Do you need to file probate in Sacramento County? Fortunately, you can file probate in Sacramento County without a lawyer. At A People’s Choice, we have helped thousands of individuals complete all the legal documents they need to successfully complete the probate process! Read on to learn more.

Probate involves the court-supervised process of administering a person’s estate to his/her beneficiaries and heirs. Probate also includes, if necessary, selling the decedent’s assets to pay outstanding taxes and debts. Keep in mind, it takes less that one year to complete most probate matters, provided that the representative is diligent in keeping the case moving along in a timely manner.

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

We Help to File Probate in Sacramento County!

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Important Money Saving Tip!

The average house value in Sacramento County is $323,700 and values are expected to increase approximately 6.8% 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 $300,000 estate filed in Sacramento County would be $9,000! 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!

Contrary to popular belief, most people are quite capable of filing for probate on their own, albeit with the professional help of a registered legal document assistant. Attorneys are paid per a statutory fee schedule when probating an estate. The amount of pay receives is based on the gross value of the estate and not the amount of work an attorney puts into finalizing the probate. For example, an attorney will receive a higher fee to probate an estate valued at $900,000 in comparison to $675,000 even though the case may not require any additional work. At A People’s Choice, we can help guide you through the Sacramento County probate process and complete and file the forms you need with the local probate court.

Sacramento County Probate Overview

To file probate in Sacramento County, the decedent must have lived or owned property in Sacramento county to begin the process. The estate’s Executor or the decedent’s family member can petition to become a representative of the estate. Once the Court issues Letters of Testamentary or Letters of Administration, the process of completing an Inventory and Appraisal starts. The appraisal process requires interacting with the assigned probate referee who will complete the appraisal of all assets.  Keep in mind, if there is a will, the estate’s representative must file or lodge the original Will with the Court within 30 days of the decedent’s death.

Forms Required to File Probate in Sacramento County

Some of the initiating documents required to start the probate process in Sacramento County include:

  • A Petition for Probate and Letters Testamentary (or Letters of Administration)
  • Order for Probate – DE 140
  • Letters – DE 150
  • Notice of Administration to Creditors – DE 157

There are typically numerous additional “attachments” to the Petition and other companion forms. Furthermore, as the process takes 7-12 months, additional forms are required throughout the various stages of the probate process.

Where to File Probate in Sacramento County

You will need to file probate in Sacramento County at the William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse. This division of the Sacramento Superior Court is located at:

William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse
3341 Power Inn Road
Sacramento, CA 95826

The business hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday (excluding court holidays). Contact A People’s Choice for more information about our affordable legal services.

The Sacramento Superior Court offers online case access by name or case number. This online system allows you to view the court docket to see what documents are filed in the case and other case activity.

Sacramento County Probate Rules

Chapter 4 of the Sacramento County Local rules govern Sacramento County probate cases.  Since these local rules contain requirements you must meet, You should familiarize yourself with these rules if you file probate in Sacramento County. Failure to do so will inevitably delay the processing and completion of the probate case.

For example, Local Rule  4.04 describes how you must identify people mentioned in the probate paperwork. In particular, all petitions that contain names and addresses of people entitled to notice must also include the status of the person who must receive notice. In other words, after the name, there should be a designation such as “heir,” “beneficiary,” or “filed request for special notice.” As you can see, these random and obscure rules can create all sorts of problems and delays in a probate case if the filed documents do not comply with them!

Adjudicated Newspapers for Sacramento County

Several different newspapers can provide the required legal notice for new probate petitions. Refer to the list on the court’s website. Keep in mind, however, that you cannot randomly select just any newspaper to complete the required publication. There are specific rules that control which paper is appropriate for the publication process. It would be unfortunate to spend hundreds of dollars to publish only to learn that you posted a notice in the wrong newspaper! A People’s Choice always arranges the publication for our clients to avoid any such problems.

Sacramento County Probate Examiner

The Sacramento County Superior Court has probate attorneys review all filed petitions and orders before any scheduled hearing. The probate examiner will determine if the documents comply with the content and legal requirements before the Judge hears the case. After review, the probate attorneys publish probate notes. These notes will list any discrepancies or legal deficiencies they find on the matter. In this regard, probate calendar notes are ordinarily available ten days before the hearing on the court’s public access site.

If the examiner finds a discrepancy, you will see a notation in the probate notes. For example, the examiner may pose a question or make a comment or statement. If you see the words “NEEDED” in your notes, you will need to respond to the probate examiner’s question or statement before the court hears the matter.

Responses to probate examiner notes are usually in the form of a filed Supplement. In this regard, it is essential that the Supplement conforms to Rules of Court 4.01. (See discussion regarding Local Rules above) For example, you will need to caption any written response to probate calendar notes with the words “Response to Calendar Notes.” In addition, the supplement must list each calendar note, and each note must be written in paragraph form directly below the corresponding calendar note. If a calendar note requests proof of a filed document, you must provide a file-stamped attached as an exhibit to the Supplement. Keep in mind, per the local rules, you should submit the Supplement at least five days before the hearing date for the court to consider the additional information.

Sacramento County Probate Referee

Three probate referees are assigned to probate cases filed in Sacramento County. For example, Nancy Ferguson handles all probate cases ending in 1, 2 & 3. James R. Tucker handles all probate cases with case numbers ending in 4, 5 & 6. Lastly, Richard E. Stover is assigned cases with numbers ending in 7, 8 & 9. If the assigned probate case number ends in 0 (Zero) you would use the next number to the left that is not a 0.

The probate referee will appraise all non-monetary assets of the estate. In this regard, the personal representative of the estate may need to sell assets may to pay taxes and debts. Once the personal representative pays all taxes and debts, they can petition the court to distribute all remaining assets to the beneficiaries and heirs. If the decedent died without a will, California intestate succession laws determine who is entitled to receive the decedent’s property.

How to Complete Probate in Sacramento County

Contact A People’s Choice for more information on how to file probate in Sacramento 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. Call us today at 800-747-2780.

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