Do you need to file probate in Madera County? If you have shopped probate attorneys, you are probably shocked at the prices attorneys charge. In contrast, did you know you don’t have to hire an attorney to file probate in Madera County? Contrary to popular belief, and with the help of an experienced legal document people, most people can successfully complete the probate process without an attorney.

To begin with, hiring a probate attorney in Madera County is very expensive. Attorneys throughout California are allowed to charge probate fees based on a set fee schedule.  Unfortunately, this set fee schedule in probate matters is structured around the total gross value of the estate.  As a result, the greater gross value of the estate, the more attorneys fees the estate will pay.

Filing for probate in Madera County is straightforward. You can avoid paying exorbitant statutory attorney fees if you work with a legal document preparer. For example, the amount of work performed by an attorney does not directly correlate to the amount of money he/she should receive. Probate attorney statutory fees are based on the gross value of an estate. An attorney will earn a higher fee for probating an estate valued at $1 million in comparison to $600,000 without necessarily doing any more work.

“If you have to file probate in Madera County, I highly recommend using A People’s Choice. They are much less expensive than hiring a Madera county probate attorney.” K. Aley
“By using A People’s Choice to file probate, I was able to save over $15,000 as compared to what I was quoted by a probate attorney! They made it easy!” K. Aley”
I saved a lot of money by not having to pay the statutory percentage to an attorney. I want to thank A People’s Choice for the wonderful service they offer! An immense THANK YOU!” R. Leonard

Get help to File Probate in Madera County!

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Important Money Saving Tip!

Probate attorneys charge statutory fees based on the gross value of the estate, starting at 4%, on a tiered scale. For example, attorneys fees for a $300,000 would be $9000! By using the flat fee services of an experienced probate legal document assistant, the estate can save thousands of dollars.

Click here to see how much you can save!

A People’s Choice is a low-cost alternative to hiring a Madera county probate attorney. We offer low flat fees for all probate services and are familiar with the necessary court procedures to complete filing probate in Madera County. A People’s Choice has helped many self-represented individuals successfully file probate in Madera County.  Read on to learn more about how we can help you file probate in Madera County and save you thousands of dollars as compared to using an attorney.

How to File Probate in Madera County

Probate should be filed in the last county the decedent resided. If the decedent resided in Madera County, you will be able to file the probate petition there. The petition will ask for probate to begin. The court will appoint an administrator. The administrator will be tasked with completing an inventory and appraisal of the decedent’s estate. Once the appraisal is finalized by the probate referee, the court will authorize the liquidation of specific assets to pay outstanding estate debts and taxes. All remaining assets are then distributed to beneficiaries.

Probate Divisions in Madera County

There are two probate divisions in the Madera County Superior Court. The Superior Court of Madera probate court hears matters on probate guardianship, conservatorship, probate, petition to terminate joint tenancy, affidavit for real property of small value, and petitions for fact of birth, death or marriage. You can file probate in Madera County at one of the following locations:

Main Courthouse
Madera Superior Court, Civil Division
200 South G St.
Madera, CA 93637

or

Madera Superior Court
Sierra Division
40601 Road 274
Bass Lake, CA 93604

If we help you prepare your probate paperwork, A People’s Choice can help you file these documents with the probate division of the Madera Superior Court. In this regard, we offer several different methods and processing times based on the needs of the client.

Local Rules to File Probate in Madera County

To make things a bit complicated, every county has different requirements and rules when filing probate. In other words, although there may be similarities, the probate paperwork requirements for Madera County may be completely different from that of another California county.  For example, some courts need a coversheet for every document filed in the case and other courts don’t.

The probate process for Madera County is outlined in what are known as “local rules.” Madera County’s local rules for probate are completely different from probate rules of other counties. Basically, the local rules govern how probate documents are filed and what is required by that particular court. For this reason, being familiar with the local rules for the Madera County Probate Division is critical when filing probate in Madera County. The local probate rules for Madera County probate cases can be found in Division 7, Chapters 1-8 of the Madera County Local Rules.

Adjudicated Legal Newspapers for Madera County

The Madera Tribune is a legally adjudicated newspaper for Madera County. When you file probate in Madera County, the process requires the publication of notice in a local newspaper. Requests for publication can be faxed to (559) 673-6526, hand-delivered to the Madera office at 2591 Mitchell Court, Suite 107, or mailed to Legal Publications, The Madera Tribune P.O. Box 269, Madera, California 93637.

Probate Referees Serving Madera County

Every probate case filed in Madera County will be assigned a probate referee. The role of the probate referee is to appraise and value all the non-cash probate assets. At present, there is only one probate referee in Madera County.

R. Michael Wright
21 Theall Street
Sonora, CA  95370
Phone: (209) 532-0628
FAX: (209) 532-9112
e-mail: probate@wright-app.com

Policies and Procedures of the Madera County Probate Court

Although certainly not an all-inclusive list, be aware of the following points if you need to file probate in Madera County.

  • Madera County requires use of the standard probate Judicial Council forms for probate proceedings.
  • There are no known extra local forms required when filing a Madera County probate matter.
  • The court does not appoint attorneys for probate cases filed in Madera County. Consequently, when filing a probate, you would need to hire a probate attorney or a non-attorney legal document assistant that handles probate matters.
  • When lodging the original will with the Madera Superior Court, you will be required to pay an extra $50 fee.
  • New probate cases are typically set for a hearing 4 to 5 weeks after date the probate Petition is filed.
  • Online case inquiry is not available for Madera County probate matters.
  • Madera Superior Court does not have a Probate Examiner on staff.
  • Appearing by phone at probate hearings through CourtCall may be an option.
  • The Madera County court website can be found here. The site is extremely limited and does not provide online case access to case dockets.

Probate Examiner’s Notes for Madera County Probate Cases

Madera County does not have a probate examiner on staff. This makes it somewhat more difficult in addressing special matters that may arise prior to any scheduled hearings. It also makes it impossible to timely file necessary supplemental pleadings to correct potential deficiencies. As a result, the hearing on the Petition for Probate or the Petition for Final Distribution often requires two court appearances.

It is best to probate your loved one’s estate within one year of them passing away. We invite you to call or email us for more information on how to file probate in Madera County.

In conclusion, if you need help to file probate in Madera County, contact A People’s Choice. You will save thousands of dollars using our non-attorney statewide probate services as compared to using an attorney. More importantly, using our non-attorney probate document preparation service will enable you to complete the complex  probate process without the stress of doing it on your own, and save the beneficiaries thousands of dollars. At A People’s Choice, we have helped a multitude of California residents successfully probate their loved one’s estate at an affordable price. Our highly qualified legal document assistants can help you draft all required documents to probate an estate, pay creditors, and distribute estate assets. Contact us today at 800-747-2780 for more information about how we can help you file probate in Madera County.

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