Laguna Niguel Probate Services

The probate procedure in Laguna Niguel frequently takes a full year to complete. Our office will create and submit the Petition for Probate in coordination with your probate referee, contact each heir, plan the necessary publication, and complete the process by providing a final accounting to the court. Within three to four months of submitting the initial petition, most real estate can be sold.

Establishing a living trust in Laguna Niguel will help you avoid probate. To avoid probate, Laguna Legal may assist you with preparing and retitling your real estate in the name of your trust. For the entirety of a single client’s estate plan, we charge a fixed fee of $950. A revocable living trust, certificates of trust, a pour-over will, a durable power of attorney, and a healthcare directive are the principal legal documents of an estate plan.

Assets can be distributed to heirs through a legal procedure called “Probate” whether a person dies testate—with a will—or intestate—without a will. If your loved one leaves behind real estate (regardless of value) or other assets worth more than $166,250 that are not specified in a living trust, you must file for probate before the Laguna Niguel probate court can decide how to distribute the assets.

If you own assets such as real estate (regardless of value), bank accounts, and investment accounts worth more than $166,250, Laguna Niguel, California probate is necessary. A Small Estate Affidavit can typically be used to open bank accounts with a value of less than $166,250. If necessary, Laguna Legal can assist you in drafting a Small Estate Affidavit or we can assist you in drafting and submitting a full probate. You would have to speak on your own behalf at the necessary hearings because Laguna Legal is only a legal document service and not an attorney. But, we can assist you in drafting and submitting all the court documents you’ll require.

Any real estate (regardless of value) or other assets worth at more than $166,250 that belonged to a deceased loved one but were not placed in a living trust must be put through probate before the court can order their distribution. If you don’t file for probate in Laguna Niguel, the government can seize your assets or a debt or tax lien may force a foreclosure.

The Laguna Niguel probate process often takes a whole year to complete. In collaboration with your probate referee, our office will draft and submit the Petition for Probate, get in touch with each heir, organize the required publication, and conclude the procedure by submitting a final accounting to the court. Any real estate can often be sold within 3–4 months of submitting the initial petition.

Real estate (regardless of value), bank accounts, and investment accounts with a value larger than $166,250 are assets in Laguna Niguel that are subject to probate. A Small Estate Affidavit can typically be used to open bank accounts with a value of less than $166,250. If necessary, Laguna Legal can assist you in drafting a Small Estate Affidavit or we can assist you in drafting and submitting a full probate. You would have to speak on your own behalf at the necessary hearings because Laguna Legal is only a legal document service and not an attorney. But, we can assist you in drafting and submitting all the court documents you’ll require.