OptionalUnder Local Rule 1.10 the court accepts probate documents by fax to the court's fax number or by email to efiling@plumas.courts.ca.gov, up to 15 pages, with a Facsimile Transmission Cover Sheet (MC-005) carrying a Visa, MasterCard or Discover card number, phone number and email address. Each document carries the words "By fax" below its title, and documents received by 4:00 PM on a court day are filed that day. The court adds a fee of $6.00 on filings up to $200.00 and 3 percent above that, waived under an approved fee waiver. On paper: Original wills and codicils, and any testamentary trust; Bonds and undertakings; Subpoenaed documents; Probate Code 2620 financial institution, care facility and escrow documents from conservators, guardians or trustees of court-supervised trusts; Documents sealed or intended to be sealed; Exhibits, and any document the court orders submitted on paper.
Filing in person
Walk-ins acceptedProbate cases are filed at the Clerk's Office in Room 104 of the Plumas County Courthouse, first door on the right past security. Documents are signed, dated, two-hole punched and stapled, with the original and the needed copies. Telephone hours are 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM.
Self-represented filing
AllowedThe Probate page sends filers to the California Courts guide to wills, estates and probate. The court does not appoint attorneys in probate cases, and court staff cannot advise which forms to use or how to complete them.
Accepted payment
At the counterCash, Check, Money order, Credit card, Debit card.The Clerk's Office takes cash, personal and cashier's checks, money orders, Visa and Mastercard, and debit cards with a PIN. Mailed checks and money orders are payable to Plumas Superior Court with the case number and reason for payment; cash is not mailed.
Hearing schedule
Probate is heard on the second and fourth Mondays at 9:00 AM in Department 2, on the first floor of the courthouse.
Self-help center
Family Court Services, Plumas County Courthouse, 520 Main Street, Room 104, Quincy1-530-283-6232Family Court Services provides in-person and telephone self-help by appointment for divorce, parentage, custody and support mediation, guardianships, stepparent adoptions and supervised visitation; decedent estates are not among its case types. The regional SHARP self-help centers also assist self-represented people.
Fax
1-530-283-6415
Departments
Criminal/Traffic and Family Court Services appointments1-530-283-6232
About the court
The Clerk's Office is in Room 104 on the first floor; Department 1 is on the third floor and Departments 2 and 3 on the first floor.
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 Plumas County, probate runs through the Superior Court at 520 Main Street, Room 104, Quincy. Probate e-filing in Plumas County goes through plumas.courts.ca.gov, which no other California county uses.
The personal representative opens the case, gives notice to heirs and creditors, files an inventory of the estate's assets, settles outstanding debts and taxes, and then distributes the remainder under the will — or under California intestacy law when there is no will.
Most California estates take 12 months to 18 months to move through this process. Creditors have 4 monthsCal. Prob. Code §§ 9050-9054, 9100-9104, 9150, 9153, 9256, 9353, 11420; CCP § 366.2Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the opening of the estate.
What Probate Costs in Plumas County
What probate costs in Plumas County, California comes down to a handful of line items — the court filing fee, attorney and executor compensation, publication, and sometimes a bond — scaled by the estate's size and whether the will is contested. The case itself runs through the Superior Court at 520 Main Street, Room 104, Quincy.
California charges $435Cal. Gov. Code §§ 70650(a), 70602.5, 70602.6Verified Oct 17, 2026View source to open probate, the same in every county. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
California sets attorney fees by statute — a percentage of the estate's gross value. Every attorney charges the same schedule, so the decision to hire one comes down to complexity, not price.
California sets executor compensation by statute — about $13,000 on a $500,000 estate, roughly 2.6%Cal. Prob. Code § 10800Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
California requires publishing notice to creditors in a local newspaper, and the estate pays for it.
A surety bond may be required unless the will waives it or all beneficiaries consent. Premiums run roughly 0.5%Industry surety premium estimate; the bond itself under Cal. Prob. Code §§ 8480 (bond required before letters issued), 8481 (waiver: will provision or all-beneficiary written waiver; court may still require bond for good cause)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value annually.
Probate in California typically runs 12 months to 18 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the Superior Court
Probate documents in Plumas County can be filed in person at the Superior Court, by mail, or electronically. Most families handling probate themselves prefer paper filing, though e-filing is available.
Beside the filing office, the court lists a separate line for Criminal/Traffic and Family Court Services appointments.
Family Court Services provides in-person and telephone self-help by appointment for divorce, parentage, custody and support mediation, guardianships, stepparent adoptions and supervised visitation; decedent estates are not among its case types. The regional SHARP self-help centers also assist self-represented people.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
In California, informal probate is not availableCal. Prob. Code §§ 8005 (hearing on the petition), 8006 (court admits the will and appoints the personal representative); no registrar or clerk informal probate trackVerified Sep 8, 2026View source, so self-filing means a formal court petition rather than a registrar filing.
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Court Appearances
Remote appearance by Zoom or CourtCall telephone is permitted in probate under certain circumstances, requested with Notice of Remote Appearance (RA-010) under Rule of Court 3.672.
Requests may be emailed to efiling@plumas.courts.ca.gov. Zoom is free; CourtCall may charge its own fee.
Whether a probate case has been filed can be checked in person at the Clerk's Office or by mail, and copies of a file are requested online, in person or by mail.
Filed with the opening petition at the Superior Court: Certified copy of the death certificate (required by some counties with the petition; not a statewide DE-111 attachment); Original will and any codicils (lodged with the court) (Cal. Prob. Code § 8200); Notice of Petition to Administer Estate (DE-121) with proof of publication and mailed notice (§§ 8100, 8120); Duties and Liabilities of Personal Representative (DE-147); Confidential Supplement to Duties and Liabilities of Personal Representative (DE-147S), where the court requires it by local rule; Proposed Order for Probate (DE-140)Cal. Prob. Code §§ 8000-8577 (appointment & letters); §§ 8002, 10450 (petition contents)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Coroner in Plumas County
In California a death is registered locally, and in Plumas County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Public Health Agency, Plumas County as well as by California Department of Public Health - Vital Records.
Clearing title to real estate after a death, whether by a personal representative’s deed, an affidavit of survivorship, or a court order, happens at the County Clerk-Recorder.
Deeds and other real property documents for Plumas County are recorded with the County Clerk-Recorder at 520 Main Street, Room 102, Quincy, CA 95971. Phone: 1-530-283-6218. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.
The County Clerk-Recorder charges $15 for the first page plus $3 for each additional page.
California allows independent administrationCal. Prob. Code §§ 10400 (Independent Administration of Estates Act), 10500(a) (administer without court supervision), 10501 (actions still requiring court supervision)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, so the personal representative manages, pays and distributes the estate without returning to the court for approval at each step. A probate attorney earns the fee when the estate is contested, includes a business or out-of-state real estate, has unclear or insolvent debts, or when beneficiaries disagree.
Probate attorney fees in California are set by statute as a percentage of the estate's value, so every Plumas 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.
Susanville practice serving Lassen and Plumas Counties since 2004, guiding trustees from the initial legal notifications through final accounting and distribution, and executors through probate from the first petition to closing the estate. Also handles probate and trust litigation and conservatorship and guardianship petitions.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 3 more
Quincy firm serving Plumas County with wills and probate, trust administration, and contested matters — trust litigation and will contests — alongside real estate and business law. Handles revocable living trusts, durable powers of attorney, and advance health care directives. Charles V. Simonetti opened the office in 2005.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 3 more
Redding practice on Eureka Way handling Shasta County probate — the collection, management, and distribution of a decedent's estate through the court — plus living trusts, wills, and business law, with a second California office in Costa Mesa and a Middle Tennessee office in Brentwood. Attorney Douglas A. Wright publishes his fees, including flat-fee small-estate probate.
Chico firm serving Butte, Tehama, Glenn, Lassen, Plumas, Modoc, Lake, Mendocino, and Shasta Counties, representing the executor or trustee in administering a decedent's estate from initial probate through final accounting. Also handles Medi-Cal and long-term-care planning, special needs trusts, and veterans benefits. Partners Neil A. Harris and Nicole R. Plottel are Certified Elder Law Attorneys.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 3 more
Chico practice serving Butte, Plumas, Placer, Sacramento, Lassen, and Glenn counties, with satellite offices in Rocklin, Sacramento, and Lake Almanor. Handles probate for personal representatives, making the court appearances and preparing the pleadings an estate requires, and resolves probate and trust litigation. Daniel Alexander has practiced in these areas since 1996.
Serves Butte County and the northern Sacramento Valley from an office in Chico. Spencer M. Gysin prepares wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, powers of attorney, and advance health care directives, and handles probate conservatorships for adults who can no longer manage their own affairs. The practice also covers family law and guardianships.
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.
Data sourced from California statutes and official state code. Fee percentages are modeled estimates; each figure's note says how. How we research.
Tools for Settling an Estate in California
Free tools for settling an estate in California: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool.
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.
See the Steps
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.
See the Steps
Can I Self-File Probate?
In California, informal probate is not availableCal. Prob. Code §§ 8005 (hearing on the petition), 8006 (court admits the will and appoints the personal representative); no registrar or clerk informal probate trackVerified Sep 8, 2026View source, so self-filing means a formal court petition rather than a registrar filing.
Enter the estate value to see California attorney fees, executor fees, court costs and the timeline.
Examples:
General information about probate costs, not legal or financial advice. Fee bases vary by state and may use gross estate, personal property, inventory value or net property after debts. Actual costs vary by county, attorney and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions.
$
See whether you can file probate yourself
Enter the estate value to see whether California lets a self-represented person open probate, what the court requires, and what each route costs.
General information about filing probate without a lawyer, not legal advice. Both routes are priced by the probate cost estimator on the same estate; the attorney fee is the one line that differs. Actual costs vary by county, attorney and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions.
