There are many common probate terms used in California probate matters. Common probate terms and confusing legal words are often found on legal forms and used by the Judge during court hearings. We have compiled a list of such terms for you to familiarize yourself with through the probate process.

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“I used A People’s Choice to prepare and file documents to probate my sister’s estate.  I began the probate process in pro per and hired them after discovering the difficulty in processing the probate by myself.  Very knowledgeable with good technology to keep me informed.  Their fees were significantly less than what I would have had to pay for an attorney, yet their services were excellent. I can’s see where an attorney would have been any better (or as good). Highly recommend this service.”
Ron C.
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M. Rice
“I am writing to give A People’s Choice my utmost recommendation. Living in New England, I found them on the web. After speaking with a staff member on the phone I had the confidence to give them my business. A People’s Choice handled my probate case with great professionalism and knowledge. My case turned out to be more complicated than originally believed, and the staff walked me through each step. They always responded promptly to my email questions. In the end, their service was exactly what I hoped for; they saved me thousands of dollars and allowed me to do it from across the country. They were truly a pleasure to work with.”
K. Levenson
“A People Choice provided excellent support with the appropriate legal documents and filing process in a spousal property petition after my husband passed. Lawyers wanted to charge me a fortune. However, once I spoke with someone at A People’s Choice, they took on my case and guided me through every step. A People’s Choice has years of experience, which gave me a sense of trust and confidence. I always got immediate feedback from every email request. If you need probate help, I would highly recommend A People’s Choice.”
Sylvia A
“I had a great experience with my California probate case using A People’s Choice! The people that assisted me were so helpful.  I certainly could not have done this probate by myself.  The best part was that I was able to save over $10,000 in lawyer fees!  All my emails were always returned so quickly. Needless to say, I am a very satisfied customer.  I would highly recommend A People’s Choice to all my friends and family!”
Joi C
“When my mother-in-law passed away last year, we didn’t know what to do. We contacted A People’s Choice and from day one they were very helpful. They held our hand every step of the way, and if I had a question any time of the day or night someone got back to me within a few hours. I highly recommend A People’s Choice if you don’t know what to do and don’t want to pay the high price of a lawyer, especially if you don’t have much money.”
Mikki C
“A People’s Choice helped us throughout our entire year-long probate making the process very easy and manageable while at the same time saving us thousands of dollars in lawyer’s fees. Not only were they extremely friendly and fast to respond to our questions but they made the process simple enough that we hardly ever had to contact the courthouse directly and we even had a hearing done without an appearance. Would highly recommend A People’s Choice to anyone!”
A. Vuckovich
“I must say that A People’s Choice is a very responsible and effective company. The staff there is very nice and replied to all my questions by email quickly. With their help, I accomplished the probate in 8 months successfully and saved at least $10,000.00 in attorney fees, so I strongly recommend everybody to contract with A People’s Choice and let them help you with your legal documents. You will be very satisfied with their work as I did!!!!”
C. Chiu
“Thanks to A People’s Choice, I was able to get through a probate matter very smoothly. I had not one issue with the Courts. They guided me through the whole probate until the very end. I live up north, but that didn’t matter, A People’s Choice did an excellent job keeping me informed with everything that I needed to do. I saved THOUSANDS of dollars by going with A People’s Choice. You can’t go wrong, no matter what your needs are. I saved a lot of money by not having to pay out a percentage to an attorney. Many thanks to the staff at A People’s Choice for the great help they give to everyone in their times of need like I was! Thank You.”
R. Leonard
“When my father passed away without a will, we needed help handling the transfer of his assets. Since there weren’t significant assets, I didn’t want to spend too much on the legal paperwork. A People’s Choice offered just the right service we needed. In particular, the staff was very responsive to our document filing needs, helping to turn around corrections almost immediately. They helped to ease a tough situation.”
Michael C.
“I used A People’s Choice for help with a probate matter. My grandfather died Christmas of 2016. He had a living trust, but no one was able to find it. We went to A People’s Choice, and we were able to do a probate affidavit to get what was left of my grandfather’s estate. Took two days for the documents to be prepared and the bank accepted them without any questions. Sandy was the one who assisted us, and we really appreciate the help that was provided. A+ service.”
David R.
“A People’s Choice worked on my probate case for over 1 year. Their knowledge, dedication, and commitment to clients are exceptional, preparing the required legal documents, and all the court filings. They used the e-filing system which really expedited the process. They always answered my emails in a very timely manner and were professional. The probate process is long and sometimes seems overwhelming. It’s also very expensive, A People’s Choice saved me thousands of dollars as compared to an attorney. I would highly recommend A People’s Choice for your probate needs. It’s cost effective, and they handle the entire process from beginning to end!”
C.K..
“Probate itself is a frustrating and expensive process. A People’s Choice was professional and courteous throughout a long probate process. Everyone I came in contact with at A People’s Choice was exceptionally helpful, patient, and professional. For those entering into the probate process, I must warn you that it is difficult to understand. The staff at A People’s Choice makes it as tolerable you could wish for.  The people who work there were kind, efficient, and understanding.  If you email your questions, they’ll get back to you and won’t make you feel like you are ignorant if you are unclear about any part of the process.”
Marcel B
“I needed help understanding and filling out legal documents, but I didn’t have enough money to pay for an attorney. After searching the internet, I found A People’s Choice. I was relieved to know that I would get the exact service that I needed at an affordable price. The staff was very professional and helpful with my legal documents. They worked around my schedule and responded to my emails in a timely manner. They took care of all the paperwork and filing and kept me posted. I would highly recommend A People’s Choice for your legal documents as you will get outstanding service at an affordable price.
Sharon B.
“After not having my call returned from a probate lawyer, I looked into doing a Spousal Property Petition myself.  A People’s Choice assisted me through the whole probate process and everything went smoothly.  When I appeared in court, I didn’t have to say a word. The judge just said, “granted.”  Using A People’s Choice I saved thousands of dollars, and I’m so glad that probate attorney didn’t return my call.  I highly recommend A People’s Choice.”
Donna G.
“A People’s Choice walked me through the entire probate process. This company is very professional and helpful and made a scary probate pretty much stress free. I would send an email with a question I had thought of over the weekend with the expectation I would get an answer on Monday but lo and behold, I often got an answer within minutes! Thank you to the staff for your guidance and patience to talk me through such a difficult time. You made the process very smooth! Probably saved us about $10,000! We are very pleased and will be referring our friends/family to A People’s Choice!”
L. Garrett.
“I had hoped to have my probate process taken care of by myself to save money. After the fourth attempt to file at the Clerk’s office, I left in tears and faced the reality of hiring an attorney. I look on the internet to find one and came across A People’s Choice. They offered a price that was way below what attorneys charge! They guided me through every step of the process and wrote up all the paperwork so that all I had to do was sign. It was really an amazing experience. They are a pleasure to work with.”
D. Chase.
“Thank you so much for all your help through this California probate process.  By using your company instead of a California probate lawyer, we were able to cut our expenses dramatically.  Thank you for answering my many questions and for giving me a heads up on documents that could be prepared in advance in order to save time and money.  There was always someone available to help! Thank you again.”
Craig K.

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Contact us if you need help with preparing probate documents. A People’s Choice provides affordable probate legal document preparation services to California residents. Read on to learn more about common probate words and terms used in California courts.

Probate Terms Used in California Probate and Their Definitions

  1. Administrator – One of the most commonly used probate terms found in probate paperwork. The probate administrator is a court-appointed person to represent the estate. The probate administrator is responsible to probate the decedent’s estate in the event the will does not name an executor. Close family members may petition the court to be probated as an administrator if there is no will or the named executor cannot act.
  2. Beneficiary – A beneficiary is a person or business entity that has been named in a last will or trust to receive all or part of the decedent’s estate assets.
  3. Codicil – A codicil is a written supplement to the will. The codicil may add, change or delete a clause or section of an existing will.
  4. Estate – The estate pertains to all of the property and possessions of the deceased.
  5. Executor – The executor is the person named in the will to handle the settlement of a decedent’s estate. The executor must carry out the specific instructions regarding the payment of creditors, taxes, and the distribution of assets to beneficiaries and heirs.
  6. Fiduciary – The executor or court-appointed administrator has a legal duty and responsibility to the decedent’s estate to carry out its obligations to beneficiaries. In this capacity, they are considered a fiduciary. Being a fiduciary includes the duty of loyalty and duty of care.
  7. Order of Probate – An order of probate is when the court approves that a will is valid and permits the executor to distribute the decedent’s assets according to the terms of the will. Alternatively, if there is no will, an order of probate allows the appointed administrator to proceed to distribute the decedent’s assets per the laws of intestate succession.
  8. Heir – An heir is a person who inherits under the laws of intestate succession when there is no will. Heir and beneficiary are standard probate terms used interchangeably, although they refer to different ways people inherit the property of a decedent.
  9. Holographic Will – A holographic will is a handwritten will by the testator. These types of wills are typically not witnessed.
  10. Inheritance – Inheritance refers to property which passes to beneficiaries and heirs by the deceased according to a decedent’s will,  California’s probate code or intestate succession laws.
  11. Intestate Succession – Intestate succession laws determine the order of who inherits the decedent’s property when a person dies without a will.
  12. Letters of Administration – The court clerk issues Letters after a court enters an Order of Probate. Letters confirm the right of an administrator to represent the probate estate.
  13. Testator – A testator is the creator of a valid will.
  14. Trust – A trust is a legal instrument that avoids probate and creates a fiduciary relationship in which the trustee holds assets to be gifted to named beneficiaries.
  15. Trustee – A trustee is a person who holds the property for the benefit of the beneficiary.
  16. Will – A will is a legal declaration of a person’s intent about how his/her estate should be distributed.

Contact A People’s Choice for help probating your loved one’s estate. Using our services will undoubtedly save the estate thousands of dollars as compared to hiring a probate attorney. Learn more about our services by calling 800-747-2780.

 

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