Does a Revocable Trust Need to be Recorded in California?

The short answer is no! Lets explore why.

When wills are probated they need to be lodged with the court. This essentially means that the will is given to the court clerk and are made part of public record. When this happens any member of the public can gain access to the will to view it.

A revocable trust is not probated, this is one of the many advantages of using a trust for estate planning. Because the trust is not probated it is not made part of public record and it is not lodged or recorded.

So what is recorded?

Something that is recorded are deeds that vest real property into the trust. This is a very important step in estate planning because in order for any real property you own to be “in your trust” it needs to be held by the trustee of your trust. Deeds are recorded with your county accessor and become public record meaning anyone can view them.

If you have any questions are want to set up your own estate plan contact us now!