California Probate Statistics (2026): 76 Verified Figures With Sources

By Eric Ridley, attorney, Ridley Law. Updated September 2026.

These are 76 statistics on California probate, wills and trusts, inheritance, and elder financial abuse. Each one is traced to the organization that first published it, such as the Judicial Council of California, the California Department of Public Health, or the survey’s own publisher, and each links to that source. Secondhand reports are left out. We review the page every year and update it when a source publishes a new edition.

Cite this page: Ridley Law, “California Probate Statistics (2026): 76 Verified Figures With Sources,” ridleylawoffices.com/california-probate-statistics/, September 2026.

How many California estates go through probate court

California recorded 290,557 deaths in 2024

California recorded 290,557 deaths in 2024, counting every death that occurred in the state, according to the California Department of Public Health’s final death data. Counted by residence instead, 288,184 California residents died that year. Source: California Department of Public Health, Statewide Death Profiles, 2014-2024 Final Deaths by Year Statewide (2026).

California courts received 66,908 probate filings in fiscal year 2024-25, counting conservatorships and guardianships

California superior courts received 66,908 probate filings in fiscal year 2024-25, a total that includes conservatorship and guardianship cases along with decedents’ estates and trusts, according to the Judicial Council’s 2026 Court Statistics Report. Related: Court Supervised Probate in California: What Families Need to Know for 2026. Source: Judicial Council of California, 2026 Court Statistics Report, Statewide Caseload Trends 2015-16 Through 2024-25 (2026).

41,985 of those filings were decedents’ estates, trusts, and other probate matters

Of the 66,908 probate filings statewide in fiscal year 2024-25, 41,985 were decedents’ estates, trusts, and other probate matters not involving a conservatorship or guardianship, per the Judicial Council’s 2026 Court Statistics Report. Source: Judicial Council of California, 2026 Court Statistics Report, Statewide Caseload Trends 2015-16 Through 2024-25 (2026).

Conservatorship and guardianship filings statewide reached 24,923 in fiscal year 2024-25

Conservatorship and guardianship filings statewide reached 24,923 in fiscal year 2024-25, a little over a third of all probate filings that year, according to the Judicial Council’s 2026 Court Statistics Report. Related: Avoiding Conservatorship in California. Source: Judicial Council of California, 2026 Court Statistics Report, Statewide Caseload Trends 2015-16 Through 2024-25 (2026).

California courts disposed of 52,995 probate cases statewide in fiscal year 2024-25

California courts recorded 52,995 probate dispositions statewide in fiscal year 2024-25: 33,656 decedents’ estate, trust, and other probate matters and 19,339 conservatorship and guardianship matters, per the Judicial Council’s 2026 Court Statistics Report. Related: Probate Timeline California: Complete Guide for 2026. Source: Judicial Council of California, 2026 Court Statistics Report, Statewide Caseload Trends 2015-16 Through 2024-25 (2026).

Los Angeles Superior Court received 12,051 decedent’s estate and trust probate filings in fiscal year 2024-25

Los Angeles Superior Court received 12,051 filings in fiscal year 2024-25 for decedents’ estates, trusts, and other probate matters. Counting conservatorships and guardianships, its probate filings totaled 18,304, according to the Judicial Council’s county filings table. Related: Probate Notes in Los Angeles County: What They Are and How to Clear Them. Source: Judicial Council of California, 2026 Court Statistics Report, Table 12a, Probate and Mental Health Filings by County and Case Type, FY2024-25 (2026).

Ventura Superior Court received 737 decedent’s estate and trust probate filings in fiscal year 2024-25

Ventura Superior Court received 737 filings in fiscal year 2024-25 for decedents’ estates, trusts, and other probate matters. Counting conservatorships and guardianships, its probate filings totaled 1,152, according to the Judicial Council’s county filings table. Related: Ventura County Probate: Courthouse, Calendar, and Probate Notes. Source: Judicial Council of California, 2026 Court Statistics Report, Table 12a, Probate and Mental Health Filings by County and Case Type, FY2024-25 (2026).

Santa Barbara Superior Court received 495 decedent’s estate and trust probate filings in fiscal year 2024-25

Santa Barbara Superior Court received 495 filings in fiscal year 2024-25 for decedents’ estates, trusts, and other probate matters. Counting conservatorships and guardianships, its probate filings totaled 675, according to the Judicial Council’s county filings table. Source: Judicial Council of California, 2026 Court Statistics Report, Table 12a, Probate and Mental Health Filings by County and Case Type, FY2024-25 (2026).

How long California probate takes and what it costs

The California Courts Self-Help Guide says formal probate typically takes 9 to 18 months

The California Courts Self-Help Guide says a formal probate “typically takes 9 to 18 months and can sometimes take even longer.” That is the court’s own estimate for a supervised probate case. Related: How Long Does Probate Take in California?. Source: Judicial Council of California, California Courts Self-Help Guide, Overview of formal probate (2026).

The first paper filing fee for a petition for probate in California is $435

The statewide first-paper filing fee for a petition for probate in California is $435, under the Judicial Council’s Statewide Civil Fee Schedule effective January 1, 2026. It applies to the first-filed petition for letters of administration or letters testamentary. Related: How to File a Petition for Probate in California: Forms, Fees, and Timeline. Source: Judicial Council of California, Statewide Civil Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2026 (2026).

California law sets the estate attorney’s statutory fee at $13,000 on a $500,000 estate, $23,000 on $1,000,000, and $33,000 on $2,000,000

Probate Code section 10810 sets the estate attorney’s statutory fee as a percentage of the estate: 4 percent of the first $100,000, 3 percent of the next $100,000, 2 percent of the next $800,000, 1 percent of the next $9 million, and 0.5 percent of the next $15 million. That comes to $13,000 on a $500,000 estate, $23,000 on $1,000,000, and $33,000 on $2,000,000. Related: California Probate Fee Calculator: Statutory Attorney and Executor Fees. Source: California Legislature, California Probate Code section 10810 (2002).

California law gives the estate’s personal representative the identical statutory fee schedule as the estate’s attorney

Probate Code section 10800 gives the executor or administrator a separate statutory fee on the same percentage schedule as the attorney’s fee. On a $500,000 estate, each is $13,000, so the two statutory fees together come to $26,000. Source: California Legislature, California Probate Code section 10800 (2002).

The probate referee’s commission is one-tenth of one percent of the appraised estate value, subject to a $75 floor and a $10,000 ceiling

Probate Code sections 8961 and 8963 set the probate referee’s commission at 0.1% of appraised value; minimum $75, maximum $10,000 for any estate appraised. On a $500,000 estate the commission is $500; on $1,000,000 it is $1,000; on $2,000,000 it is $2,000. Related: What Probate Actually Costs in California. Source: California Legislature, California Probate Code sections 8961 and 8963 (1990).

How many people have a will or trust

About three in ten US adults have created a will, per Pew Research

In a 2025 Pew Research Center survey of 8,750 U.S. adults, 32% said they have created a will describing what to do with their assets and belongings after they die. Pew’s own description calls this share about three in ten adults. Related: How Many People Have a Will? Estate Planning Statistics and What They Really Mean. Source: Pew Research Center, How many Americans have made a will, discussed end-of-life preferences? (2025).

Less than half of US adults have a will, per Gallup

A Gallup telephone survey of 1,016 U.S. adults conducted in May 2021 found that 46% have a will describing how they want their money and estate handled after death. Gallup itself described this as slightly less than half of adults. Source: Gallup, How Many Americans Have a Will? (2021).

24% of US adults have a will, according to Caring.com’s 2025 survey

In Caring.com’s 2025 Wills and Estate Planning Study, a YouGov survey of more than 2,500 U.S. adults ages 18 to 55 and older, 24% said they have a will. The survey also asked why respondents without a will haven’t made one. Source: Caring.com, 2025 Wills and Estate Planning Study (2025).

32% of US adults had a will in 2024, per Caring.com’s survey that year

Caring.com’s 2024 Wills and Estate Planning Study, a YouGov survey of 2,481 U.S. adults 18 and older fielded in late 2023, found that 32% had a will, a decrease of 6% from the prior year’s edition. Source: Caring.com, 2024 Wills and Estate Planning Study (2024).

Will ownership dropped to 26% in 2026, according to Trust & Will

Trust & Will’s 2026 Estate Planning Report, a survey of 5,000 U.S. adults fielded in early 2026, found will ownership at 26%, down from 31% the year before. Trust & Will is an online estate planning company reporting its own survey data. Source: Trust & Will, 2026 Estate Planning Report (2026).

31% of US adults had a will in 2025, per Trust & Will’s report that year

A year earlier, Trust & Will’s 2025 Estate Planning Report, a survey of 10,000 U.S. adults fielded in January 2025, put will ownership at 31%, even though 83% of respondents said they recognized the importance of estate planning. Source: Trust & Will, 2025 Estate Planning Report (2025).

Will ownership rises to more than three in four among adults 65 and older

Gallup’s 2021 survey found that 76% of U.S. adults age 65 and older have a will, the highest share of any age group in its national survey of 1,016 adults. Related: What Is a Will, and What Does It Do?. Source: Gallup, How Many Americans Have a Will? (2021).

About 1 in 5 adults age 18 to 29 have a will, per Gallup

Gallup’s 2021 survey of 1,016 U.S. adults found that 20% of adults age 18 to 29 have a will, the lowest share of any age group Gallup measured that year. Source: Gallup, How Many Americans Have a Will? (2021).

Just over half of adults 50 and older have a legal will

AARP Research’s 2024 survey of 1,869 U.S. adults age 50 and older, fielded in April 2024, found that 51% currently have a legal will, a figure AARP itself described as just half. Source: AARP Research, Only Half of Adults 50-Plus Have a Legal Will (2024).

Will ownership among adults 18 to 34 reached 24% in 2024, up from 2020

Caring.com’s 2024 Wills and Estate Planning Study found that 24% of U.S. adults ages 18 to 34 have a will, an increase the survey described as 50% higher than in 2020, from the same 2,481-adult YouGov sample. Source: Caring.com, 2024 Wills and Estate Planning Study (2024).

Will ownership rises sharply by generation, from 15% of Gen Z to 66% of the Silent Generation

Will ownership ranges from 15% to 66% by generation, per Trust & Will’s 2025 demographic breakdown: 15% for Gen Z, 22% for Millennials, 26% for Gen X, 44% for Baby Boomers, and 66% for the Silent Generation, from its 10,000-adult survey. Source: Trust & Will, 2025 Estate Planning Report: Demographic Breakdown (2025).

Two-thirds of adults in their 70s have created a will

Pew Research Center’s 2025 survey of 8,750 U.S. adults found that 66% of adults in their 70s say they have created a will, and 64% have a living will or advance directive. Source: Pew Research Center, How many Americans have made a will, discussed end-of-life preferences? (2025).

About 1 in 8 US adults report having a living trust

Caring.com’s 2025 Wills and Estate Planning Study, the same YouGov survey of more than 2,500 U.S. adults, found that 13% reported having a living trust. Related: What Is a Living Trust? Complete Guide for California. Source: Caring.com, 2025 Wills and Estate Planning Study (2025).

Trust ownership climbed to 14% in 2026

Trust & Will’s 2026 Estate Planning Report, its 5,000-adult survey fielded in early 2026, found trust ownership at 14%, up from 11% in the 2025 edition. Source: Trust & Will, 2026 Estate Planning Report (2026).

More than half of US adults have no estate planning documents at all, per Trust & Will’s 2026 report

Trust & Will’s 2026 Estate Planning Report, its 5,000-adult U.S. survey, found that 56% of Americans still have no estate plan at all, meaning no will, trust, or other estate planning document. Related: What Happens If You Die Without a Will in California. Source: Trust & Will, 2026 Estate Planning Report (2026).

55% of US adults had no estate plan at all, per Trust & Will’s 2025 report

Trust & Will’s 2025 Estate Planning Report, its 10,000-adult U.S. survey fielded in January 2025, found that 55% of Americans have no estate documents at all, one year before the figure it reported for 2026. Source: Trust & Will, 2025 Estate Planning Report (2025).

About one in three US adults has completed any type of advance directive

A 2017 Health Affairs review of 150 studies covering 795,909 participants from 2011 to 2016 found that 36.7% of U.S. adults had completed some type of advance directive for end-of-life care. Related: AHCD vs Living Will vs POLST – A California-Specific Guide to End-of-Life Documents. Source: Health Affairs (Yadav, Gabler, Cooney, et al.), Approximately One In Three US Adults Completes Any Type Of Advance Directive For End-Of-Life Care (2017).

About 3 in 10 US adults have completed a living will specifically

The same 2017 Health Affairs review of 150 studies and 795,909 participants found that 29.3% of U.S. adults had completed a living will specifically, out of the 36.7% who had completed any advance directive. Related: CA Living Will Guide: Protect Your Autonomy. Source: Health Affairs (Yadav, Gabler, Cooney, et al.), Approximately One In Three US Adults Completes Any Type Of Advance Directive For End-Of-Life Care (2017).

About a third of adults 45 and older have completed a living will

AARP’s 2024 end-of-life survey of 1,916 U.S. adults age 45 and older, fielded in late 2023, found that 33% had completed a living will, compared with 36% who had prepared a will. Source: AARP Research, Thoughts On End of Life: For Most, Concerns Do Not Equate to Action (2024).

Almost as many US adults have an advance health care directive as have a will, per Pew Research

Pew Research Center’s 2025 survey of 8,750 U.S. adults found that 31% have created a living will or advance health care directive in case they become unable to make their own medical decisions. Source: Pew Research Center, How many Americans have made a will, discussed end-of-life preferences? (2025).

43% of US adults without a will say they haven’t gotten around to it

Among respondents to Caring.com’s 2025 Wills and Estate Planning Study who don’t have a will, 43% said they just haven’t gotten around to making one, the most common reason given in the survey. Related: Why Is Estate Planning Important?. Source: Caring.com, 2025 Wills and Estate Planning Study (2025).

40% of US adults say they don’t have enough assets to leave anyone, per Caring.com’s 2024 survey

Caring.com’s 2024 Wills and Estate Planning Study, a YouGov survey of 2,481 U.S. adults, reported that 40% of Americans say they do not have enough assets to leave anyone. Source: Caring.com, 2024 Wills and Estate Planning Study (2024).

Nearly two-thirds of adults 45 and older have had an end-of-life conversation with a loved one

AARP’s 2024 end-of-life survey of 1,916 U.S. adults 45 and older, fielded in late 2023, found that 63% had had an end-of-life conversation with a loved one about their wishes. Related: Family Meetings About Estate Planning: Protecting Your Legacy in California (2026). Source: AARP Research, Thoughts On End of Life: For Most, Concerns Do Not Equate to Action (2024).

About a third of adults 45 and older have prepared a will

The same AARP 2024 end-of-life survey of 1,916 U.S. adults 45 and older found that 36% had prepared a will, a share AARP called far fewer than those who had discussed their wishes. Source: AARP Research, Thoughts On End of Life: For Most, Concerns Do Not Equate to Action (2024).

More than two-thirds of parents 65+ have discussed burial or funeral preferences with an adult child

Among parents age 65 and older with an adult child in Pew Research Center’s 2025 survey of 8,750 U.S. adults, 68% said they have discussed their burial or funeral preferences with that child. Source: Pew Research Center, How many Americans have made a will, discussed end-of-life preferences? (2025).

Inheritance, wealth transfer, and death taxes

Cerulli projects 124 trillion dollars in U.S. wealth will transfer through 2048

Cerulli Associates, an industry research firm, projects that $124 trillion will pass between generations in the United States through 2048: $105 trillion to heirs and $18 trillion to charity. The estimate was published in December 2024. Related: Estate Planning Statistics and California Guides. Source: Cerulli Associates, Cerulli Anticipates $124 Trillion in Wealth Will Transfer Through 2048 (press release) (2024).

Just 2 percent of U.S. households will drive more than half of the coming wealth transfer

Cerulli’s projection expects $62 trillion of the $124 trillion, more than half, to come from high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth households, which make up 2 percent of all U.S. households. Related: Estate and Inheritance Tax in California. Source: Cerulli Associates, Cerulli Anticipates $124 Trillion in Wealth Will Transfer Through 2048 (press release) (2024).

54 trillion dollars of the coming wealth transfer will pass to spouses first, mostly widows

Cerulli’s projection has $54 trillion passing to surviving spouses before it reaches the next generation, with nearly $40 trillion of that going to widowed women of the Baby Boomer and older generations. Related: CA Inheritance: Spousal Rights Guide. Source: Cerulli Associates, Cerulli Anticipates $124 Trillion in Wealth Will Transfer Through 2048 (press release) (2024).

The IRS received 7,195 federal estate tax returns in filing year 2024, and 2,663 were taxable

The IRS Statistics of Income Division counted 7,195 federal estate tax returns filed in 2024, of which 2,663 owed tax. The count covers returns filed that year, not deaths that occurred that year. Source: Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income Division, SOI Tax Stats, Estate Tax Filing Year Tables, Table 1, Estate Tax Returns Filed in 2024 (2024).

California residents filed 1,440 federal estate tax returns in filing year 2024

Estates of California residents filed 1,440 federal estate tax returns in 2024, reporting $55.07 billion in gross estates, according to the IRS Statistics of Income state table for returns filed that year. Source: Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income Division, SOI Tax Stats, Estate Tax Filing Year Tables, Table 2, by State of Residence, 2024 (2024).

The federal estate tax raised 23.3 billion dollars in filing year 2024

The federal estate tax generated $23.31 billion from 2,663 taxable returns nationwide for filing year 2024, according to the IRS Statistics of Income Division’s tally of returns filed that year. Source: Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income Division, SOI Tax Stats, Estate Tax Filing Year Tables, Table 1, Estate Tax Returns Filed in 2024 (2024).

Estates passed 81.9 billion dollars to surviving spouses on federal estate tax returns in filing year 2024

Federal estate tax returns filed in 2024 reported $81.88 billion left to surviving spouses on 3,720 returns, according to the IRS Statistics of Income Division. Gifts to a spouse qualify for the marital deduction. Related: Can You Disinherit Your Spouse in California?. Source: Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income Division, SOI Tax Stats, Estate Tax Filing Year Tables, Table 1, Estate Tax Returns Filed in 2024 (2024).

Federal estate tax returns reported 37.5 billion dollars in charitable bequests in filing year 2024

Federal estate tax returns filed in 2024 reported $37.51 billion in charitable bequests on 1,733 returns nationwide, according to the IRS Statistics of Income Division. Related: Charitable Giving in Estate Planning: Protecting Wealth and Values. Source: Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income Division, SOI Tax Stats, Estate Tax Filing Year Tables, Table 1, Estate Tax Returns Filed in 2024 (2024).

California estates reported 5.74 billion dollars in charitable bequests in filing year 2024

Estates of California residents reported $5.74 billion in charitable bequests on 296 federal estate tax returns filed in 2024, according to the IRS Statistics of Income state table. Related: Charitable Giving: Estate Plan How-To 2026. Source: Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income Division, SOI Tax Stats, Estate Tax Filing Year Tables, Table 3, Gross Charitable Bequests by State of Residence, 2024 (2024).

California has no state estate tax because its pick up tax rate is zero

California has no separate estate or inheritance tax. Its only death tax is a pick-up tax equal to a federal credit for state death taxes, and because Congress repealed that credit, the California tax is zero. Related: California Estate Tax in 2026: There Is None, and Here Is What That Actually Means. Source: California Franchise Tax Board, Analysis of Amended Bill, SB 378, California Estate and Gift Taxes (2019).

California does not tax inherited money or property as income

The Franchise Tax Board tells taxpayers not to include a gift or inheritance in income on a California return. Income the inherited property earns afterward, such as interest or rent, is taxable. Related: Understanding California Inheritance Laws for Families. Source: California Franchise Tax Board, Gifts and Inheritance, FTB.ca.gov (2025).

California’s 65 and older population grew by more than 25,000 people in 2024

California’s population age 65 and older grew by 25,298 people in 2024, from 6,622,031 the year before, according to the California Department of Finance’s annual population estimates. Related: 7 Key Steps in Estate Planning for California Seniors. Source: California Department of Finance, Report: 108,000 More Californians in 2024, Total State Population Tops 39.5 Million (E-1 press release) (2025).

California’s 65 and older population is projected to reach 9.3 million by 2040

The California Department of Finance projects the state’s population age 65 and older at 6.73 million, 17.0 percent of residents, in 2025, rising to 9.29 million, 22.8 percent, in 2040. Related: Medi-Cal Planning and Elder Law in California. Source: California Department of Finance, Demographic Research Unit, Report P-1C, Total Population by 5-Year Age Group and Sex, California, 2020-2070, Baseline 2024 Population Projections, Vintage 2026 (2026).

About 73 percent of California householders 65 and older own their home

About 73.1 percent of California householders age 65 and older own their home, calculated from owner-occupied and total occupied units in the Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey table S2502. Related: The Only Asset Is the House: How to Avoid Full California Probate. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S2502, Demographic Characteristics for Occupied Housing Units, California (2023).

The median California home is worth 725,800 dollars

The median owner occupied home in California was worth $725,800 in the Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, table B25077, with a margin of error of $2,850. Related: CA Inherited Property Tax Traps: 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table B25077, Median Value in Dollars, California (2023).

Proposition 19 is projected to raise local property tax revenue by tens of millions to a few hundred million dollars a year

The Legislative Analyst’s Office projected that Proposition 19’s narrowed parent-child transfer exclusion would raise local property tax revenue by tens of millions per year, growing over time to a few hundred million per year. Related: Prop 19 Parent-Child Exclusion: The Two Requirements That Matter. Source: California Legislative Analyst’s Office, Proposition 19 Official Ballot Analysis, November 2020 General Election (2020).

Medi-Cal recovery, elder financial abuse, and conservatorship

California limits Medi-Cal estate recovery to probate assets for deaths on or after January 1, 2017

For Medi-Cal members who died on or after January 1, 2017, the Department of Health Care Services can recover only from assets that go through probate. Assets passing outside probate, such as through a living trust, are no longer reached. Related: California Medi-Cal Estate Recovery Rules After AB 116 – What Families Actually Owe in 2026. Source: California Department of Health Care Services, Estate Recovery Program (2017).

DHCS collected 50 to 60 million dollars a year from Medi-Cal members’ estates in the decade before 2014

A 2014 California Senate Appropriations Committee analysis reported that the Department of Health Care Services had collected $50 million to $60 million a year from deceased Medi-Cal members’ estates over the prior decade, before the 2017 change limiting recovery to probate estates. Source: California Senate Appropriations Committee, Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary, SB 1124 (Hernandez) (2014).

California courts disposed of 19,339 conservatorship and guardianship cases in fiscal year 2024-25

California superior courts recorded 19,339 dispositions of conservatorship and guardianship matters statewide in fiscal year 2024-25, according to the Judicial Council’s 2026 Court Statistics Report. Source: Judicial Council of California, 2026 Court Statistics Report, Statewide Caseload Trends 2015-16 Through 2024-25 (2026).

Nearly 12 percent of probate matters in one San Francisco court became contested litigation

A study of 1,349 San Francisco Superior Court probate matters filed from 2014 to 2016 found an 11.5 percent litigation rate, about ten times the 1 to 3.5 percent rates reported in mid-twentieth century studies. Related: Trust and Probate Litigation in California. Source: University of Illinois Law Review, Probate Litigation, by David Horton and Reid Kress Weisbord (2022).

More than 1 in 20 adults 60 and older reported financial abuse by a family member in the past year

The National Elder Mistreatment Study, a nationally representative sample of 5,777 adults age 60 and older, found a 5.2 percent one-year prevalence of financial abuse by a family member, published in the American Journal of Public Health. Related: Financial Elder Abuse and Trust Contests in California. Source: American Journal of Public Health, Prevalence and Correlates of Emotional, Physical, Sexual, and Financial Abuse and Potential Neglect in the United States, The National Elder Mistreatment Study (2010).

California counties logged nearly 288,000 adult abuse reports in federal fiscal year 2024

California county Adult Protective Services agencies logged 287,698 reports received of alleged elder and dependent adult abuse between October 2023 and September 2024, per the state’s SOC 242 statistical data, counting reports rather than confirmed victims. Source: California Department of Social Services, SOC 242, Adult Protective Services and County Services Block Grant Monthly Statistical Report data (2024).

California APS logged 68,517 financial abuse allegations in federal fiscal year 2024

California APS agencies recorded 68,517 financial abuse allegations involving elders or dependent adults between October 2023 and September 2024, a count of allegations rather than confirmed victims or cases, per the state’s SOC 242 data. Source: California Department of Social Services, SOC 242, Adult Protective Services and County Services Block Grant Monthly Statistical Report data (2024).

California APS confirmed more than 28,000 allegations of financial elder abuse in federal fiscal year 2024

Of the financial abuse allegations California APS investigated between October 2023 and September 2024, 28,370 confirmed allegations involved an elder or dependent adult victim, per the state’s SOC 242 data, still a count of allegations rather than separate cases. Source: California Department of Social Services, SOC 242, Adult Protective Services and County Services Block Grant Monthly Statistical Report data (2024).

Adults 60 and older filed more than 201,000 internet crime complaints nationwide in 2025

The FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Complaint Center Annual Report recorded 201,266 complaints filed by self-reporting victims age 60 and older nationwide, a 37 percent increase over the complaints IC3 recorded in 2024. Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Annual Report (2026).

Seniors nationwide reported 7.7 billion dollars in fraud losses in 2025

IC3’s 2025 Elder Fraud data show that self-reporting victims age 60 and older nationwide reported $7.7 billion in losses, a 59 percent increase from the losses reported to IC3 in 2024. Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Annual Report (2026).

The average loss for elder fraud victims topped 38,500 dollars in 2025

Among self-reporting complainants age 60 and older nationwide, IC3’s 2025 Elder Fraud section reported a $38,500 average loss for the year, based on complaints filed directly with the bureau. Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Annual Report (2026).

More than 12,000 older fraud victims each lost over 100,000 dollars in 2025

In 2025, 12,444 complainants age 60 and older each reported losing more than $100,000, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. The figures are self-reported by complainants. Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Annual Report (2026).

California seniors filed more fraud complaints than any other state in 2025

Californians age 60 and older filed 22,157 complaints with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center in 2025, more than residents of any other state. Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Annual Report (2026).

California seniors lost more than 1.4 billion dollars to fraud in 2025

Californians age 60 and older reported $1.4 billion in losses to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center in 2025, the highest total of any state. The losses are self-reported by complainants. Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Annual Report (2026).

Banks and other filers submitted 155,415 elder financial exploitation reports to FinCEN in one year

FinCEN identified 155,415 Bank Secrecy Act reports tied to elder financial exploitation filed by banks and other financial institutions over a one-year review period. They are suspicious activity reports, not confirmed crimes. Source: Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Financial Trend Analysis, Elder Financial Exploitation: Threat Pattern and Trend Information, June 2022 to June 2023 (2024).

Elder exploitation reports flagged more than 27 billion dollars in suspicious activity in one year

The same FinCEN reports described more than $27 billion in suspicious activity, a total that can include attempted transactions that never went through. Source: Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Financial Trend Analysis, Elder Financial Exploitation: Threat Pattern and Trend Information, June 2022 to June 2023 (2024).

Banks filed nearly three quarters of all elder exploitation related reports

Banks filed 72 percent of the elder financial exploitation reports in FinCEN’s review, and two banks alone filed 33 percent of all of them. Source: Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Financial Trend Analysis, Elder Financial Exploitation: Threat Pattern and Trend Information, June 2022 to June 2023 (2024).

Filers named adult children as the perpetrators in nearly 40 percent of elder theft reports FinCEN reviewed

In FinCEN’s manual review of elder theft related BSA filings from June 2022 to June 2023, filers named adult children as the perpetrator in nearly 40 percent of the filings reviewed. Source: Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Financial Trend Analysis, Elder Financial Exploitation: Threat Pattern and Trend Information, June 2022 to June 2023 (2024).

Financial institutions filed 63,500 elder financial exploitation suspicious activity reports in 2017

Financial institutions filed 63,500 suspicious activity reports on elder financial exploitation in 2017, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s review of filings from 2013 through 2017. Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Financial Protection for Older Americans, Suspicious Activity Reports on Elder Financial Exploitation, Issues and Trends (2019).

Financial institutions flagged 1.7 billion dollars in suspected elder exploitation in a single year

The CFPB reported that financial institutions flagged $1.7 billion in 2017 as involved in suspected elder financial exploitation incidents, a suspicious activity total rather than a confirmed loss figure. Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Financial Protection for Older Americans, Suspicious Activity Reports on Elder Financial Exploitation, Issues and Trends (2019).

Elder financial exploitation suspicious activity reports quadrupled between 2013 and 2017

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found that elder financial exploitation filings rose from about 1,300 a month in 2013 to about 5,300 a month in 2017, more than four times as many, across 176,700 reports. Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Financial Protection for Older Americans, Suspicious Activity Reports on Elder Financial Exploitation, Issues and Trends (2019).

Older adults who lost money to reported exploitation lost an average of 34,200 dollars

When a suspicious activity report recorded a monetary loss, the older adult lost $34,200 on average, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The figure comes from bank filings, not court findings. Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Financial Protection for Older Americans, Suspicious Activity Reports on Elder Financial Exploitation, Issues and Trends (2019).

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Methodology

Every figure on this page was checked against its original publisher in September 2026: a court or agency table, a statute, a peer-reviewed article, or the report of the organization that ran the survey. News coverage and other law firms’ pages were not used as sources. Industry surveys are named as such. Where a source counts a different group than you might expect, such as adults 50 and older or probate filings that include conservatorships, the finding says so. Year-sensitive dollar thresholds live on our 2026 California estate planning numbers page so they are updated in one place. To report an error, email eric@ridleylawoffices.com.