What to Do When Someone Dies in Solano County, California
How probate works in Solano County: the Superior Court - Family Law, Probate and Adoption Division record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Required for attorneysLocal Rule 20 requires attorneys to file and serve electronically in probate cases through an electronic filing service provider. Self-represented parties may e-file or file by mail, in person or in a drop box. Documents received electronically by 11:59 PM on a court day are filed that day. On paper: Documents filed by self-represented parties, non-parties and government entities; Ex parte applications; Documents that a statute or rule requires to be personally served; Original wills and codicils; Orders bearing an original judicial officer's signature; Exhibits to be lodged for hearings or trials, subpoenaed documents and sealed records; Copy requests and any paper document the court orders filed in the clerk's office.
Filing in person
Walk-ins acceptedThe Family Law and Probate clerk's office at the Hall of Justice takes drop-in visits and appointments Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM; phones are answered 8:00 AM to noon and 1:00 to 3:00 PM. Drop boxes at the Hall of Justice (7:30 AM to 5:00 PM) and the Vallejo branch take filings, and documents left by 4:00 PM are filed that day.
Self-represented filing
AllowedThe Probate page explains which statewide forms start a probate case, a spousal property petition and the small-estate procedures. Fees left in a drop box are paid by an attached check, never cash, and an extra copy with a stamped, self-addressed envelope brings back an endorsed copy.
Hearing schedule
Department 22: conservatorships Tuesdays at 9:00 AM; trusts, estates and other probate petitions Wednesday to Friday at 9:00 AM; estate compliance hearings, ex partes and fee waiver hearings Fridays at 11:00 AM.
Departments
Department 22 (Probate of estates and trusts)1-707-207-7322 · Old Solano Courthouse, Courtroom 3, 580 Texas StreetHears decedent estates, trusts and other probate petitions; probate ex parte applications are set by appointment with this department.
Probate papers are filed with the Family Law, Probate and Adoption clerk's office at the Hall of Justice; estate and trust hearings are in Department 22 at the Old Solano Courthouse. The court publishes a list of newspapers of general circulation for the Notice of Petition to Administer Estate.
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 Solano County, probate runs through the Superior Court - Family Law, Probate and Adoption Division at 600 Union Avenue, Fairfield. Probate e-filing in Solano County goes through solano.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 Solano County
What probate costs in Solano 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 - Family Law, Probate and Adoption Division at 600 Union Avenue, Fairfield.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: Court investigation fees run from $400 for a temporary conservatorship petition and $500 for a conservatorship petition to $450 for a guardianship of the person.
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 - Family Law, Probate and Adoption Division
Probate cases in Solano County, California are filed at the Superior Court - Family Law, Probate and Adoption Division.
Beside the filing office, the court lists separate lines for Department 22 (Probate of estates and trusts), Hearing Scheduling, Pre-Grants, and Court Investigators.
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.
Before You File
For a matter decided without an appearance, declarations, consents, waivers, proposed orders and other papers are filed at least four full court days before the hearing.
A petitioner who is not the nominated executor attaches the executor's signed declination or alleges facts showing the right to appointment was waived; a bond waiver signed by a parent for a minor heir is ordinarily not accepted when that parent seeks appointment.
A petition for appointment of a personal representative gives each minor heir's date of birth and names the trustees of any trust under the will and any living trust in existence at death.
Where a trust is a beneficiary, a copy of the trust and its amendments is filed separately as a confidential document (Local Rule 7.51).
A hearing date may be reserved with the calendaring clerk, but the matter is set only when the Notice of Hearing (DE-120) or Notice of Petition to Administer Estate (DE-121) is filed, within three court days of reserving the date.
Trust petitions are filed at least 30 days before the hearing and other probate petitions at least 15 days before (Local Rule 7.2(d)-(e)).
Pre-grant orders on new probate petitions, spousal property petitions and final distribution petitions are posted after 2:00 PM on the court day before the hearing; a party satisfied with the pre-grant need not appear and submits an order for signature.
An appearance is needed where the papers are deficient, the matter is contested, a holographic will has not been proved, or the petition seeks confirmation of a sale. Pre-grants are not posted for guardianships, conservatorships or ex parte applications.
Probate ex parte applications are heard by appointment set with Department 22; the application is then filed at the Family Law and Probate clerk's office, with notice to everyone entitled by 10:00 AM the court day before.
The party or the party's attorney mails the notices of hearing that the Probate Code assigns to the clerk, and the petitioner may not be the one who mails notice to those entitled to share in the estate.
Local Rule 7.6; the Probate page adds that the notice is mailed by another adult.
Probate notes listing defects are posted about one week before the hearing on probate matters other than guardianships and conservatorships, and defects are cleared by filing the curing documents, which may be e-filed but not emailed to staff.
Filed with the opening petition at the Superior Court - Family Law, Probate and Adoption Division: 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 Solano County
In California a death is registered locally, and in Solano County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Public Health Vital Statistics, Solano County as well as by California Department of Public Health - Vital Records.
The office issues certificates for deaths in the past two years, in person by confirmed appointment only or through its online process. Older deaths are held by the Assessor/Recorder.
Burial and cremation permits
Issued byPublic Health Vital Statistics, Solano County
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 Recorder.
Deeds and other real property documents for Solano County are recorded with the County Recorder at 675 Texas Street, Suite 2700, Fairfield, CA 94533. Phone: 1-707-784-6290. Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-4:00 PM.
The County Recorder charges $13 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 Solano County attorney charges the same schedule. Price isn't the variable — experience with the Superior Court - Family Law, Probate and Adoption Division and responsiveness are.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Superior Court - Family Law, Probate and Adoption Division, 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.
Fairfield firm serving Solano and Contra Costa counties. Guides families through the California probate process in the Solano County court, advises trustees and beneficiaries during trust administration, and represents parties in contested will and trust proceedings. The practice also covers estate planning, guardianships, elder abuse, and family law.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 4 more
Serves Solano County from Fairfield, taking estates through the county's probate court. Works with executors on probate administration and the duties and personal liability that come with the role, and with successor trustees on trust administration after a death; also handles conservatorships and guardianships. Meetings are available in person or by video.
Napa estate planning and elder law practice led by Anthony Celaya, with offices across California from Santa Rosa and Sacramento to Los Angeles and San Diego. Handles probate and estate administration and Medi-Cal planning alongside trusts, wills, and incapacity planning. Clients are served in person or through virtual consultations, and the initial consultation is free.
Solo practice in Fairfield serving Solano County families since 1998. David W. Knight handles probate administration of a family member's estate, conservatorships for aging relatives, and living trusts, powers of attorney, and advance healthcare directives, and volunteers as Senior Resource Attorney at the Suisun City Senior Center.
Davis attorney serving Yolo, Sacramento, and Solano Counties with probate and trust administration alongside estate planning. Represents people appointed — or seeking appointment — as personal representatives, executors, trustees, and administrators. Marissa Sirota is a California-certified mediator and a former civil litigation trial lawyer.
Davis firm serving Yolo, Sacramento, Solano, Placer, Colusa, El Dorado, and Yuba Counties with probate administration and conservatorships alongside estate planning and special needs planning. Keith Banks was previously probate clerk and attorney-unit research assistant at the Yolo Superior Court. Formed in 2019 by the merger of two Yolo County firms.
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.
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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.
