Where will my Dublin probate case be heard?

Dublin is in Alameda County, so the case is filed with the probate clerk at the Berkeley Courthouse. We make the appearances; most clients never set foot in court.

My parent lived in Dublin but I live out of state. Can you still handle it?

Yes. Out-of-state executors are a substantial part of our practice; nearly everything happens by phone, email, and e-signature.

Probate Attorney for San Mateo County

Probate Attorney for San Mateo County — Heard in Redwood City, Handled Remotely

San Mateo County probate cases are heard at the Southern Branch courthouse, 400 County Center in Redwood City — whether the decedent lived in Daly City, San Mateo, Burlingame, Redwood City, Menlo Park, or Half Moon Bay. For an uncontested estate, that courthouse is our problem, not yours: we prepare the filings for e-signature, we make the appearances, and most families never attend a single hearing.

Probate for Peninsula families

The typical San Mateo County estate centers on a Peninsula home bought a generation ago — which means a gross value far above the simplified-procedure thresholds, and statutory fees worth calculating precisely before anyone files. In California, a reasonable fee for the attorney's ordinary probate work is set by Probate Code Section 10810 as a percentage of the estate's gross value; we calculate it to the dollar in your free consultation. Just as important, we check the faster paths first: for deaths on or after April 1, 2025, a primary residence at $750,000 or less may qualify for the streamlined AB 2016 petition; estates under $208,850 can often use the small estate affidavit; a surviving spouse can often use a spousal property petition; and an asset left out of a living trust may be recoverable with a Heggstad petition. The single-hearing procedures finish in roughly 2 to 3 months instead of the 9 to 18 months of a full probate.

Why San Mateo County families choose us

Probate only, since 2012, licensed in California and New York. Free 15-minute phone consultation, a free 45-minute follow-up for qualified clients, and statutory or flat fees quoted up front. Many of our executors live out of the area — or out of state — and handle everything remotely.

Where will my San Mateo County probate case be heard?

At the Southern Branch courthouse in Redwood City. We make the appearances; you don't have to fly in or take a day off work.

Mom's house in San Mateo is the whole estate. Does it still need probate?

It depends on the value and how title was held. If it was in a trust, usually no. If it passes to a surviving spouse, a single-hearing spousal property petition may do it. Above the $750,000 AB 2016 limit with no trust and no surviving spouse, full probate usually applies — but the statutory fee is predictable, and we will calculate it before you decide anything.

Call (925) 336-3632 for a free 15-minute consultation, or book online.

Related guides: probate when no one in the family lives in California, handling a probate from New York or from Texas, ancillary probate in California, and what to do when an executor can't get a bond.