Probate in Santa Barbara County

Probate Court Record

Santa Barbara County Superior Court - Anacapa Division

Santa Barbara County

Hours

Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-3:00 PM

Office

1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Filing in person

Walk-ins accepted

Self-represented filing

Allowed

Self-help forms

How to file probate in Santa Barbara County →

Verified October 15, 2026 · Source

Do I need a lawyer for probate in Santa Barbara County? →Settling an estate in Santa Barbara County →

Trust Litigation Firms Serving Santa Barbara County

Serves Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties from Ventura, with a second office in Westlake Village. The estate group files probate petitions, handles post-death trust administration and trust divisions, and represents heirs, beneficiaries, and fiduciaries in trust and estate litigation. Founded in 1982; John M. Andersen is a State Bar certified specialist.

Since 1982Serves 4 countiesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust LitigationTax Planning

Represents executors and successor trustees through probate and trust administration across Los Angeles, Ventura, and Kern Counties, from offices in Oxnard, Valencia, Bakersfield, and West Los Angeles. It litigates will contests, trust disputes, and financial elder abuse, and handles Medi-Cal planning. Its principal attorney is a State Bar certified specialist in probate and trust law.

Serves 4 countiesVirtual consultationsEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+7

Ventura firm serving Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles Counties with probating a will, probate litigation, and trust litigation alongside estate planning, conservatorships, and guardianships. Robert M. Baskin was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1975 and has practiced in Ventura for over 40 years. Free initial consultation for new clients.

Serves 3 countiesFree consultationEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationTrust LitigationConservatorship+2

Serves San Diego County and Southern California from Newport Avenue in San Diego, centered on probate and trust disputes. Handles probate and trust administration, contested wills and accountings, trustee removal, and breach-of-fiduciary-duty claims, plus elder law and Medi-Cal planning. Vincent M. Casiano is a State Bar certified specialist; the first 30-minute consultation is free.

Solo PracticeServes the whole stateFree consultationEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+4

Bakersfield boutique serving Kern and Tulare counties from offices in Bakersfield and Visalia, and probate matters throughout California. Supports executors and administrators through California probate and represents heirs, excluded heirs, and fiduciaries in estate disputes, including will contests, breach-of-fiduciary-duty claims, and trust-distribution litigation.

Serves the whole stateEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust LitigationAsset Protection

Serves Orange County and San Diego from offices in Irvine and San Diego, and takes probate and trust litigation statewide. Handles trust and will contests, trustee misconduct and accounting disputes, conservatorship fights, and elder financial abuse claims, with probate and trust administration alongside. Founded in 2005; often brought in as trial counsel when an estate plan breaks down.

Since 2005Serves the whole stateTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust LitigationConservatorshipElder Abuse

All 28 California trust litigation firms serving Santa Barbara 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.

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Revocable Living Trust

Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.

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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.

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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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