that looks complete but doesn't actually avoid probate. We handle it as a dedicated session, built into the price, not an afterthought.
| Your situation | Likely path |
|---|---|
| You own a home and have minor children | Trust strongly recommended |
| Your estate is modest and straightforward | A simple will may be enough |
| You own a business or multiple properties | Trust + additional structuring |
| You already have a will, but it's years old | Review & update — scoped on the call |
| You're not sure which you need | Free 20-minute call settles it |
Life changes — a new home, a new child, a move. Every Ridgeline trust client gets a free annual review call, for as long as you have the plan. If something needs updating, we quote the amendment as a flat fee before touching anything. No subscription, no monthly fee — we don't think you should pay every month for a plan that's already done.
Before founding Ridgeline, Patrick spent two decades in complex litigation, co-founding a practice that recovered more than $200 million for clients across mass tort, pharmaceutical liability, and industrial accident matters. Past results don't guarantee future outcomes — but experience changes how documents get drafted. Twenty years of litigating what happens when documents fail teaches you exactly where the gaps are.
Every document in your plan is reviewed and approved by Patrick personally before it's ever put in front of you to sign.
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Licensed in Texas and Washington, D.C.
First, a clarification most people find helpful: it's not either/or. Every plan we build includes a will — a trust-based plan simply adds the trust on top, with the will as backstop. The real question is whether your estate needs that added layer. A will alone still goes through probate court — months, cost, and a public process. A properly funded trust keeps your home and accounts out of court entirely. For a homeowner with kids, that's usually the deciding factor — but not always, and we won't sell you a trust you don't need.
Signing the trust document is only half the job. "Funding" means retitling your home and major accounts into the trust's name — that's the step that actually keeps them out of probate. A lot of DIY and online services skip this part entirely, leaving families with a trust that looks complete on paper but doesn't do anything. We handle funding as a dedicated session, included in the price.
The trust itself, pour-over wills, powers of attorney (financial and medical), HIPAA authorizations, guardianship designations for minor children, the deed moving your home into the trust, and the funding session. One flat price, everything listed — if something's genuinely outside that scope, we quote it separately before doing it, never after.
Typically about 14 days from our first call to a fully signed and funded plan, assuming reasonably prompt responses on your end. Drafting takes the bulk of that time; signing is one appointment, and funding happens right alongside it.
Not necessarily. We'll look at what you have and tell you honestly whether it needs an update, a full replacement, or whether a trust makes more sense now than it did when you signed it. Plenty of people come to us with a will that was fine for its time and just needs revisiting.
A properly drafted trust generally continues to work across state lines, though it's worth a review if you relocate, since state-specific rules (especially around real estate) can shift. That's exactly the kind of thing the free annual review call is for — a place to catch it before it becomes a problem.
Yes — and it's one of the most important things this plan does. Without a named guardian, that decision could end up in front of a judge who's never met your family. It's a hard thing to think about, which is exactly why most people put it off. Naming someone now is one conversation, not an emergency decision made by someone else later.
The documents are done; life isn't. That's why every trust client gets a free annual review call — a standing check-in to catch the changes that matter before they become gaps. If something needs updating, we quote the amendment as a flat fee first, same as everything else. No subscription, no monthly maintenance charge — we don't think you should pay every month for a plan that's already finished.
Free, no obligation. You'll know whether it's a will or a trust, the flat fee, and the timeline before you hang up.
See If a Trust Is Right for You — Free Call