California Probate Administration for Hillsborough Families

Start with residence, property, and ownership

Not every estate follows the same transfer route, and not every estate needs formal probate. The decedent’s residence, the location of property, and how property is owned all matter to the available options. A will is one important record to review, but it should be considered alongside asset ownership and any beneficiary information.

Separate confirmed details from uncertainties. For example, a family might have a statement for an account but not know whether its beneficiary information is current. Treat that as a question to verify rather than assume how the account will transfer. The same care applies when a deed, account record, or family understanding appears inconsistent with the will.

• Note where the decedent lived and where known property is located.
• Make a preliminary list of known assets and record how each appears to be owned.
• Gather the will and available beneficiary or transfer information, marking anything that needs confirmation.

Know the stages of formal probate

Formal probate has three broad stages: opening a case, administering the estate, and closing it. When a personal representative is appointed in formal probate, that representative inventories estate assets, addresses debts, and reports before distribution. This is a court-supervised process; an initial family list or a person named in a will is not, by itself, the completed administration.

These stages provide a practical way to organize the questions ahead. At the outset, residence and property location help frame where a case may be opened. During administration, the estate’s assets and debts must be addressed. Before property is distributed, the representative reports as part of the process. The details of a particular estate determine which transfer route is relevant.

• Opening: establish the facts and property relevant to starting a formal case.
• Administration: the appointed representative inventories assets and addresses debts.
• Closing: the representative reports before distribution.

Distinguish nomination from appointment

A will may name someone to serve, but being named and being appointed are different things. In formal probate, the court appoints the personal representative. A family can identify the person named and discuss whether that person is willing and able to take on the role, while recognizing that the court appointment is a separate step.

Before treating a person as authorized to handle estate administration, gather the will and clarify whether a formal case has been opened and an appointment made. Also compare the will with available records showing ownership and beneficiary information. If details are missing or conflict, list the specific uncertainty instead of assuming which record controls a particular transfer.

• Identify anyone named in the will and note questions about availability or willingness.
• Gather deeds, account records, and available beneficiary information.
• Write down gaps or apparent inconsistencies for discussion before making distribution decisions.

Assemble records and identify the next question

As an optional preparation step, organize available information about the decedent’s residence, assets, ownership, property locations, and debts. Keep original records or reliable copies together where practical, and label family recollections or estimates as unverified. A preliminary list can help surface missing information, but it is not a final inventory.

During formal probate administration, the personal representative generally needs to contact a probate referee to value non-cash estate assets. Identifying such assets and keeping related records together can make it easier to see what may need attention; the valuation is part of administration, not a reason to treat an informal estimate as final.

A useful next step is to bring together the will, available ownership and beneficiary records, and a list of unanswered questions. Focus first on residence, property location, and ownership: those details bear on transfer options and the appropriate case location. California Courts directs opening probate in the county where the decedent lived. If the decedent lived outside California but owned California property, its overview directs filing in the California county where that property is located. A Hillsborough mailing address alone does not assign an individual case to a courthouse. San Mateo County’s Probate Division handles decedent estates; use its current division and case instructions if the matter is filed there.