Statewide practice

California probate, trust and estate law

Bay Legal, P.C. handles probate, trust administration and contested trust and estate matters throughout California, from offices in Palo Alto and Los Angeles.

Seven pillar guides cover this work in depth. Start with the one closest to your situation, or tell us what happened and we will point you to the right one.

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The seven pillars

California Probate Process →What probate is, how long it takes, what it costs, and how to open, run, and close a California probate estate.Full guide Trust Administration →A successor trustee’s duties — notice, accounting, distribution — under California law.Trust Litigation & Contesting a Trust →Removing a trustee, proving undue influence, compelling an accounting, and recovering assets a trustee mismanaged or took.Full guide Will Contests & Estate Litigation →Challenging a will’s validity, intestate succession when there’s no will, and disputes over who actually inherits.Elder Financial Abuse →Recovering assets taken from an elderly or dependent adult, with the enhanced remedies California law provides.Conservatorship & Guardianship →Establishing, contesting, or defending against a conservatorship or guardianship in California.Probate & Trust Litigation Process →What litigation actually costs, how mediation works, and what to expect if a dispute goes to trial.

Resources & tools

FAQ hub →Questions people actually ask about California probate and trusts.Glossary →Defined terms, A to Z, linked throughout the site.Probate fee calculator →Statutory attorney and executor compensation under §10810.Small estate checker →Whether a simplified affidavit may be available.

Where we practise

Northern California

667 Lytton Ave Ste 3
Palo Alto, CA 94301

(650) 668-8000

Southern California

3211 Cahuenga Blvd W Ste 212
Los Angeles, CA 90068

(213) 668-8000

Counties we serve →Local court practice and filing expectations, county by county.Attorneys →Who handles these matters at Bay Legal, P.C.

Not sure which of these describes your situation?

Tell us what happened and who is involved. We will tell you plainly whether it is a matter we take, and what the next step looks like.

Request a Case Strategy Session →