Availability of Public Court Records for Riverside County

Modern Technology and the Courts Intersect

With the advance of technology, as well as the widespread use of it, it is no surprise that almost any piece of information is available online. This is no different for most court records for California and specifically the Superior Courts of Riverside County. With 58 Counties in California, most of these courts have made available court proceeding information for anyone who cares to look it up. While the amount of information available does vary from County to County, and also depending on the type of case, for the most part, access to specific information […]

By |Court Forms, Local Resources, Misc|
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Where to File a California Probate

A California Petition For Probate is filed in the Superior Court in the county where the decedent lived at the time of death. For example, if the decedent lived in Riverside County, but the real estate they owned was located in San Bernardino County, the probate case would be filed in the Riverside County. A common mistake is trying to file in the county where the property is located, rather than where the decedent lived, if it’s not the same. If they were not a California resident, but left property in California, the probate would be filed in the county […]

By |Probate|
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What’s The Difference Between A Will, A Living Will And A Living Trust?

A WILL is a legal document created by someone to express their wishes regarding the distribution of their assets after their death.  An executor is named, whose job it is to distribute the assets to the beneficiaries according to what is stated in the will. If the value of the assets is significant, a probate will be required to legally transfer the assets to the beneficiaries.  In a will, a guardian can be named for the care of the minor children, if one is needed. A will is a fairly simple document that can be revised as circumstances change.

A LIVING […]

By |Estate Planning, Living Trusts, Wills|
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How Does A Living Trust Work?

A living trust is a created legal entity, separate from the person who it is created for, called the trustee.  The living trust takes legal ownership of the assets that are put into the trust. The trustee controls the assets during their lifetime. Like a will, the living trust will contain instructions on how property is to be distributed after the trustee’s death.  A successor trustee is named, who will handle the distribution to the beneficiaries (the people or organizations who will receive the assets). This transfer of property will be handled outside of probate court, saving money, time and […]

By |Estate Planning, Living Trusts|
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Costs For Filing a Probate Case in San Bernardino County

The filing fees in California’s courts are not the same in all counties. Here is a list of San Bernardino fees in a simple probate case:

Petition filing fee: $435.00 is the filing fee for a Petition for Probate, Spousal or Domestic Property Petitions, and Petitions to Determine Succession to Real Property. Payment is made payable to the Clerk of the Court. Except for the Spousal or Domestic Property Petition and the Petition to Determine Succession to Real Property, the filing fee for the Petition for Probate will be paid twice. It is required when the case begins with the Petition […]

By |Probate|
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