Probate

THE PROCESS

In some cases, the Probate Court may oversee the division of property of someone who has died. This property is called a decedent’s estate. The court supervises the assets and liabilities of people who die while they are residents of California or who leave property inside the state. This includes payment of the dead person’s debts and the distribution of property to beneficiaries.

A dead person’s estate will not be handled in probate court if there is a surviving spouse and the estate consists entirely of community property, or the dead person’s property is held in joint tenancy with another person. Property transferred by gift before death, or placed into certain types of living trusts, also is not subject to probate. Whether the court must be involved depends on a number of things. These can include whether the person was married at the time of death, the type and value of the property the person owned and other things.

The estate can include personal property, such as money in the bank, jewelry or a car. It can also include real property, like the person’s home. Often, the estate has both personal and real property, like the person’s home. If the person has written a Will at the time of death, s/he is said to have died testate. If there was no Will, the person is said to have died intestate. The probate court watches over cases whether the person was testate or intestate. 

Pro Per Probate hearing 

Although only about 20% of all probate filings get approved at the first hearing, if your case is one of the lucky ones and all goes well, the Order for Probate will be approved. At that point, the Court Clerk can issue the Letters. “Letters” is the document of authority that starts the probate timeline and gives the personal representative the authority to manage the assets of the estate and do their other duties.

If there are deficiencies or requested supplemental information that are not able to be addressed prior to the court hearing, the court will continue the matter to a future date to allow a supplement be filed. This is quite common, and a Petitioner should not be alarmed when this happens in their case. It is important, however, to pay particular attention to what deficiencies or other information the court is being requested. You can then relay this information to the person assisting you with your probate paperwork, assuming you are representing yourself in the case.

Ideally, if the court approves the Petition, the Petitioner should get a conformed and file-stamped copy of the Order for Probate and well as several certified copies of the Letters immediately after the hearing. Keep in mind, however, Letters are only issued in full probate. Letters are not issued in small estate proceedings or spousal property proceedings.

The Letters and the Order for Probate are essential, and every effort should be made to get them as soon as possible. In addition to getting a file-stamped copy of the Order, we suggest getting 2-3 certified copies of the Letters, as well. Keep in mind, however, that some courts do not issue the Order for Probate at the hearing. In this regard, the court will mail a copy of the Order several days after the hearing. Unfortunately, the Court Clerk cannot issue the Letters until the judge signed the Order for Probate. As you can see, this delay prevents the personal representative from getting certified copies of the Letters when they are at the hearing. When this happens, it may be necessary for the personal representative to return to the court after they receive the filed Order for Probate in the mail to pay for and order certified copies of the Letters from the Court Clerk.

Who Ends up Qualifying Probate

Estates that have a gross value of over $166,250  or $184,500 (if decedent died after April 1, 2022) of personal property (assets consisting of cash, stocks, and tangible personal items) normally require probate. Any estate that includes real property worth more than $55,425 (if decedent died before April 1, 2022) or $61,500 (if decedent died after April 1, 2022) requires probate, however there are small estate proceedings that can be used to settle estates having real property valued under $166,250. These alternative proceedings can be completed much quicker and are less expensive than the full probate process. Keep in mind that these values are gross estate values and do not take into account any debts that are owed on the property.

For any questions, or to inquire about probate filings, Call Now. 

951 525 1340