Back to Insights

What probate in California actually involves

Probate in California is a court-supervised process for distributing a deceased person's assets. It applies when the estate exceeds certain thresholds and there is no trust or other mechanism to avoid it.

The process typically takes nine months to a year and a half. Statutory fees are set by law and can be substantial — often tens of thousands of dollars on a mid-sized estate. The proceedings are also public.

For many families, a properly funded trust avoids probate entirely. That is one of the main reasons clients choose to establish one.