Probate

Probate is the court-supervised process of administering a deceased person's estate, validating the will, paying creditors, resolving disputes among heirs, and distributing assets to beneficiaries.

California probate is publicly accessible, can take 8 to 18 months, and charges statutory fees on the gross value of the estate. For many families, the cost and delay are reasons to plan around probate using trusts, beneficiary designations, and joint titling.

When probate is unavoidable, we guide personal representatives through filings, creditor notices, accountings, and final distributions. We also litigate will contests, undue influence claims, and fiduciary disputes in California probate courts.