​K E R R  L A W

In California if you have an estate valued over $100,000, your property  will go through a process called "probate". Probate is supervised by the probate court. If you do not have a trust the court will determine the distribution of your assets in accordance to your will. Without a will the court will distribute your assets pursuant to California probate code.

 

Why avoid probate?

• Probate takes time. Probate proceedings can take over a year to complete.

• Probate is expensive. Attorney’s fees for probate are set by law and begin at 4.00% of the gross value of the estate.

• Probate is public record. The court will appoint a probate referee to place a fair market value on the estate’s assets. Once this is complete the information is filed with the court and anyone can review and make copies of this information.