Alameda County Probate Attorneys
Probate
Probate is a process that is required whenever a person passes away leaving no estate plan at all, or only leaving a will.
Probate is a legal proceeding that is used to wind up a person's legal and financial affairs after death. In California, probate proceedings are conducted in the Superior Court for the county in which the decedent lived, and can take at least six months and sometimes as long as several years.
The fees for both the attorney handling the probate and the executor of the estate are set by law in California Probate Code Section 10810. Higher fees can be ordered by a court for more complicated cases.
We will be glad to explain to you what the statute says and what the fees will likely be for your particular case. The attorney and the executor are paid during the probate process, usually when probate closes, pursuant to this statutory formula.
Living Trusts & Estate Planning
Probate is fairly straightforward, but in California it can be far more time-consuming and costly than an estate that passes through a trust. Because of this many people in California prefer to create trusts rather than wills.
The Law Offices of William H. Bachrach provides will and trust drafting services, and is glad to help you to plan your estate in such a way that probate should not be necessary and hopefully estate disputes will not occur.
We also offer services in the areas of conservatorships, Durable Power of Attorney, estate plan modification and revision, and elder financial abuse.
If you think we may be able to help you with your probate or estate planning matter, please call us at (510) 465-1906 or write to us using the form on the left side of this page.
We look forward to hearing from you.