Bakersfield firm serving Kern County and the San Joaquin Valley since 1953, with offices in Fresno, Pasadena, Encinitas, and Santa Barbara. Handles probate and estate administration, including for personal representatives living outside California, plus trust administration and probate and trust disputes. Practice group leader Nancy L. Oehler is a certified specialist in trust and probate law.
San Diego is in San Diego County.
More Asset Protection Firms in San Diego County
Probate in San Diego County
Probate Court Record
San Diego County Superior Court - Probate Division
San Diego County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:00 PM
Office
1100 Union Street, 3rd Floor, San Diego, CA 92101
Website
E-filing
Filing in person
Walk-ins accepted
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
How to file probate in San Diego County →
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in San Diego County? →Settling an estate in San Diego County →
Forms for Planning Your Estate in California
Free forms for planning your estate in California: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for California.
$12/month
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
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Free
Pour-Over Will
In California, a pour-over will is signed before 2Cal. Prob. Code § 6110Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.
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Free
Transfer on Death Deed
In California, a revocable transfer on death deed is signed before a notaryCal. Prob. Code 5600-5698Verified Oct 18, 2026View source and 2Cal. Prob. Code 5600-5698Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathCal. Prob. Code 5600-5698Verified Oct 18, 2026View source, within 60 daysCal. Prob. Code 5600-5698Verified Oct 18, 2026View source of notarization. California does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.
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Free
Last Will and Testament
In California, a will is signed before 2Cal. Prob. Code § 6110Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and the witnesses sign an affidavit at probate instead of a self-proving affidavitCal. Prob. Code § 6110Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
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Tools for Planning Your Estate in California
Free tools for planning your estate in California: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for California.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
In California, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees set by statute as a percentage of the gross estateCal. Prob. Code § 10810Verified Sep 8, 2026View source; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.
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How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in California runs $4,320Estimate: 10 hours at $432, Clio's California Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $6,480Estimate: 15 hours at $432, Clio's California Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
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Do I Need a TOD Deed?
California authorizes transfer on death deedsCal. Prob. Code 5600-5698Verified Oct 17, 2026View source: a recorded, revocable deed that passes real property at death outside probate.
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Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?
California automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceCal. Prob. Code § 5040Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.
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