How This Is Calculated
The tool counts from the filing date you enter. It counts a month as a calendar month, and when the later month is shorter it uses that month's last day, so October 31 plus four months is February 28 (or 29). It does not move a date that falls on a weekend or court holiday; the clerk's count controls. Each step carries one of four labels: a legal minimum (the earliest the statute allows), a legal deadline (the latest the statute allows), a date set by the court, or the earliest date on this tool's minimum path.
- Venue: probate is filed in the county where the person who died lived, wherever the death occurred (Probate Code §7051).
- First hearing: set not less than 15 nor more than 30 days after the petition is filed, or 30 to 45 days if the petitioner asks at filing. The court may not shorten the notice time (Probate Code §8003).
- Notice of hearing: mailed or delivered to each known heir and to each beneficiary and executor named in the will at least 15 days before the hearing, on Judicial Council form DE-121 (Probate Code §8110).
- Publication: first publication at least 15 days before the hearing; three publications in a newspaper published at least weekly, with at least five days between the first and last publication dates (not counting those dates), are enough (Probate Code §8121).
- Letters: no statute sets how many days after the hearing letters issue. If you leave the letters date blank, the tool assumes letters issue on the earliest hearing date, and labels that date as an assumption.
- Inventory and appraisal: filed within four months after letters are first issued; the court may allow more time (Probate Code §8800).
- Creditor claims: a creditor must file by the later of four months after letters first issue or 60 days after notice of administration is mailed or delivered to that creditor (Probate Code §9100).
- Final distribution: the personal representative petitions when the debts are paid or provided for and the estate is ready to close (Probate Code §11640), with notice at least 15 days before the hearing (Probate Code §11601 and §1220). The tool assumes the petition is filed the day after the claim period ends. That is the earliest point on its minimum path, not a statutory date.
- Outside deadline: the personal representative must petition for final distribution or report the status of the estate within one year after letters, or 18 months if a federal estate tax return is required (Probate Code §12200).
- Typical length: the California Courts self-help guide says the entire process typically takes 9 to 18 months and can sometimes take even longer (California Courts, Formal probate). That is a statewide statement, not a county figure.
- Filing fee: $435 for the first petition, $450 in Riverside and San Francisco counties, from the Statewide Civil Fee Schedule effective January 1, 2026. Publication, the probate referee, bond and other costs are extra.
- Where probate is heard: read from each superior court's own probate or location page, listed with the result. The tool does not estimate court waits. Two courts publish a timing statement, and the tool quotes them, labeled as the court's published statement and not a promise: the San Luis Obispo probate page ("New cases are set for a hearing 4 to 5 weeks in the future to allow for publication of Notice of Probate.") and Butte County Local Rule 12.1(A)(2) ("In general, final distribution hearings are set one (1) year from the date the Court appoints a personal representative to administer an estate."). Both read October 8, 2026. For every other county the result says "Not published by the court." Where a county assigns probate by ZIP code (Riverside, San Bernardino), the result says so and links the court's order. Department numbers are left off because they change.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does probate take in California?
The California courts' self-help guide says the entire process typically takes 9 to 18 months and can sometimes take even longer. Adding up the periods in the Probate Code gives a floor of about five months from filing to a hearing on final distribution, mostly because creditors have four months after letters issue to file claims (Probate Code §9100). That five months is our arithmetic from the statutes, not a figure any court publishes.
What is the shortest a California probate can take?
The first hearing can be set as soon as 15 days after the petition is filed (Probate Code §8003). The creditor claim period then runs four months from the day letters issue (§9100), and the hearing on final distribution needs at least 15 days' notice (§1220). If every step happens on its first possible day, the arithmetic comes to roughly five months. Court calendars, continuances, property sales and tax returns usually add time.
Does my county court publish a typical wait for probate hearings?
Most do not. Two courts publish a general timing statement, and the tool quotes each one with its source. The San Luis Obispo court's probate page says: "New cases are set for a hearing 4 to 5 weeks in the future to allow for publication of Notice of Probate." Butte County Local Rule 12.1(A)(2) says: "In general, final distribution hearings are set one (1) year from the date the Court appoints a personal representative to administer an estate." Those are the courts' own published statements, not a promise for any case. For every other county the tool shows "Not published by the court." The clerk sets the hearing date when you file.
When is the inventory and appraisal due?
The executor or administrator files the inventory and appraisal within four months after letters are first issued (Probate Code §8800). The court can allow more time. The personal representative appraises cash, bank accounts and similar items (Probate Code §8901); most other property is appraised by the probate referee (§8902).
Does a living trust avoid this timeline?
Property held in a funded living trust does not go through probate, so the successor trustee does not wait for a hearing, letters or a court order to act. The trustee still sends the notice required by Probate Code §16061.7 within 60 days. Our attorney-prepared trust keeps your home out of probate for a $400 trust plus $100 deed.
