Probate Attorney in Los Angeles

Los Angeles County runs the largest probate operation in California, and the court has its own rules on top of the Probate Code. This page covers what’s different here. For the deed and funding side of avoiding probate, see living trust attorney in Los Angeles. For the full plan across the county, see estate planning in Los Angeles.

Where is probate filed and heard in Los Angeles County?

At the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 N. Hill St., Los Angeles, for nearly everyone in the county. The court’s probate filing page lists two clerk’s offices: Stanley Mosk (4th Floor, Room 429) and the Antelope Valley Courthouse in Lancaster.

The rule that sends everyone downtown is LASC Local Rule 4.3(a): “Except for the North District, all probate matters are filed and heard in the Central District at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse.” The North District is the Antelope Valley, centered on Lancaster.

That arrangement means a family in Tarzana, Chatsworth, West Hills, Calabasas, Malibu, or Westlake Village goes to the same courthouse as a family in Boyle Heights. The court’s probate filing page lists no Valley courthouse. I file everything electronically and appear remotely where the court allows, so for you the location mostly explains why the calendar is crowded.

The county is set by where the decedent lived. If your parent was domiciled in Los Angeles County at death, Prob. Code § 7051 makes Los Angeles the proper county for the administration, wherever the death occurred. A Los Angeles house owned by someone who lived in another California county is a different question, and I sort that out on the first call.

Mandatory e-filing for represented parties

If a lawyer represents the petitioner, the court requires electronic filing. The court’s filing page says parties represented by attorneys must file documents electronically, and Local Rule 4.7(a) requires an approved electronic service provider. Self-represented parties are exempt under Local Rule 4.7(b).

A few items still go in on paper, including original wills and codicils, original trust documents, and bond documents (Local Rule 4.7(c)). Where the original will is, and who holds it, is the first practical question in any Los Angeles probate. Prob. Code § 8200 requires whoever holds a will to deliver it to the court clerk within 30 days after learning of the death.

E-filing is a reason this practice works remotely. Petitions, notices, inventories, and proofs of service are PDFs that I upload from Port Hueneme. You sign what needs signing, and we talk by Zoom or phone.

What are probate notes, and why do they set the pace of your case?

Probate notes are the court’s written review of your petition, posted online before the hearing. They list what’s missing under a heading called “Matters To Clear.” Clear the items on time and the judge can act at the first hearing. Miss them and the case slips.

Local Rule 4.4(b) says the items must be cleared by filing supplemental or other documents by the third court day before the hearing. Under Local Rule 4.4(c), if the notes aren’t timely cleared, the court will continue the hearing, place the matter off calendar, deny it without prejudice, or take other action it considers necessary.

Most notes are small: a missing attachment, an unsigned declaration, an heir whose address was left off. The cost is time, because each continuance moves the hearing to the next open date on a busy calendar. My guide to Los Angeles probate notes shows how to read them and what the abbreviations mean.

What does probate cost on a typical Los Angeles home?

On the typical City of Los Angeles home, valued at $929,572 by the Zillow Home Value Index for August 2026, the statutory fee schedule allows the attorney $21,591 and the executor another $21,591, a combined $43,182. That figure assumes the estate is only the house. Most real estates run higher.

The schedule in Prob. Code § 10810 pays four percent on the first $100,000, three percent on the next $100,000, and two percent on the next $800,000, and § 10800 gives the executor the same amounts. The value used is the inventory appraisal without reference to encumbrances, so a mortgage doesn’t reduce it (§ 10810(b)).

Slice of gross estate	Rate	Fee for each of attorney and executor
First $100,000	4%	$4,000
Next $100,000	3%	$3,000
Remaining $729,572 (to reach $929,572)	2%	$14,591
Total on the typical LA home		$21,591

Two more points from the statutes. At a $1,000,000 gross value the fee is $23,000 for each of the two, and at $1,500,000 it’s $28,000 for each. The probate referee who appraises non-cash assets takes a commission of one-tenth of one percent of the value appraised (Prob. Code § 8961), roughly $930 on the typical home. Court filing fees and newspaper publication come on top. The probate costs guide and the probate calculator run your own numbers, and my fees are on the fees page.

The schedule states what the statute allows. The court approves the actual compensation, and I will tell you where a case is likely to land before you hire me.

Independent administration: full authority or limited authority

The Independent Administration of Estates Act lets the executor handle most steps without asking the judge each time. In Los Angeles, where every appearance costs time, it’s the default request. Prob. Code § 10450 has the personal representative ask for it in the petition for appointment, and the request can be for either full or limited authority. See the glossary entry on the Independent Administration of Estates Act.

The difference is the house. Limited authority means all the independent powers except the power to sell real property, exchange real property, grant an option to buy it, or borrow against it (§ 10403). Under § 10501(b), a personal representative with only limited authority needs court supervision for a sale of real property. A representative with full authority has the power to sell real property of the estate (§ 10511), after advance notice of the proposed action to the heirs and devisees (§§ 10510 and 10581).

In Los Angeles the estate is nearly always a house, so that distinction is most of the practical difference between a smooth case and a slow one. Full authority is what I request unless there’s a reason not to. The court still supervises certain things whatever authority is granted, including allowance of the executor’s and attorney’s compensation, settlement of accounts, and final distribution (§ 10501(a)). A will can bar independent administration entirely (§ 10404).

A house sale in an LA probate also meets a local rule. Local Rule 4.39(d) says the court won’t permit a commission above five percent on improved real property without exceptional circumstances. See selling a home in probate.

Is a bond required in Los Angeles probate?

Usually the will waives it, and if it does the court normally doesn’t require one. Prob. Code § 8480 requires a court-approved bond before letters issue unless a statute says otherwise, and § 8481 says none is required if the will waives it or all beneficiaries waive it in writing. The court may still require one for good cause (§ 8481(b)).

Los Angeles adds paperwork. Local Rule 4.41(c) requires a declaration on the number of unsecured creditors, solvency, estimated taxes, contingent liabilities, and the diligence performed when a bond waiver is requested and the will doesn’t waive bond or the proposed representative lives out of state. If a bond is required, § 8482 caps it at the value of the personal property, the estate’s probable annual gross income, and, where independent administration covers real property, the value of the decedent’s interest in the real property. The probate bond guide covers the premium side.

How long does probate take in Los Angeles?

Twelve to eighteen months is my working figure for a straightforward case. The statute sets several clocks inside that window.

Step	Deadline or rule
Notice of the hearing to heirs and devisees	At least 15 days before the hearing (§ 8110), plus publication (§ 8120).
Letters issue	The appointment isn’t effective until letters have issued (§ 8400).
Notice to known creditors	Within the later of four months after letters or 30 days after learning of the creditor (§ 9051).
Creditor claim period	The later of four months after letters or 60 days after notice is mailed (§ 9100).
Inventory and appraisal	Filed within four months after letters first issue (§ 8800).
Petition for final distribution or status report	Within one year after letters issue if no federal estate tax return is required (§ 12200).

In Los Angeles the steps that stretch the schedule are the first hearing date, uncleared probate notes, and a house sale that needs a buyer and sometimes court confirmation. A beneficiary contest stretches it much more. I don’t handle contests. If your family is headed for one, you need litigation counsel, and I say so at the start. The probate timeline guide and how long probate takes go step by step.

Can we skip probate? Small estate and Section 13151 alternatives

Sometimes, but rarely for a Los Angeles house. There are three shortcuts, and the typical Los Angeles home fits none of them.

Route	Limit	Waiting period	Fits the typical LA home?
Small estate affidavit, § 13100	$208,850 total, deaths on or after 4/1/2025	40 days	No. The home alone is about 4.5 times the limit.
Primary residence petition, § 13151 (Judicial Council form DE-310)	$750,000 gross value of the home, deaths on or after 4/1/2025	40 days	No. The typical home is $179,572 over.
Real property of small value, § 13200	$69,625	Six months	No.

The § 13151 route is worth checking for a condo, a modest older home, or a small interest in a house, because the test is the gross date-of-death value. A house bought in 1985 for $90,000 is judged at what it’s worth now, not what was paid. I use the simplified petition where it fits. See simplified probate for a primary residence, the small estate affidavit guide, and the probate screener. If the decedent was married and left everything to the surviving spouse, § 13500 lets the property pass to the spouse with no administration. See spousal property petitions.

Does Measure ULA apply when an executor sells a Los Angeles house?

For a house sold below $5,400,000, no. What the Office of Finance doesn’t say, anywhere I found, is whether a probate sale is exempt. Its Measure ULA FAQ never mentions probate, estates, decedents, or executors.

The city publishes the following at finance.lacity.gov. The ULA tax applies to conveyances of City of Los Angeles real property above a threshold, and for transactions closing after June 30, 2026, a conveyance above $5,400,000 and below $10,900,000 carries a 4% tax and one of $10,900,000 or more carries 5.5%, on top of the base city tax of 0.45%. The city says the thresholds are adjusted each year by the chained consumer price index.

The exemptions the city lists under LAMC § 21.9.15 cover certain nonprofits, governments, entities exempt from the city’s taxing power, and “all other transactions which are exempt from the base Real Property Transfer Tax per local, state, or federal laws and regulations.” So the ULA tax follows the base tax. A transfer the base tax exempts is exempt from ULA. A transfer the base tax reaches is reached by ULA once the price crosses the threshold.

That leaves the state exemption. Rev. & Tax. Code § 11930 exempts a deed that transfers realty “by reason of the death of any person” outright to, or in trust for, any person or entity. My reading is that this fits the executor’s distribution deed to the heirs. A sale to a third-party buyer for money is a different transaction, and I wouldn’t assume it’s exempt. On the typical $929,572 home the point is small, because the city’s base tax of $2.25 per $500 works out to $4,185 on that price and the ULA tax doesn’t apply below $5,400,000. For an estate home worth more than $5,400,000, ask the Office of Finance (finance.ula@lacity.org) for a written position on the sale before you list the property. That point is the one open question on this page, and I have marked it that way on purpose.

What I handle, and what I do not

My probate practice is uncontested probate for California families: petitions for probate, letters, notices, inventories, the house sale, accountings, and distribution. It runs by Zoom and phone, with filings by e-filing. A mobile notary comes to you for signing, so nobody drives to an office.

I don’t handle will or trust contests, conservatorship proceedings, or litigation for hire. If the beneficiaries disagree about the will, the executor, or the house, you need a litigator. The first 30 days guide lists what an executor should do right away, and the deadline to file probate covers timing. For the tax side of inheriting a house, see Prop 19 and an inherited house and capital gains on inherited property.

Probate around Los Angeles County

Every area below files at Stanley Mosk, and each page adds local home values and recording details: Probate in Tarzana, Probate in Chatsworth, Probate in West Hills, Probate in Calabasas, Probate in Agoura Hills, Probate in Hidden Hills, and Probate in Westlake Village.

Frequently asked questions

Which courthouse handles probate in Los Angeles County?

Stanley Mosk, at 111 N. Hill St. in downtown Los Angeles, except for the North District, which is the Antelope Valley. That comes from LASC Local Rule 4.3(a). The court’s probate filing page lists only Stanley Mosk and the Antelope Valley Courthouse in Lancaster as probate clerk’s offices.

Do I need a lawyer for probate in Los Angeles?

If you’re the executor you can file yourself, and the court exempts self-represented parties from e-filing. An estate with a house usually needs more than a form, because the probate notes process and the sale rules leave little room for error. On a $929,572 home the statutory attorney fee is $21,591, so the decision is worth weighing.

How much does probate cost in Los Angeles?

The statutory schedule allows $21,591 for the attorney and $21,591 for the executor on a house valued at $929,572, plus filing, publication, and referee costs. It’s figured on gross value, so a mortgage doesn’t lower it. The court approves the actual compensation.

How long does probate take in Los Angeles County?

My working figure is twelve to eighteen months for a straightforward case. The statute requires a petition for final distribution or a status report within one year after letters issue. Uncleared probate notes and a hard house sale run longer.

Is there a way to transfer a Los Angeles house without probate?

If the house is worth $750,000 or less and the owner died on or after April 1, 2025, a § 13151 petition can transfer it after 40 days without a full administration. Above that, a full probate is the route unless the house was already in a trust. A living trust signed during life avoids the question.

Does the executor have to post a bond?

Not if the will waives it or all beneficiaries waive it in writing. The court can still require one for good cause, and a waiver request without a will waiver needs a supporting declaration under Local Rule 4.41(c). The premium is usually a small cost.

Does a Los Angeles probate sale trigger Measure ULA?

Not below $5,400,000, the city threshold for closings after June 30, 2026. The Office of Finance FAQ doesn’t address probate sales, so for an estate home above that price get a written answer from the city before listing.

Can you handle the probate if I live outside California?

Yes, in most cases. The petition is filed electronically, hearings can be attended remotely where the court allows, and we work by Zoom or phone. Original wills are the exception, because the court takes those on paper.