A California probate is a 7 month, at a minimum, process. Here are 3 key steps:

1) Hire a competent and experienced California probate lawyer and get your petition filed.  In my office we usually have the petition prepared the same day you contact us and tell us to start! It can then be filed, at the Superior Court (Probate Department), within 24 hours.

2) Take care of business during 4 months probate period.  The probate process is 7 months minimum but the main time to take care of business is 4 months. During this time you will notify creditors, gather assets, deal with taxes and determine who the beneficiaries are.

3) End the probate. That’s the light at the end of the tunnel… the end of probate. That’s when the checks are cut! A final report and accounting, or waiver of accounting, is filed with the Court, approved by the Judge and then distribute the assets!

Step one is key, hire a competent probate attorney.  My office handles probates throughout California as we can “appear” in Court telephonically.