Resources
Learn the path before you walk it.
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 videoReclaim a Home Under California's New $750K Succession LawA short video on California's AB 2016 succession law: heirs can now transfer a primary residence worth up to $750,000 without full probate — through one streamlined court petition.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 Running
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GuideAn Asset Was Left Out of the Trust — the Heggstad Petition ExplainedA bank account or even the house never made it into the trust. In California a Heggstad petition can bring it in with one hearing, instead of a full probate.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 →GuideCalifornia Small-Estate Limits & Thresholds (2026)The current California small-estate thresholds: $208,850 personal property, $69,625 small-value real property, and $750,000 for a primary residence — with effective dates.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 →GuideHow Long Does Probate Take in California?Full California probate usually takes 9–18 months — here's why, and which summary procedures finish in weeks. Find your real timeline in minutes.Read →GuideHow Much Does Probate Cost in California?California probate fees follow a statutory percentage of the estate's gross value — paid to both the attorney AND the executor. See the schedule, a worked $1M example, and cheaper paths.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 →
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