Serves San Francisco, San Mateo, and the surrounding Bay Area from downtown San Francisco. Handles probate and trust administration through asset distribution and title transfers, plus conservatorships and trust and estate litigation. Principal Sheila Robello holds an LLM in taxation and is a State Bar certified specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law.
Probate in Alameda County
Probate Court Record
Alameda County Superior Court - Probate Division
Alameda County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Thursday 8:30 AM-3:00 PM; Friday 8:30 AM-2:00 PM
Office
2120 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, Berkeley, CA 94704
Website
E-filing
Filing in person
Walk-ins accepted
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Alameda County →
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Alameda County? →Settling an estate in Alameda County →
Trust Litigation Firms Serving Alameda County
Walnut Creek firm serving Contra Costa and Alameda counties. Probate work covers court filings and hearings, creditors' claims, inventory and appraisals, court accountings, and distribution, alongside trust administration, conservatorship petitions, and special needs trusts. Represents trustees, personal representatives, beneficiaries, and heirs in will contests and trust disputes.
Los Angeles-headquartered probate and trust litigation firm representing trustees, executors, heirs, and beneficiaries in will contests, trust disputes, and breach-of-fiduciary-duty claims. Also handles estate and probate administration, conservatorships, and financial elder abuse, from offices in Los Angeles, Pasadena, Costa Mesa, San Diego, Walnut Creek, and Fresno. Free consultation.
Roseville firm handling probate and decedent estate administration, including ancillary probate, plus trust administration, conservatorships, and litigation in those areas — will contests and beneficiary disputes. Marlene Sanborn, a retired Air Force flight engineer, opened the firm in 2006 and has practiced law in California since 1998.
South Lake Tahoe office serving El Dorado County and the Bay Area with trust and probate administration, trust and probate litigation, and wealth succession planning alongside estate planning. Attorney Jean-Claude Mallein is a dual Certified Specialist in Taxation Law and in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law, certified by the California Board of Legal Specialization.
San Mateo firm serving San Mateo and Alameda Counties across the Bay Area with probate, trust administration, and trust and estate litigation alongside estate planning. Pamela Bobowski founded the firm in 2015 after going through probate herself and is licensed in California, New York, and Massachusetts. Free consultation, with online and contactless meetings.
All 31 California trust litigation firms serving Alameda County →
Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in California
Free California forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for California.
Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in California
Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in California: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool for California.
How Do I Settle a Trust?
Settling a trust in California happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's trust statuteCal. Prob. Code § 15000 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 60 daysCal. Prob. Code §§ 16061.7, 16061.8, 16064, 16460Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
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What's Fair Trustee Compensation?
In California, trustee compensation follows "reasonable compensation" (UTC § 708 or equivalent)Cal. Prob. Code §§ 15680-15688Verified Sep 18, 2026View source unless the trust instrument sets a different amount.
Calculate the Fee
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in California: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 120 daysCal. Prob. Code §§ 8800-8804, 8900-8903Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 4 monthsCal. Prob. Code §§ 9050-9054, 9100-9104, 9150, 9153, 9256, 9353, 11420; CCP § 366.2Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 9 months to 12 months.
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