In Camarillo, this memorial park and cemetery dates to 1965, and a funeral and cremation facility was dedicated on the grounds in 2007. It arranges cremation for families across Ventura and Los Angeles counties and the Santa Barbara area, and takes preplanned burial or cremation arrangements.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Ventura County, California
How probate works in Ventura County: the Superior Court - Probate Division record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Ventura County Superior Court - Probate Division
Ventura County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM (except holidays)
Office
4353 East Vineyard Avenue, Oxnard, CA 93036
Website
E-filing
Filing in person
Walk-ins accepted
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
E-filing
Required for attorneysAttorneys must e-file in probate through an approved electronic filing service provider under Administrative Order 25.03; self-represented parties may e-file or file at the Clerk's Office, by mail or in the court's drop boxes. Any party may apply to be excused for undue hardship. Letters cannot yet be issued through e-filing, and a request for continuance by fax on form VN-135 is not e-filed. On paper: Wills, codicils and testamentary trusts, including estate planning documents deposited with the court; Bonds and undertakings; Subpoenaed documents; Affidavit re Real Property of Small Value; Documents attached to a Notice of Lodging; Documents filed or conditionally filed under seal; Trial and evidentiary hearing documents, including exhibits, unless the judge orders otherwise; Orders bearing an original judicial officer's signature.
Filing in person
Walk-ins acceptedThe probate Clerk's Office at the Juvenile and Probate Courthouse is open Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM. Self-represented filers may also file by mail or in the drop boxes.
Self-represented filing
AllowedThe Civil Self-Help Center posts form packets for conservatorship and guardianship of the person and asks filers to contact it before printing them. Decedent-estate filings use the Judicial Council forms, and the original will is lodged before the petition is filed.
Hearing schedule
- Courtroom J6: Tuesdays 9:00 AM conservatorship and guardianship motions, 10:30 AM care plans, inventories and status reports; Wednesdays and Thursdays 9:00 AM probate and trust motions; Thursdays 10:30 AM new probate petitions; Fridays 9:00 AM new conservatorships and guardianships.
Self-help center
- Room 206, Juvenile and Probate Courthouse, Oxnard; Room 106, Ventura Courthouse1-805-289-8812 · Assistance in Spanish in addition to EnglishThe Civil Self-Help Center helps self-represented people with guardianship and conservatorship forms through walk-in hours, 15-minute phone or Zoom appointments, email questions and webinars. It does not help with certain probate trust issues or anyone who has an attorney of record.
County forms
- VN-135 Probate / Parental Rights; Fax for ContinuanceRequest to continue a probate hearing, sent by fax to the number on the form.
- VN-261 Declaration of Due Diligence and Request for Order Dispensing with NoticeShows the search made for an heir or beneficiary whose address is unknown.
- VN-084 Request and Order Appointing Probate RefereeAsks the clerk to appoint a probate referee under the court's assignment plan.
P.O. Box 6489
Ventura, CA 93006-6489
Departments
- Ventura Courthouse (Hall of Justice) main line1-805-289-8900 · 800 South Victoria Avenue, Ventura, CA 93009
- Probate (Courtroom J6)4353 East Vineyard Avenue
- Records1-805-289-8668
About the court
- All probate matters are filed and heard at the Juvenile and Probate Courthouse in Oxnard, usually in Courtroom J6; most calendars have limits. The Ventura Courthouse (Hall of Justice) handles the court's general business.
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Ventura 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 Ventura County, probate runs through the Superior Court - Probate Division at 4353 East Vineyard Avenue, Oxnard. Ventura County runs probate e-filing through ventura.courts.ca.gov, the only California county on that system.
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 Ventura County
What probate costs in Ventura 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 - Probate Division at 4353 East Vineyard Avenue, Oxnard.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: The clerk's office accepts a will for lodging after the testator's death, for a $50 fee; A reserve of more than $5,000 held back at final distribution needs a noticed hearing on its accounting before the ex parte petition for final discharge; Without further declaration the court allows attorneys $1,500 for a court-confirmed real property sale, $2,000 for a federal estate tax return and $1,000 for an estate income tax return as extraordinary fees.
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 Division
Probate cases in Ventura County, California are filed at the Superior Court - Probate Division.
Beside the filing office, the court lists separate lines for Ventura Courthouse (Hall of Justice) main line, Probate (Courtroom J6), and Records.
The Civil Self-Help Center helps self-represented people with guardianship and conservatorship forms through walk-in hours, 15-minute phone or Zoom appointments, email questions and webinars. It does not help with certain probate trust issues or anyone who has an attorney of record.
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.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Ventura County Self-Filing Assessment.
Ventura County Filing Requirements
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Before You File
A proposed order is lodged and served at the same time as the petition. An order affecting real property includes its legal description, street address and Assessor's Parcel Number.
SourceStipulated probate, trust and conservatorship petitions consented to by everyone entitled to notice can be handled without a hearing, submitted by eDelivery, mail or the courthouse drop box.
SourceDocument Requirements
A petition for probate of a will attaches a typed copy of the will, and a petition not on a Judicial Council form cites its code sections in brackets below the caption.
SourceA personal representative who lives out of state ordinarily posts full statutory bond, even as sole beneficiary and even when bond is waived.
SourceA named executor who declines to serve files a signed declination, or the petitioner files a declaration of due diligence if the executor will not sign.
SourceCourt Appearances
Remote appearance is allowed without prior notice at non-evidentiary hearings. In-person attendance is required for contested evidentiary hearings, petitions to establish a conservatorship or guardianship or to terminate a guardianship, and petitions to confirm a sale of real property.
When a tentative ruling has issued and no one appears, the ruling becomes the court's order. Tentative rulings and probate notes can be searched online by case number or hearing date.
SourceWithin 14 days before a hearing a continuance is requested on form VN-135, by stipulation or by motion, and Legal Research is told by phone as soon as a matter will be continued or taken off calendar.
SourceRecords Access
Orders the probate judge requests at a hearing are emailed as PDFs to courtroomJ6@ventura.courts.ca.gov within 24 hours, copied to all counsel and appearing parties; the address takes nothing else.
SourceWhat to Bring
Filed with the opening petition at the Superior Court - Probate 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 Medical Examiner in Ventura County
In California a death is registered locally, and in Ventura County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Public Health, Office of Vital Records, Ventura County as well as by California Department of Public Health - Vital Records.
Vital Records Office Record
Local Health Department
Ventura County · Public Health, Office of Vital Records
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-noon and 12:45 PM-4:30 PM
Office
2240 East Gonzales Road, Suite 150, Oxnard, CA 93036
Website
Order online
Also issued by
The county recorder
Fax
1-805-981-5149
Local rule
- The office holds Ventura County deaths from the current and previous year only. The Clerk-Recorder issues certificates for every year, including those two.
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $26 |
Verified November 1, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Medical Examiner
Ventura County · Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office
Mail and offices
Fax
1-805-641-4410
Verified November 1, 2026 · Source
Funeral Homes in Ventura County
16 funeral homes and crematories in Ventura County, each listed with the services it offers, the faiths it serves, the languages its staff speak, its address and its phone.
In Camarillo, this memorial park and cemetery dates to 1965, and a funeral and cremation facility was dedicated on the grounds in 2007. It arranges cremation for families across Ventura and Los Angeles counties and the Santa Barbara area, and takes preplanned burial or cremation arrangements.
Marshall Funeral in Ojai offers simple, family-centered funeral services, including home funerals, direct cremation and green burial, to the Ojai Valley. Arrangements are made in the family's home or remotely, and it is available 24/7 for immediate need.
In Oxnard, this family-owned funeral home arranges traditional burial and direct cremation, cremation with a memorial service, or a funeral with cremation to follow, and it operates its own crematory. Its staff assist with veteran matters, including VA flags and claims.
In Oxnard, this funeral home provides funeral services in Oxnard, El Rio and Ventura County and has helped families for more than 50 years. It has hospitality rooms, family rooms and a chapel, plans funeral or cremation services, and offers transfer of remains to a loved one's country of origin, extended visitation hours and in-home visitation.
This Oxnard funeral home opened on January 18, 1978, as the first Hispanic funeral home in Ventura County. It is family-owned and operated, and shares its website with a sister home in Santa Paula.
Funeral homes by city: Camarillo, Ojai, Oxnard, Santa Paula, Thousand Oaks, Ventura
Cremation Services in Ventura County
14 listings
Pre-Need Funeral Plans in Ventura County
9 listings
Burial Services in Ventura County
8 listings
Veterans Funeral Services in Ventura County
4 listings
Funeral Transport in Ventura County
5 listings
Spanish-Speaking Funeral Homes in Ventura County
2 listings
Green Burial in Ventura County
3 listings
Listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any funeral home or crematory.
Transferring Property in Ventura 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 Clerk-Recorder.
Deeds and other real property documents for Ventura County are recorded with the County Clerk-Recorder at 800 South Victoria Avenue, Main Plaza, Ventura, CA 93009-1260. Phone: 1-805-654-3665. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:45 PM.
The County Clerk-Recorder charges $14 for the first page plus $3 for each additional page.
Recording Office Record
County Clerk-Recorder
Ventura County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:45 PM
Office
800 South Victoria Avenue, Main Plaza, Ventura, CA 93009-1260
Website
Fees
Recording fees
| Base fee (first page) | $14 |
| Each additional page | $3 |
| GC 27388.1 Building Homes and Jobs Act Fee (SB 2)Applies to a TOD deed | $75 |
| Transfer tax on a TOD deed | TOD deeds are exempt from transfer tax |
Cal. Gov. Code 27361; Cal. Gov. Code 27388; Cal. Gov. Code 27388.1; Cal. Gov. Code 27388.2; Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code 11911; Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code 11930
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Forms that put a death on the title
- Free forms: Affidavit of Death Form
Probate Attorneys Serving Ventura County
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 Ventura County attorney charges the same schedule. Price isn't the variable — experience with the Superior Court - Probate Division and responsiveness are.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Superior Court - Probate 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.
Oxnard firm serving Ventura County with probate, trust administration, and elder law alongside estate planning. Litigates will contests, trust challenges, breach of fiduciary duty claims, trustee and executor removal petitions, contested conservatorships, and intestate succession disputes, representing both beneficiaries and fiduciaries. Serving the county since 1990.
Ventura office of a firm headquartered in Orange, representing administrators and executors through Ventura County probate — collecting assets, publishing notice to creditors, and selling estate property — alongside post-death trust administration. Also drafts revocable trusts, pour-over wills, powers of attorney, and special needs trusts.
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.
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.
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.
Sherman Oaks solo practice serving Los Angeles County plus Ventura and San Bernardino, including the San Fernando, San Gabriel, and Pomona Valleys. Sara Polinsky has practiced exclusively in estate planning and elder law since 1998, handling trust administration, probate, planning for incapacity, and Medi-Cal long-term-care eligibility.
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.
Legal Sources
(10)·
- Cal. Gov. Code §§ 70650(a), 70602.5, 70602.6
- Cal. Prob. Code § 10800
- Cal. Prob. Code §§ 10400 (Independent Administration of Estates Act), 10500(a) (administer without court supervision), 10501 (actions still requiring court supervision)
- Cal. Prob. Code §§ 8000-8577 (appointment & letters); §§ 8002, 10450 (petition contents)
- Cal. Prob. Code §§ 8005 (hearing on the petition), 8006 (court admits the will and appoints the personal representative); no registrar or clerk informal probate track
- Cal. Prob. Code §§ 9050-9054, 9100-9104, 9150, 9153, 9256, 9353, 11420; CCP § 366.2
- Cal. Gov. Code 27361; Cal. Gov. Code 27388; Cal. Gov. Code 27388.1; Cal. Gov. Code 27388.2; Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code 11911; Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code 11930
- Ventura County Superior Court - Probate Division, official page
- Ventura County Clerk-Recorder, official page
- Ventura County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
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.
Get the Answer
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