Category Archives: Probates Contra Costa County

Letters Testamentary and Letters Administration in California Probate

When the Personal Representative of the Probate Estate is appointed, whether that person is identified by the court as the executor or administrator of the estate, “Letters Testamentary” or “Letters Administration” will be issued to that person by the court. The Letters give the personal representative authority to carry out certain business of the probate […]

The Personal Representative of the Probate Estate

When a probate is filed, the court will appoint a Personal Representative of the estate. This personal representative will be identified in the court proceeding as the executor or administrator of the estate. This person will sign and file the various documents that will be required by the court through the course of the probate […]

The Probate Spousal Property Petition

Assets that pass to a surviving spouse can be confirmed to the surviving spouse, through a petition process in probate court. This is not a full probate, and is called a “Spousal Property Petition”. This petition process usually takes around two months to complete, as opposed to around a year that is needed to complete […]

Assets That Are Not Subject To Probate

Not all assets are subject to probate. For instance, life insurance policies that name a specific beneficiary are not subject to probate. If however, you name “my estate” or “my children” as beneficiaries, a probate will probably be required. Retirement accounts, also known as “qualified accounts” like IRA’s and 401K’s, are not subject to probate […]