There are different fees for filing a probate case in Riverside County depending on the type of probate case being filed. Here is a list of fees:
Petition filing fee: Filing a Petition for Probate, Spousal or Domestic Property Petitions, and Petitions to Determine Succession to Real Property all have a filing fee of $450 payable to the Riverside Superior Court. The filing fee for the Petition for Probate will be paid twice, once when the first petition is filed and again when the final petition is filed.
Court reporter fee: When the petitions listed above are filed, a mandatory hearing will be set requiring an additional $30.00 court reporter fee. As mentioned above, the Petition for Probate has 2 hearings and the court reporter fee is assessed for each hearing.
Newspaper publication fee: A Petition for Probate in Riverside County will require the Notice of Petition to Administer Estate to be published in an adjudicated newspaper publication and the approximate cost is $220.00. This is paid to the adjudicated newspaper that the petitioner selects. The newspaper selected should circulate in the area where the decedent resided.
Probate Referee fee: An Inventory and Appraisal will be completed by a probate referee for a Petition for Probate and a Petition to Determine Succession to Real Property. Probate Referees are appraisers who are appointed by the state of California to value the estate of the decedent as to the date of death. Riverside County probate referees, as well as all referees in California charge a statutory fee, based on the total value of the estate appraised. That fee is 1/10 of 1% of the estate value with a minimum charge of approximately $125, which can vary. For example, if the estate is valued at $500,000.00, the probate referee’s fee would be $500.00.
Bond fee: In some cases, the Riverside County Probate Court will require the Petitioner to be bonded. This is for the protection of the estate. In these cases the amount of the bond and the cost will depend on the value of the estate.
Attorney fee: The cost to hire an attorney for a Petition for Probate is mandated by the State of California and is based on a percentage of the total value of the estate. Extraordinary costs incurred by the attorney are also considered.
Legal Document Preparation fee: If instead of hiring an attorney, you choose to represent yourself with the help of a professional bonded and registered Legal Document Assistant you will normally be charged a flat fee which will depend on the type of probate case to be filed. The price range is wide as some cases take only a few months while Petition for Probates last much longer requiring more work and documents to prepare.
If you are starting a Probate you can contact our team for the current and specific costs for your Riverside County Probate filing including court fees and third party fees. We have been assisting clients in Riverside County with their Probate filings since 1996. Use our contact form here or view our phone numbers for our different locations here.
