Estate Planning & Probate in Mendocino County, California
Most Mendocino County estate questions come down to one fork: avoid probate before a death, or work through it after one. This page points you to the right path—planning ahead, or settling an estate at the Superior Court - Probate Division.
Someone died — settling an estate
Filing probate at the Superior Court - Probate Division, what it costs, transferring property, and local attorneys.
What to do when someone dies in Mendocino County→Planning ahead as a property owner
Keep a Mendocino County home out of probate with a transfer-on-death deed or a living trust.
Estate planning in Mendocino County→The Probate Process in Mendocino County
Probate is the court-supervised process of settling someone's estate after they die — validating the will, paying debts and taxes, and transferring what's left to the heirs. In Mendocino County, probate runs through the Superior Court - Probate Division at 100 North State Street, Room 107, Ukiah. Probate e-filing in Mendocino County goes through mendocino.courts.ca.gov, a county-specific system.
Full Mendocino Countyprobate guide: cost, how to file & attorneys →Probate Court Record
Superior Court - Probate Division
Mendocino County
Address
Phone
Hours
Recording Deeds & Property Documents
Recording Office Record
County Clerk-Recorder
Mendocino County · Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder · Katrina Bartolomie
Address
Phone
Hours
$13 for the first page plus $3 for each additional page; a 2-page TOD deed records for $91; TOD deeds are exempt from transfer tax.
Full recording details →Verified July 13, 2026 · Source
Local Procedures at the Superior Court - Probate Division
The court offers a self-help center, open Ukiah in-person Monday - Thursday 9:00 - 11:30 AM and 1:00 - 4:00 PM; Fort Bragg via Zoom Mondays 9:00 - 11:30 AM, in Self-Help Legal Access (SHLA) Center, 100 North State Street, Room 304, Ukiah, CA 95482. Staff can review paperwork for completeness and explain procedures, though they cannot provide legal advice. Assistance is available in Spanish in addition to English. Call 707-468-2020 for details.
Tentative rulings on certain probate matters posted by 3:00 PM the day before the scheduled hearing. Public counter hours and telephone hours: 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM.
California Estate Planning Articles
Articles about estate planning, probate, and trusts relevant to families in Mendocino County.
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