If you live in Modoc County and are facing having to file probate, you may not be aware that you can file probate in Modoc County without hiring an attorney! Yes, it’s true. Most large estates can be probated without an attorney. Attorneys charge expensive statutory fees to probate estates. The statutory fees are based on the gross value of the estate and the estate’s liabilities are not considered in offsetting the value. With the high cost of real estate in California, attorneys are making thousands of dollars to probate estates despite performing any additional work. Unfortunately, attorneys will scare people and often not inform them of lower-cost options to file probate. A People’s Choice has helped thousands of people file probate in California.  People that use our self-help probate service avoid paying those expensive statutory attorney fees, saving the estate thousands of dollars. Be sure to check out our exciting new website ProbatebyME.com which is completely dedicated to probate and estate administration matters in California.

Probate involves a multitude of steps that cover a 9-12 month period of time. The purpose of probate is to provide a court supervised process for administering the contents of a deceased person’s estate. This includes paying the decedent’s taxes and staxes and then distributing any remaining assets to the decedent’s beneficiaries and heirs.

We Help to File Probate in Modoc County!

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What our Clients Say...
“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 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.
“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
“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 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
“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.
“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.
“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 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.
“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.
“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 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 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.
“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..
“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.
“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.
“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 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
“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.
“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
“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
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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

Important Money Saving Tip!

The average house value in Modoc County is $170,000, with land listings and ranches valued up to $277,740.  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 $160,000 house would be $5,800. A $250,000 ranch filed in Modoc County would be $8,000! 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!

Where to File Probate in Modoc County

The Modoc County Probate Court is located at the following location:

205 South East Street
Alturas, CA 96101

The court hears matters involving probate, conservatorship, and guardianship. The court recently reduced its hours of operation effective January 1, 2018, but, be that as it may, the court is still open daily Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Consequently, the court currently has a backlog of cases due to budget cuts and staff reductions. Though most probate proceedings are resolved in less than one year, it may take additional time for your matter to be heard in this court.

Modoc County Probate Rules

It is essential to educate yourself about the probate process in Modoc County. In this regard, we highly encourage you to review the Chapter 14 of the local court rules before you begin the probate process. The local rules will provide you some practical insight about the Modoc County probate procedures. Reading Probate rules can be a bit overwhelming for the average layperson. Don’t worry; however, because at A People’s Choice, we also provide case management assistance. We can help guide you through each step of the probate process and keep you in line with the rules and different forms you need to sign with the court.

Adjudicated Newspapers for Modoc County

The Modoc County Record is the commonly used newspaper for the required publication in Modoc County probate matters. The newspaper publishes every week in Alturas, Modoc County, California. The deadline to submit legal publications is Tuesday at 5:00 pm and can be emailed to legals@modocrecord.com.

Modoc County Probate Examiner

Many small counties do not have probate examiners to review probate documents. As a result, deficiencies in probate documents almost always result in the continuation of the hearing for supplements and corrections. For this reason, it is essential if you are filing probate in Modoc County that you hire an experienced legal document assistant to make sure your paperwork is proper and complete.

Modoc County Probate Referee

Being one of the smaller counties in California. Modoc County has only one probate referee who conducts evaluations of probate assets. The probate referee currently is:

Michael L. Retzloff
4709 Patricia Drive
Eureka, CA  95503-6422
Phone: (707) 444-3015
FAX: (707) 444-3602
e-mail: probate@suddenlinkmail.com

The probate referee has an important role in large and small estates that people file in the Modoc County probate court. It is the referee’s job to value all non-cash assets of the decedent as of the date of death. A People’s Choice prepares this important form and will make sure the probate referee completes this task on time. Once completed, a formal inventory is filed with the court that identifies the assets and the values set by the probate referee.

How to File Probate in Modoc County

Filing probate in Modoc County is relatively straightforward. With this in mind, however, the forms are complicated and the process lengthy! The estate’s Executor must file a probate petition and the decedent’s will with the court. Once Letters are issued, you must take immediate action to complete the inventory and appraisal process. The Executor must also notify all creditors and interested parties about the pending probate. Non-monetary assets will be appraised. Assets must be liquidated to pay outstanding debts and creditors. Afterward, the personal representative can distribute all remaining assets to the decedent’s beneficiaries and heirs.

Being a 9-12 month legal process, filing probate in Modoc County can be a confusing process if you are trying to tackle the process without any professional help. Contact A People’s Choice to speak with one of our experienced probate staff about how we can help you probate your loved one’s estate without an attorney. As mentioned above, despite common belief, you do not have to hire an attorney to file probate in Modoc County.  We can help most people probate an estate and finish the process in less than one year. This is due in large part to the fact that we streamline the probate process and have incorporated a high-tech case management system for every client. In addition, since probate primarily consists of filing legal documents and attending procedural court hearings, litigation is rare in probate matters.

At A People’s Choice, you can save thousands of dollars in attorney fees by working with an experienced probate legal document preparer. We are proud of the fact that Court Clerks and probate Judges alike often recommend our services! Contact us today at 800-747-2780 for more information about the services we provide and how we can help you file probate in Modoc County.

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A People’s Choice can save you hundreds of dollars by preparing your legal documents instead of an expensive attorney!

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