How to Lodge a Will in California and File Probate Written By Sandra McCarthy Founder, A People’s Choice Fact Checked Fact Checked By: Ian Corzine Ian Corzine got his Juris Doctorate degree with Honors and Order of the Coif from University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from University of California, Davis. Before practicing law, Mr. Corzine was Executive Assistant to the Governor of California and studied public administration during his term as a California Executive Fellow. In law school, Mr. Corzine joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California, as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, prosecuting those arrested for crimes on federal lands. After law school, Hon. Peter A. Nowinski of the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, appointed Mr. Corzine as a Federal Judicial Law Clerk. Ian is widely known as “Metaverse Man” on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and other social media platforms. He gives businesses strategies and a roadmap for launching their business into the Metaverse. Since Ian has extensive experience in social media law, he advises companies on compliance with international laws on blockchain, crypto, Web3 & the Metaverse. Most Executors have a hard time giving up possession of a decedent’s original will. However, by law, the custodian of an original will must lodge a will with the Superior Court within 30 days of learning of the testator’s death. This is a statutory requirement under California Probate Code Section 8200. Keep in mind, the custodian can face legal penalties if they do not lodge a will in a timely fashion. “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 am writing to give A People’s Choice my utmost recommendation. I live in New England and 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 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 Get help to Lodge a Will and File Probate! "*" indicates required fields Name* First Last Email:* Enter Email Confirm Email Telephone:*Type of Case* Family Law Probate Estate Planning Guardianship Conservatorship Name Change Adoption Real Property Matters Expungement Business Other How Can We Help?* Need pricing Would like information I am ready to hire We are here to help. After submission, please check your email inbox for information about your selected services. If yo don't find it in your normal in-box, be sure to check your spam folder.We are glad to hear you are ready to get started!. On the next screen you will be provided a special discount code that will only be good for the next 30 minutes! Call now for your savings offer!This field is hidden when viewing the formCase TypeCommentsThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Δ When you lodge a will, you deposit the original will with the probate court. The holder of the decedent’s original will (along with any codicils or amendments) should deliver the original will documents to the court clerk in the County where the testator last resided. For example, if the decedent lived in Long Beach, California, the original will would be lodged with the clerk of the Los Angeles Superior Court. The custodian will have to find the proper Los Angeles Superior Court branch location by using the decedent’s zip code. A quick check on the court’s website will detail the place where you need to lodge a will based on the decedent’s residence. The custodian must also provide a copy of the will to the Executor of the estate and make a copy for themselves. The custodian can mail a copy of the will to the Executor. If the Executor’s whereabouts are unknown, the custodian can send a copy of the will to a beneficiary named in the will. Court fees for lodging a will typically start at $50. Some courts do not charge a fee to lodge the will. Keep in mind, the will is deemed a public record once it is filed. Any interested party can request a copy of the lodged will by paying a copy fee to the Superior Court Clerk. At A People’s Choice, we can help you lodge your loved one’s will and complete the probate process at an affordable price. Contact us today to get started. Read on to learn more about where and how to lodge a will with the county court clerk and the court forms you will need to file probate. Steps to Lodge a Will in California Although the custodian can lodge the original will on its own, usually the will is deposited with the court when the personal representative files a Petition for Probate. In this regard, you can lodge a will at the same time you submit the probate Petition DE-111 and related documents required to open probate. As mentioned above, when you file the probate petition, take the original will to the court clerk. The court clerk will receive the original will and give you a receipt. They will also file the probate petition and set a date and time for a hearing. At the hearing, the judge will either accept or reject the will. The court will set the initial hearing usually within 45 to 60 days from when you lodge a will and file the probate petition. For more information about the steps to file probate, you may want to reach this other article on the subject. Before the scheduled probate hearing, the probate examiner will review the petition and will. In this regard, the judge will either accept or reject the will based on the examiner’s report. If the judge accepts the will, probate will officially open. Contact A People’s Choice if you need to lodge a will and file probate. Using our cost-effective non-attorney probate services will save the estate thousands of dollars compared to using an attorney. Call us today at 800-747-2780. Get help with your Legal documents today! A People’s Choice can save you hundreds of dollars by preparing your legal documents instead of an expensive attorney! GET STARTED!Was this article helpful? We would love to know your thoughts! If you found this article helpful, please check the LIKE button below. Your feedback helps us plan topics for future articles. 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