Estate Planning in Reno

A Nevada plan for Reno families.

Plenty of Reno households are running on documents written for a different state. They may still be valid, but valid and workable aren’t the same thing. A free call will tell you whether what you have does the job here, or whether it needs replacing.

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★★★★★

From 201+ Google reviews

33 years

Combined experience

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Tell us what’s going on. We’ll tell you where you stand — usually on the first call.

Serving Reno

How We Work With Reno Families

Northern Nevada has absorbed a lot of people from California over the last decade, and they arrive with California estate plans. Nevada has its own rules on community property, homestead and trustee powers, and a Washoe County home has to be deeded correctly under Nevada law regardless of where the trust was signed.

The other thing we see in Reno is property in two states: the house here and something left behind up or down the coast. Each piece of real estate answers to the law of the state it sits in, so a plan that covers only one of them leaves the other heading for a court process. Worth mapping early, while it’s still simple to fix.

What This Looks Like From Reno

Easier than most people expect.

Free consultation by phone or video, usually the same day
Drafts sent to you to read at your own pace, then walked through together
Signing, witnessing and notarisation arranged remotely or in the office
Our Las Vegas office is open to you if you'd rather meet in person
Everything explained in plain English before you sign anything

We’re a Las Vegas firm serving families across Nevada. Practically, that means almost none of this requires you to travel.

Deeds recorded with

the Washoe County Recorder

Where Reno property transfers are recorded

Signing

In person or remote

Whichever is easier for your family

How we meet

Phone, video or in person

Our office is in Las Vegas — you’re welcome, never required

Is This Worth A Call?

We'd rather tell you no than take your money.

Not everyone needs what we do. Here’s the honest version, so you can work out where you stand before you pick up the phone.

Worth a call

Your plan was drafted in another state before you moved to Reno
You have minor children and no named guardian
You own a business, a rental, or property in more than one state
You've married, divorced, or lost a spouse since your last plan
You moved to Nevada with documents drafted in another state

You may not need us

You have a current plan and everything is titled to match it
You rent, have no dependents, and everything passes by beneficiary designation
You only need a single beneficiary form updated with your bank or plan provider
A family member already has this in hand with another firm

How We Help

What we handle for Reno clients

A review appointment is often all a transplanted plan needs. Sometimes it needs replacing, and we’ll say which.

Wills

Who inherits, who administers, and who raises your children if you can't.

Revocable living trusts

The main tool for keeping a Nevada home out of the probate court process.

Powers of attorney

Financial and health care authority, so someone can act if you're incapacitated.

Deeds and homestead

Retitling real property and recording a homestead declaration to protect equity.

Guardianship nominations

Amendments after a move, a marriage, a birth, or a change in what you own.

Plan reviews and updates

Amendments after a move, a marriage, a birth, or a change in what you own.

The Process

Four steps, and we handle the hard parts.

Most plans are signed within a few weeks of the first conversation, and the last step is the one that makes the rest work.

Free consultation

We map what you own, who you want to protect, and what you want to avoid. You leave knowing what the plan should include and what it costs.

Same day or next day

We design and draft

Documents prepared on Nevada law, then walked through with you in plain English before anything is signed.

1-2 weeks

Signing

Execution, witnessing and notarisation handled correctly, so nothing fails later on a technicality.

One appointment

Funding

We prepare and record the deeds and coordinate account and beneficiary changes, so the plan actually controls what you own.

The step most firms skip

Not sure whether you need a will or a trust?

Straight Answers

How long it takes, and what it costs.

The two questions everyone asks on the first call.

What it typically takes

Timelines from the first consultation. Complex estates and business interests extend these.

Will-based plan

1-2 weeks

Revocable trust plan

2-4 weeks

Funding real property

1-2 weeks

Reviewing an existing plan

One appointment

The step that decides everything: a trust only avoids probate for assets actually transferred into it. An unfunded trust sends your family into the exact court process you paid to avoid.

How our fees work

This is predictable work, so it should carry a predictable price.

Flat fees, quoted up front

You'll know the full cost before you commit to anything. No hourly meter on planning work.

Scoped to what you need

If a simpler document does the job, that's what we'll recommend and that's what you'll pay for.

Third-party costs itemised

Recording fees and any related costs are explained in advance, never added quietly at the end.

Cheaper than the alternative

Planning almost always costs a fraction of the court process it's designed to prevent.

Your exact number: quoted on the free consultation, once we know what you own and who you’re protecting.

Who You'll Work With

You'll work directly with Sarah.

Sarah Ocampo · Founding Attorney · Partner & CEO

Distance changes nothing about how this work gets done. Drafts arrive by email, questions get answered by phone the same day, and signing is arranged near you. Plenty of our Reno clients finish the whole thing without leaving the house.

Read Sarah's full bio →

Common Questions

Local Estate Planning Questions

Do I need a will or a trust?

It depends mostly on whether you own real property. If you own a home in Nevada, a revocable living trust is usually what keeps your family out of probate. If your estate is modest and everything passes by beneficiary designation, a will plus those designations may be enough. We’ll tell you which, and we won’t sell you a trust you don’t need.

What happens if I die without a plan?

Nevada’s intestate succession statutes decide who inherits, in a fixed order starting with spouse and children, and most estates over $25,000 go through probate. The court also appoints whoever administers the estate and decides guardianship for minor children. Nothing goes to the state unless no relatives can be found, but every choice you would have made is made for you.

How much does an estate plan cost?

Planning is quoted as a flat fee, scoped to what you actually need, and you get the number on the free consultation before any commitment. It is almost always a fraction of what the court process would cost your family later.

Can I just use an online service?

You can, and for the simplest situations it may be fine. The three things those services handle worst are scope, Nevada-specific provisions, and funding. We usually see the results years later in probate court, when fixing it is far more expensive than getting it right was.

I moved to Reno from California. Is my old estate plan still good?

Generally a will or trust validly executed elsewhere is still recognised in Nevada, but that isn’t the same as working well here. Community property rules differ, health care directives follow state-specific forms, and your Washoe County property needs a Nevada deed into the trust regardless. A review appointment usually settles whether you need an amendment or a fresh plan.

Do I need to travel to Las Vegas?

Almost never. Our office is in Las Vegas and we serve families across Nevada. Consultations happen by phone or video, drafts are reviewed the same way, and signing can be arranged remotely or in the office. You’re welcome to come in, but nothing requires it.

What if I own property in another state?

Nevada documents govern Nevada property. Real estate held elsewhere usually needs a deed or a step under that state’s law to match, and leaving it out is one of the most common reasons a family ends up in court anyway. Tell us about it on the first call and we’ll map out what’s needed where.

How often should I review this?

After any significant change: marriage, divorce, a birth, a death, buying or selling property, starting or selling a business, or a move to another state. Absent those, every three to five years is a sensible rhythm.

★★★★★

5.0 average from 201+ Google reviews

Let's get this sorted.

Tell us what you own and who you want to protect. We’ll tell you what you need — free, and with no obligation to hire us.