What we’re optimizing for
It works on the day it has to.
An estate plan gets tested exactly once, and you will not be there for it. The work is making sure that on that day, it does what you intended.
01
Your documents and your accounts agree.
Beneficiary designations and account titling audited against the documents, because the paperwork on the account usually wins.
Instead of: A will that says one thing and a beneficiary form that says another.
02
Your family is not left to reverse-engineer it.
Clear documents, in one place, coordinated with the plan, so the people handling it know what you wanted and where everything is.
Instead of: A search through filing cabinets during the worst week of their lives.
03
The plan keeps up with your life.
Reviewed on a cycle as marriages, births, moves, sales, and changes in the law happen. Estate documents go stale quietly.
Instead of: Documents signed a decade ago and never opened since.
Estate planning tax strategies
What estate planning tax strategies look like for California families.
The federal estate tax exclusion for 2026 is $15,000,000 per person, and California has no state estate tax or inheritance tax (sources below, checked October 9, 2026). Because most California families sit well below that federal figure, the tax questions that tend to matter are about income tax, property tax, and how each asset passes to the next generation.
Basis and titling
Inherited assets generally receive a step-up in basis to their value at death, and for married California couples, community property rules may allow both halves to step up. How an asset is titled can change the outcome.
Retirement accounts
Most non-spouse beneficiaries must empty an inherited traditional Individual Retirement Account (IRA) within 10 years, and the withdrawals are generally taxed as ordinary income. Beneficiary designations and withdrawal timing shape that tax bill.
The family home
Proposition 19 limits when a child who inherits a California home can keep the parent's lower property tax base. Whether a home is kept, transferred, or sold can matter a great deal to the family that inherits it.
Up quarterbacks the estate plan inside the client relationship. Your estate documents, beneficiary designations, account titling, tax picture, and investments are reviewed together, by one team, under one fee, instead of in separate silos. These strategies may reduce taxes for some families and add cost or complexity for others, and results depend on individual circumstances and the law in effect at the time.
For a closer look, read our guide to estate planning tax strategies for California families.
Sources: Internal Revenue Service, What's New, Estate and Gift Tax (basic exclusion amount of $15,000,000 for 2026), irs.gov. California State Controller's Office, California Estate Tax, sco.ca.gov. Figures checked October 9, 2026. This is general education, not individualized tax or legal advice.
What’s included
The work, in detail.
01
Core document review
Will, trust, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives drafted and reviewed by qualified attorneys, coordinated with your financial plan.
02
Beneficiary and titling audit
We review every account's beneficiary designation and titling to make sure your estate plan actually works the way you intend when it needs to.
03
Estate and gift tax analysis
For larger estates, we model your exposure and identify strategies to reduce what gets left to the IRS instead of your family.
04
Lifetime gifting strategy
Annual exclusion gifts, lifetime exemption use, and coordinated giving strategies that transfer wealth to the next generation in a tax-efficient way.
05
Trust strategy
Revocable and irrevocable trust structures designed to protect assets, reduce estate taxes, and ensure your wishes are carried out the way you intend.
06
Wealth transfer and legacy
A plan for how your wealth passes to the next generation, on your terms, in a way that reflects your values and protects what you have built.
07
Charitable legacy coordination
For clients who want to leave something meaningful behind, we coordinate charitable bequests and legacy giving with your broader estate and tax plan.
08
Digital asset inventory
A structured record of your digital accounts, passwords, and assets so your family can access what they need without a crisis when the time comes.
09
Professional coordination
We work directly with your CPA and attorney, or connect you with trusted professionals in our network if you don't have them in place yet.
10
Ongoing reviews and document storage
Estate documents aren't a one-time project. We review them as your life changes and store them securely so they're accessible when needed.
Services vary by client situation and engagement. Not all services listed are available to every client. Additional services are available beyond those listed here.
Learn the terms
Concepts that come up in estate planning.
Step-up in basis
A step-up in basis, under Internal Revenue Code Section 1014, resets the cost basis of an inherited asset to its fair…
Donor-advised fund
A donor-advised fund is a charitable giving account. You contribute cash or appreciated assets, take an immediate tax…
Concentrated stock position
A concentrated stock position is when a large share of your net worth is tied up in a single stock — often from compa…
Common questions
Estate Planning, answered.
Do you draft my estate documents?
Full estate documents are drafted or reviewed by qualified attorneys and coordinated with your financial plan. We quarterback that process inside your relationship with Up so the documents, your accounts, and your tax picture stay in agreement.
What is step-up in basis?
A reset of an inherited asset's cost basis to its value at the owner's death, which can eliminate capital-gains tax on a lifetime of appreciation. It is a central estate-planning consideration.
How does estate planning fit with the rest of my plan?
Every estate decision is informed by your investments and tax situation. The handoffs between separate advisors are where things fall apart, so we keep it all under one roof.
I already have a will. Is that enough?
Sometimes, but a will only governs assets that pass through probate. Retirement accounts, life insurance, and anything jointly titled pass by beneficiary designation and titling instead, which is why we audit those against the documents rather than assuming they agree.
Is there an additional cost for the documents themselves?
Our fee covers the estate planning and coordination work we do. Documents are drafted or reviewed by qualified attorneys, and we will be explicit about any drafting costs before anything is prepared. You will not find out about a cost after the fact.
How often should an estate plan be reviewed?
On a multi-year cycle at minimum, and immediately after anything that changes who gets what: a marriage, a divorce, a birth, a death, a business sale, a move to another state, or a meaningful change in the law.
What happens if I move to another state?
Estate law is state-specific, so a move is one of the events that should trigger a review. Trust provisions, community property treatment, and probate rules all vary, and documents drafted for one state do not always behave the way you expect in another.