An experienced trusts estates paralegal is needed to support sophisticated estate planning, trust administration, and probate matters for high-net-worth clients in Los Angeles. This position offers meaningful responsibility across complex private client matters and is well suited for a paralegal who can independently manage substantive workstreams while collaborating closely with attorneys, senior paralegals, clients, fiduciaries, accountants, appraisers, and other advisors.

The practice encompasses estate and trust administration, estate planning, tax-related matters, real estate holdings, and business entities. As a result, the position offers exposure beyond traditional probate administration and requires strong organization, technical knowledge, judgment, and attention to detail.

Trust & Estate Administration

Manage significant components of estate and trust administrations with appropriate attorney supervision.

Prepare inventories of estate and trust assets.

Assist with asset valuation, retitling, transfers, and distributions.

Support the preparation of federal estate and gift tax returns.

Identify estate, gift, income, and property tax considerations for attorney review.

Assist with trust funding and ongoing trust administration.

Prepare documentation for beneficiary distributions and asset transfers.

Draft deeds, assignments, receipts, releases, and related documents.

Prepare probate petitions and other court filings.

Assist with the preparation and review of fiduciary accountings.

Coordinate with clients, fiduciaries, accountants, appraisers, and other outside advisors.

Track deadlines and outstanding items across complex estate and trust matters.

Real Estate & Property Matters

The trusts estates paralegal will also assist with real property held by estates, trusts, individuals, and related entities.

Review title documents and identify potential vesting or title issues.

Coordinate with title companies regarding title questions and insurance.

Prepare deeds, affidavits, deeds of trust, and related real estate documents.

Research and coordinate recording requirements across applicable jurisdictions.

Assist with California property tax and reassessment matters.

Support analysis related to Proposition 13.

Prepare change-in-ownership reports, exclusion claims, and related filings.

Communicate with County Assessor offices regarding property tax matters.

Coordinate real estate documentation as part of broader estate and trust administration.

Entity & Nonprofit Support

Prepare formation documents for corporations, limited liability companies, and partnerships.

Coordinate entity filings with Secretaries of State and other government agencies.

Assist with ongoing entity governance, maintenance, and compliance.

Prepare organizational documents, resolutions, minutes, and related corporate records.

Maintain ownership records and entity documentation.

Assist with the formation and ongoing compliance of tax-exempt organizations.

Support entity restructurings and dissolutions.

Coordinate entity-related work with attorneys and other members of the private client team.

Trusts Estates Paralegal Qualifications

3–7+ years of trusts and estates paralegal experience.

Experience with estate planning, post-death trust administration, probate administration, and ongoing trust administration.

Compliance with California Business and Professions Code §6450 required.

Bachelor’s degree preferred.

Experience working with high-net-worth or complex private client matters strongly preferred.

Familiarity with estate and gift tax documentation and related tax considerations.

Experience preparing probate and court filings.

Strong Microsoft Excel, Word, and Outlook skills.

Experience with document management systems such as iManage or FileSite preferred.

Familiarity with Visio is beneficial.

Experience with Asana or another project-management platform is helpful.

Excellent organizational and project-management skills.

Ability to manage multiple matters, deadlines, and competing priorities.

Strong written and verbal communication abilities.

Exceptional attention to detail.

Ability to identify issues requiring attorney review and escalate them appropriately.

Ability to work independently while keeping attorneys and other stakeholders informed.

Professional judgment and discretion when handling sensitive client information.

Sophisticated Private Client Support

Success in this position requires more than completing assigned tasks. The paralegal should be comfortable taking ownership of discrete components of complex matters, identifying next steps, tracking dependencies, and moving work forward while maintaining appropriate communication with the broader team.

The position also involves regular interaction with clients and outside professionals. Accordingly, responsiveness, discretion, accuracy, and polished communication are important. Candidates should be comfortable working in a sophisticated practice where matters may involve multiple assets, entities, jurisdictions, tax considerations, and advisors.

For an experienced trusts estates paralegal, the position provides an opportunity to deepen technical expertise while developing greater responsibility for matter coordination, client service, and complex estate and trust administration.

Position Details

Location: Los Angeles, CA

Experience: 3–7+ years

Salary: $100,000–$125,000 annually

Primary Focus: Trust and estate administration, estate planning, probate, and tax-related matters

Additional Exposure: Real estate, business entities, and nonprofit matters

California Requirement: Compliance with Business and Professions Code §6450

This opportunity is particularly well suited for a paralegal who combines technical trusts and estates knowledge with strong project-management skills. The position provides substantive involvement in complex matters while allowing an experienced professional to take ownership of important workstreams and collaborate directly with attorneys, clients, fiduciaries, and outside advisors.

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