Settling a trust or estate is hundreds of hours of work.We do it for you.
We guide you through the decisions, and a registered California Legal Document Assistant does the notices, the filings, and the deadlines — for a fraction of what a lawyer charges.
Talk to a licensed LDA free — or check it yourself and pay only when you file.
A real person, not software
A registered, bonded Legal Document Assistant does the work — not a website that leaves the hard part to you.
Built only for California
Heggstad, Prop 19, county recording — the California details national tools get wrong.
One flat fee
A fraction of a lawyer’s $7,500+, and you see the price before you pay a cent.
We are your settlement’s project manager.
When you’re grieving, you’re handed a second job you never trained for — hundreds of hours of work, California deadlines you’ve never heard of, and 30-plus parties to coordinate, from the banks to the county to the court. Most people face it alone. You don’t have to. We’re a team of seasoned California trust & estate experts: we prepare the documents, serve the notices, track every deadline, and tell you exactly what has to happen next — start to finish.
We track down the accounts — even the ones you’d miss
Your Legal Document Assistant searches for the estate’s accounts, policies, and property — the forgotten bank account, an old life-insurance policy, unclaimed money held by the state — so far less slips through the cracks. A diligent search of the available sources; not a guarantee every asset is found.
- Review tax returns and statements for accounts
- Check the credit report for banks & lenders
- Search the national life-insurance & retirement registries
- Search California and multi-state unclaimed property
- Compile what we surface into your asset inventory
Illustration — sample case, not a real client’s file.
We map and track every step and deadline
Your expert maps every filing your trust or estate needs and every California deadline, in order — and the app keeps it live, so nothing lapses and you always know what’s next.
- Map every filing and California deadline
- Track live progress in the app
- You approve each step and stay in charge
Illustration — sample case, not a real client’s file.
We prepare and serve the notices the law requires
Notifying every beneficiary and heir (California requires both) within the 60-day deadline, and the Certification of Trust the banks will ask you for. Your Legal Document Assistant prepares them, mails them, and records proof of service. You just review and approve.
- Serve beneficiary & heir notices on time, with proof of service
- Prepare the Certification of Trust institutions accept
- Track the 120-day contest clock and the creditor deadline
Illustration — sample case, not a real client’s file.
We clear the title and tell you exactly what each bank needs
Where the trust holds real property, your Legal Document Assistant prepares the Affidavit of Death of Trustee that clears the title record. For the accounts, you get the Certification of Trust and a checklist of what each institution requires — so you’re never guessing what to send where.
- Affidavit of Death of Trustee, prepared for recording
- The Certification of Trust every bank asks for
- A per-institution checklist so nothing gets bounced back
Illustration — sample case, not a real client’s file.
We file the right route — affidavit, petition, or probate
No trust, or assets left outside one? California has faster paths than full probate: small-estate affidavits, a spousal property petition, a succession petition, or a Heggstad petition to confirm an asset belongs to the trust. We prepare whichever route your estate qualifies for — and full probate when it’s truly needed.
- A free check of which route your estate qualifies for
- Small-estate & spousal affidavits, prepared and served
- Heggstad, spousal property & succession petitions
- Everything prepared, filed, and served for the court hearing
Illustration — sample case, not a real client’s file.
We get the order right so you can close it safely
The 120-day contest window is not the creditor deadline — mixing those up is how trustees pay out too early and end up personally on the hook. We track both clocks and tell you when it’s actually safe to distribute, and what to document when you do.
- Track the contest clock and the one-year creditor bar
- Know when distribution is actually safe — not just when the 120 days run
- A closing checklist so the file is documented
Illustration — sample case, not a real client’s file.
A real California expert, the whole way
Not a chatbot and not a call center. A named, registered California Legal Document Assistant who knows your case and the process — message them whenever a question comes up, at no extra charge. A Legal Document Assistant prepares documents at your direction and cannot give legal advice; when a question needs one, they tell you so and refer you to an attorney.
- Get a named person assigned to your case
- Message them through the app — no hourly clock, no extra charge
- Escalate to an attorney only if it turns contested
Illustration — sample case, not a real client’s file.
National checklist / form-filler apps do too little. Lawyers do too much. We fit most families.
A checklist app leaves the real work to you. A litigator is built — and priced — for the courtroom fights most settlements never see. We strike the balance most families actually want: you stay in control where it counts, and a registered California Legal Document Assistant takes on the work when you’d rather focus on what matters more — or when you just need to lean on an expert who has done this many times before.
Checklist / Form Fill apps Do-it-yourself software | ProbateClear Human-powered smart platform | Attorneys Traditional law firm | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who does the work | You do it all yourself | A registered California LDA does it for you | The firm — attorney and staff |
| California law expertise | One-size-fits-all — no coverage of state & county specific probate laws | Built for California — Heggstad, spousal & succession petitions, small-estate affidavits, Prop 19, county recording | Deep — but trained for courtroom disputes |
| Court-ready filings & service | Not included — you file it yourself | Prepared, filed, and served for you | Included |
| Solution | App-first — minimal expertise or support, to keep costs low | A smart platform and a real expert, together | Deep expertise, but mostly manual work and old-school communication |
| Best fit | Keeping track of your own tasks | Straightforward, uncontested settlements | Contested or litigated estates |
| Pricing model | Low cost or a subscription | One flat fee, matched to the work | Hourly, or a percentage of the estate |
| When you're stuck | You're on your own | A named California expert to call | Yes — at lawyer rates |
The California experts who settle the estate with you.
ProbateClear isn’t a faceless app. The notices and documents we prepare for your settlement are reviewed by a registered, bonded California Legal Document Assistant — real people who do this work every day. A Legal Document Assistant prepares legal documents at your direction; they are not attorneys and cannot give legal advice.
I became a founding partner because ProbateClear does the heavy document lifting — so I can focus on what families need most from me: careful review and a steady hand through the process.
Probate paperwork rewards structure: the right documents, prepared correctly, filed on time. That's the discipline I built over a career in IT and project management — now in service of families.
After years inside law firms, I watched families pay full attorney rates for paperwork that never needed one. For a straightforward estate, that money should stay with the family — and that's what I get to protect here.
Start with the first-30-days checklist.
A calm, plain-English guide to settling a California estate in the first 30 days — what to handle, and in what order, so you always know your next step. We'll email it to you.
Common questions about California probate.
More detail on timelines, banks, and multi-asset estates — see the full California probate FAQ →
You stay in control.
We handle the details.
Talk it through with a registered California Legal Document Assistant — or answer 5 questions and see your path yourself. Either way you stay in control.