California uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in Merced County — the filing sequence, notice requirements, and accounting leave little room for error. Estates under the small-estate threshold are the usual exception.
Probate attorney fees in California are set by statute as a percentage of the estate's value, so every Merced County attorney charges the same schedule. Price isn't the variable — experience with the Superior Court and responsiveness are.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Superior Court, publishes the required creditor notices, prepares the inventory and accounting, handles creditor claims and tax filings, and guides the final distribution. They represent the personal representative — not the beneficiaries — a distinction that matters if a dispute develops.
FirmMerced, CA
Serves 5 counties
Serves Merced, Mariposa, and Stanislaus counties from Merced, with offices in San Jose, Modesto, and Mariposa. Represents trustees and executors on full and summary probate, sub-trust funding, fiduciary accountings, estate tax returns, and post-death tax planning, and handles probate, trust, and estate litigation. One of the few firms with a Mariposa County office.
PracticesEstate PlanningEstate AdministrationTrust AdministrationProbate Litigationand 2 more
- Office
- 548 W. 21st StreetMerced, CA 95340
Solo PracticeMerced, CA
Serves 4 counties
Merced practice serving Merced, Mariposa, Stanislaus, and Fresno counties. Advises executors and administrators through probate, from the petition and letters testamentary to collecting assets, paying debts and taxes, and distributing to heirs, and handles special needs trusts, Medi-Cal planning, and long-term care planning.
PracticesEstate PlanningEstate AdministrationTrust AdministrationProbateand 3 more
- Office
- 728 West 19th StreetMerced, CA 95340
FirmMerced, CA
Serves 1 county
Merced firm serving Merced County for over 40 years with estate planning and probate, trusts, conservatorships, will contests, Medi-Cal planning, and elder law. Keith C. King, admitted in 1961, serves on the Merced Probate Court Rules Committee and belongs to the State Bar Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law Section and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.
PracticesEstate PlanningEstate AdministrationTrust AdministrationProbateand 7 more
- Office
- 510 West 21st StreetMerced, CA 95340
FirmModesto, CA
Since 2009 · Serves 6 counties
Modesto firm on K Street serving Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Merced, Mariposa, Tuolumne, and Calaveras counties with trust administration and probate alongside wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. Founded in 2009 by Gina Leguria, whose own family spent four and a half years in probate court after her father died, it also handles Medi-Cal and special needs planning.
PracticesEstate PlanningEstate AdministrationTrust AdministrationProbateand 5 more
- Office
- 1315 K StreetModesto, CA 95354
FirmMurphys, CA
Serves 5 counties
Murphys firm with offices in Sonora and Modesto, serving Calaveras, Tuolumne, Stanislaus, San Joaquin, and Merced Counties with probate and trust administration alongside estate planning. Appears regularly in the Calaveras County Superior Court in San Andreas. Founding partner Jay Pink is an attorney, CFP, and CPA.
PracticesEstate PlanningEstate AdministrationTrust AdministrationProbate
- Office
- 90 Big Trees Road, Suite DMurphys, CA 95247
FirmModesto, CA
Serves 6 counties
Modesto firm serving Stanislaus, Merced, San Joaquin, Tuolumne, Calaveras, and Fresno Counties with probate administration, trust administration, and estate and gift tax planning alongside wills and trusts. Offers a free consultation on all new probate matters.
PracticesEstate PlanningEstate AdministrationTrust AdministrationTax Planning
- Office
- 1535 J St, Ste AModesto, CA 95354
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.
