Fast legal help with summary probate for people for people in the East Bay, Oakland, and all of the San Francisco Bay Area – California
When a person dies without a valid trust in the state of California, the decedent’s estate is subject to probate or a process called “summary probate”. Probate is the legal process of transferring assets of a decedent to the decedents heirs. Probate code §13100 allows for a shorter process if the gross value of a decedent’s estate does not exceed $150,000. A summary probate is fairly quick and easy.
Figuring out what assets make up the $150,000 could be a little complicated and usually requires some help from an attorney. The person that is doing the paperwork for a summary probate has to understand that they have personal liability for any mistakes that are made. Therefore, it is important to do it right because if you goof up, it will cost you. Our office helps people do summary probates or if desired, we can handle the whole process.
Knowing what assets constitute the $150,000 limit is tricky. Here are a few tips. If the decedent owned real estate, summary probate will not work. Call us if there is any real estate involved. Assets like jointly held accounts or pay on death accounts, are not included in the $150,000 threshold. If the decedent has a spouse, even if the estate is worth more than $150,000, there is a special procedure for spouses but it will require a call to our office.
Nothing in the law is simple so just contact our office if we can help you.
A few more things to watch out for:
If you are reading this information, it is likely you have lost a loved one and are probably confused and dreading this process – we can help you. This is what we do every day.
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