Resources
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Plain-English guides and short videos for navigating California probate — so you understand exactly what's ahead before you start.
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VideoFeatured videoHouse Taken Out of the Trust to Refinance, and Now Mom Has Died (California)Lenders often have the house deeded out of a living trust to refinance, and nobody deeds it back. After a death in California, here is what that means, why it is harder than an ordinary Heggstad petition, and the evidence that helps.GuideHow to Settle a Trust in California: The Complete Step-by-Step ProcessGuideCan I Settle a California Trust Myself?GuideWhy Checklist and Form-Filling Apps Can't File for You in CaliforniaGuideDo I Need Probate in California?GuideProp 19 and the Family Home: the Clock You Didn't Know Was RunningVideoReclaim a Home Under California's New $750K Succession Law
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VideoHouse Not in the Trust After Death in California: Which Fix AppliesThe parent had a living trust, but the house or an account was never put in it. Here is how to sort out which California route applies — no court, a small-estate procedure, a Heggstad petition, or probate — starting with the deed.Read →GuideCalifornia Small-Estate Limits & Thresholds (2026)The current California small-estate thresholds for deaths on or after April 1, 2025: $208,850 for the small-estate affidavit, $69,625 for small-value real property, and $750,000 for a primary residence.Read →GuideDying Without a Will in California (Intestate Succession)No will in California? The state doesn't take the estate. Intestate succession law decides who inherits — and a cheap summary path is often still available.Read →VideoWhat a Heggstad Petition Costs in CaliforniaAn itemized look at the cost of a Heggstad petition in California in 2026: the $435 court filing fee, service, certified copies, and preparation — compared with commonly advertised attorney flat fees and with full probate.Read →VideoHeggstad Petition Without a Lawyer: What a Legal Document Assistant Does and Doesn't DoMany California trustees file uncontested Heggstad petitions without an attorney — but not every trustee can. Here is who does what — you, a registered Legal Document Assistant, and the court — where the risks are, and when to bring in a lawyer.Read →GuideHow Long Does Probate Take in California? (2026 Timeline)Full probate in California typically takes 9 to 18 months. Shorter routes can take a few weeks to six months or more. Here is the step-by-step timeline, the legal waiting periods behind it, and how each route compares.Read →GuideCalifornia Probate Fees Calculator (2026): Attorney, Executor & Court CostsEnter the estate's value to see California's statutory attorney and executor fees, the court filing fee, and the probate referee's fee. Plus what each fee is based on, when it can be lower, and the cheaper routes a smaller estate may qualify for.Read →GuideHow to Access a Deceased Person's Bank Account in CaliforniaHow to transfer or claim a bank account after death in California — the path depends on how the account was titled: joint, payable-on-death, or sole-owner.Read →GuideHow to Avoid Probate in CaliforniaHow to avoid full California probate — the planning tools to use before death, and the summary procedures that still skip probate after death when no plan was made.Read →How-toHow to Get a Certified Death Certificate in CaliforniaA practical step-by-step guide to ordering certified death certificates in California — county vs. state, authorized vs. informational copies, and how many to order.Read →GuideHow to Transfer a House After Death in CaliforniaHow to transfer a house after death in California depends on how the home is titled. A guide to each path — joint tenancy, survivorship, trust, TOD, or name alone.Read →GuideProbate vs Non-Probate Assets in CaliforniaThe single most important sorting question in any California estate: which assets pass outside probate automatically, and which are probate assets that may need a court path.Read →GuideThe 60-Day Trustee Notice: Who Must Be Told, and What the 120-Day Clock MeansCalifornia Probate Code section 16061.7 gives a successor trustee 60 days to notify beneficiaries and heirs — and serving it starts the 120-day contest window. What the notice must say and who must receive it.Read →
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