FOR TRUSTEES, EXECUTORS & FAMILIES
Trusts & Probate
Navigating estate administration is complex. We handle the personal property so you can focus on the bigger picture.
How Bolo's helps during probate & trust administration
Whether you're an executor settling an estate, a trustee managing a transition, or a family member handling a loved one's property, Bolo's provides complete personal property liquidation — from initial inventory and appraisal through final disposition and documentation. We work with your attorney and timeline to ensure everything is handled properly.
The probate process in California
If probate is necessary, someone — typically the executor named in the will or a family member appointed as administrator — must petition the court to begin the process. The executor files the will along with a "Petition for Probate" with the probate court in the county where the deceased person lived, with a filing fee of approximately $435.
Once the court issues "Letters Testamentary" or "Letters of Administration," the executor can begin gathering assets, setting up an estate bank account, and compiling an inventory and appraisal of all probate property. In California, creditors have four months to file claims. Most California probate cases are handled under the Independent Administration of Estates Act, which allows the executor to manage most matters without requiring court permission for each action.
The process typically takes six months to a year. While it involves significant paperwork, most organized and conscientious people can handle it — and an attorney can serve as a guide throughout.
Probate attorney fees in California
California is one of the few states that allows attorneys to charge a statutory fee based on a percentage of the gross probate estate value — not the net value after debts.
ESTATE VALUE | ATTORNEY FEE RATE |
|---|---|
First $100,000 | 4% |
Next $100,000 | 3% |
Next $800,000 | 2% |
Next $9,000,000 | 1% |
Next $15,000,000 | 0.5% |
Above $25,000,000 | Court-determined |
Avoiding probate: living trusts
A revocable living trust allows you to transfer property to beneficiaries without going through probate. You typically name yourself as trustee, maintaining full control during your lifetime, and designate a successor trustee to manage distribution after your passing. Property held in a trust can be distributed almost immediately, often without attorney involvement.
California does offer simplified processes for smaller estates — including affidavit procedures for estates valued at $166,250 or less — but for most Silicon Valley properties, a living trust is the more practical route to avoiding probate.
Even with a living trust, you should still maintain a will to designate a guardian for minor children and to account for any property not formally transferred into the trust.