Do you need to file probate in Napa County? Probate involves the court-supervised process of paying a decedent’s outstanding debts and taxes and distributing any remaining assets to the beneficiaries. You can file probate in Napa County if the decedent had a will. You can also file probate if the decedent did not have a will. At A People’s Choice, we can help you complete the forms you need to probate your loved one’s estate. A People’s Choice completes most of our probate matters within a year. Read on to learn more about how to file probate in Napa County and how we can help.

Did you know that, despite what many people assume, you do not need to hire an attorney to probate your loved one’s estate? In this regard, if you have talked to an attorney, you were probably shocked at the fees a lawyer can charge to probate a simple estate. For this reason, people today are turning to other, low-cost options.

What our Clients Say...
“The entire team at A People’s Choice were very supportive in our probate case. Losing a parent is extremely difficult, and so is the subsequent paperwork.  A People’s Choice made it easier and charged a very fair price, saving us thousands in attorney fees. What I liked a lot was the transparency and digital tools used. Documents were managed via email and on a platform. Payment for court items was easy. I appreciate that they use modern methods in an old school industry and most things could be done remotely. All in all, I can definitely recommend A People’s Choice if your case is straightforward. Thank you to Sandy and team for helpful us get here! What a huge relief! I’m glad we had your support along the way. Made it way less stressful and way more manageable.”
Jenn C.
“I cannot say enough about the time and money this company saved me. With their help I finished Probate in Tulare Co on my brother estate in little over 12 months. I am a letter carrier with no legal training, yet , I completed the entire process mainly because A People’s Choice walked me thru each step. They filed most papers electronically which resulted in me needing only three court appearances (and saved me from many trips to Visalia.) Keep in mind, all probates are different but if you have limited resources I recommend this company. The Probate Judge complimented me on the good work I received from A People’s Choice, saying this was not always to case with other legal help offices.”
Jack M.
“We had a complicated situation trying to change the beneficiaries to an old family property. There were 7 owners, most of whom were born in the 1800s. A People’s Choice persevered along with us and got it done. Lawyers we had contacted wanted $1000’s more than APC charged us and were unsure as to how to even proceed. We are extremely happy with what they achieved for us.”
Lori A.
“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.
“A People’s Choice is an incredible organization and extremely well-run business. My probate was taking place in California, but I live in Washington state. Probate is extremely expensive, but A People’s Choice is able to lower this expense by a huge amount and provide outstanding service. Probate is very stressful – it has a legal language all its own. A People’s Choice provides all the information you need to understand Probate and lower your stress. They are truly worth much more than their reasonable fees. I am a legal “dummy”. I was treated with respect and given answers to questions about the process. Their staff is incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. They get back to you quickly and are very efficient. I would recommend A People’s Choice to anyone that is dealing with Probate. I am so thankful that I found this excellent organization!!”
Kathy H.
“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
“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 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..
“Can’t say enough about the level of service and professionalism I received working with A People’s Choice. Emails were always responded to quickly and thoughtfully. They really care about the process and helping you get the best result with no up-selling. Of course, they can’t provide legal advice, but I was referred to an attorney when I needed some questions answered who was very reasonable and easy to get a hold of as well. The process played out according to plan, and I ended up saving a lot of money by going with A People’s Choice over an attorney.”
M. Rice
“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
“VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! My experience with A People’s Choice was EXCELLENT!! I retained their services to help me with the probate process after unexpectedly losing my Mom. I received quotes from 2 lawyers locally and they were 3 to 4 times the price. All communications from the staff were punctual and very thoroughly explained. They were there to support me the entire time. Any and all questions I had were explained as needed with very quick responses. There were NO HIDDEN FEES or charges. They have a very easy to use portal to access all of the documents. I can’t say enough good things about the work that they did for me!!! Thank you to all the staff. You are an amazing team and I appreciate everything you did to help my family and I when we needed it most!!”
Hisham A.
“A People’s Choice did a great job on the probate I had to go through for my mom. I really didn’t have to think about most of it. I just signed or filled out the papers they sent through the Portal. I would definitely use A People’s Choice again if the need arises! All their people were professional and friendly. Overall it was a great experience for me at a very difficult time!”
L. Wade.
“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.
“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
“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
“I would have never thought I could complete a full probate online without an attorney. A Peoples Choice guided me through the process every step of the way. They are a very professional and knowledgeable company far exceeding my expectations. My advice to anyone seeking this kind of service is as long as you are committed to doing your part, with A Peoples Choice guidance you will complete the task. A Peoples Choice Is a 5-star company that I was lucky enough to stumble upon in my searching process.”
Rhonda G.
“My father-in-law passed away without a will so his estate went into probate and we were intimidated by the paperwork and court process ahead of us. A lawyer was recommended to us, but after sending him everything he asked for he did nothing with it for several weeks and was slow to get back to us. His fees were set to be thousands upon thousands and we were frustrated that progress wasn’t happening. We stumbled upon A People’s Choice and we took a leap, switched, and we’re so glad we did. They were quick to respond and moved as quickly as we did. They saved us SO MUCH money and answered all our questions. We worked together to get everything done smoothly, and we felt like APC treated us with respect and patience. We are so grateful we found them and got everything done with confidence. Thank you APC!”
Suzie H.
“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
“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.
“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.
“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
“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.
“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.
“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
“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.

We Help to File Probate in Napa County!

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Important Money Saving Tip!

The average house value in Napa County is $599,500and values are expected to increase about 3.3% within the next year. 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 $600,000 estate filed in Napa County would be $15,000! 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!

Here are some things you need to know. First, if you choose to hire an attorney to file probate in Napa County, you will pay the attorney a statutory fee (set by law) to probate the estate. Moreover, unlike other types of cases, the fee the attorney receives is calculated on the gross value of the estate, not the amount of work done. Accordingly, as a fee for services, the attorney is entitled to a statutory percentage of the total value of the estate. Unfortunately, the gross value of the estate does not consider debt or liabilities.

Here is an example of how the attorney fee structure works. If a house is worth $500,000 but has a mortgage of $475,000, the fee the attorney will receive is based on the $500,000 gross value, not the $25,000 net worth. For this reason, consider working with an experienced legal document preparer to resolve your probate matters. Doing so can save you thousands of dollars in attorney fees. Probate involves the court-supervised process of administering the contents of a deceased person’s estate. Administering the estate includes paying any outstanding debts and taxes before distributing any remaining assets to beneficiaries and heirs. Working with a knowledgeable legal document assistant, you can easily complete a probate case within a year of filing.

Napa County Probate Process

The estate’s Executor is responsible for probating the estate. You must probate the decedent’s estate in the county they last resided during the previous 30 days before death. If the decedent had a Will, the Will probably nominated someone (an Executor) to represent the state. Alternatively, if there was no will or if the will failed to name an Executor, the court will appoint an Administrator to serve the estate. Conversely, all the beneficiaries or heirs can collectively agree to which person is best to represent the estate.

In brief, probate begins by filing a Petition to Probate with the court. Next, the court will issue Letters which authorize the personal representative to act on behalf of the estate. Some of the duties of the representative include making an inventory of the decedent’s assets and getting assets appraised.  The representative is also responsible for paying all outstanding debts owed by the decedent. Accordingly, paying debts may require the representative to sell some or all the assets to pay taxes and outstanding debts. Keep in mind, the personal representative is not responsible for valuing the assets. The probate referee does this job. The probate referee will appraise all non-monetary assets for the representative . Lastly, once the value of the estate is determined and debts paid, the representative can ask the court for permission to distribute the remaining assets to the heirs.

Keep in mind, most probates are routine and straightforward. However, probate matters may become contested if beneficiaries believe the will does not clearly define which assets should go to whom. Furthermore, the personal representative must resolve all creditor claims must before the court will hear contested beneficiary claims.

Once the personal representative has settled all claims and paid all debts, they can distribute all remaining assets to the decedent’s beneficiaries and heirs. If the decedent died without a Will, the court will order the representative to distribute the assets according to California’s intestate succession laws.

Where to File Probate in Napa County

As mentioned above, probate is the legal process of validating a decedent’s will, supervising the complete administration of the will, and distributing the estate’s assets to beneficiaries and heirs. The court hears Napa County probate cases at the following place:

Historic Courthouse
Civil Division
825 Brown St.
Napa, CA 94559

Office hours are from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. Furthermore, this court has approved efiling of probate documents through one of their approved efiling providers. In addition, as with most courts, the Napa County Superior Court offers online case information through the court’s website.

Napa County Probate Rules

Review local court rules before you file probate in Napa County. These Local Rules outline rules about how to provide parties with notice of the probate case and may also identify unique processes adopted by the Napa County court. In this regard, Rule 9 and subparts cover rules about probate cases. As an illustration, except for matters enumerated in Rule 9.3, the Napa County Probate Rules state that routine probate matters with no opposition and approved by a tentative ruling do not need a personal appearance. Conversely, if the case is not pre-approved by a tentative ruling, the tentative decision will show one of two resolutions. For example, the ruling might mention that the court is continuing the case for two weeks for defects to be corrected. Alternatively, the notes may show that the court is keeping the matter on the calendar and an appearance will be necessary.

Adjudicated Newspapers for Napa County

You must publish notice of probate in a local newspaper which the county has approved for legal notices. Contact the Court clerk for a current list of approved publications. Contact the probate division of the Napa County Superior Court at 707-299-1130.

Napa County Probate Examiner

The probate examiner holds a vital role in the probate process. Specifically, the job of the probate examiner is to check all probate documents filed to make sure there are no inconsistencies or missing information. Also, depending on the facts of the case, the probate examiner may point out questions or concerns for the judge to consider before they make a final ruling. These probate examiner “comments” are considered “probate notes” and should be reviewed before any scheduled hearing. Additional information can be submitted by the petitioner by filing a Supplement to the Petition.

As mentioned above, based on the tentative ruling, an appearance may or may not be required at your probate hearing. The Napa County Court posts daily Tentative Rulings online by 3 pm for the next court day’s hearings. Unfortunately, the court only publishes tentative rulings the day before the scheduled hearing. Therefore, it is impossible to file a Supplement to correct or clarify comments Remember, if the court does not post a tentative ruling on a particular matter, or if the tentative decision provides that an appearance is required, local rules require the parties to appear at the hearing.

Napa County Probate Referee

John W. Shackford is the acting probate referee for Napa County. He can be reached at:
P.O. Box 412
Napa, CA  94559-0412
Phone: (707) 255-8121 Ext. 16
FAX: (707) 253-9336
e-mail: jwsincnapa@aol.com

As mentioned above, the Probate Referee will value all non-cash assets owned by the decedent. These values are identified in the Inventory and Appraisal form which is later filed with the Court Clerk. Keep in mind, the probate referee charges an allowed statutory fee for these valuation services. Refer to this article for more information about the Probate Referee and his role and function in California probate cases.

How to File Probate in Napa County With a Lawyer

Contact A People’s Choice for more information on how to file probate in Napa County. Using our non-attorney probate services will undoubtedly save the estate thousands of dollars, putting more money into the pockets of the beneficiaries and heirs. We have helped thousands of families file probate in Napa County and complete the probate process without having to hire an attorney. Contact us today at 800-747-2780 to see how we can help you!

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