How to Probate an Estate in California - Wills-Estate Law - Law Books - Legal Self Help Book Store

Law Books - Legal Self Help Book Store - Law Dictionary - Law School Books - State by State Legal Reference Books - Nolo Press - How To Pass Law Bar Exams - Immigration Law - All at Discount Prices!

Advanced Search

View Cart Checkout

Location: Home » Wills-Estate Law » All Amazon Upgrade » How to Probate an Estate in California

January 7, 2009

LawyerBuzz.com Navigation

Legal Help - Political Forums

DUI Forum

Red Light Camera Forum

Speeding Ticket Forum

Lawyer Jokes

Divorce Forum

International Orders & Shipping

VIEW CART

Checkout

Categories

•	American History
•	Adoption Law
•	California Law
•	Class Action Law
•	Constitutional Law
•	Construction Law
•	Criminal Law
•	Divorce Law
•	Immigration Law
•	Copyright Law
•	Landlord Law
•	Malpractice Law
•	Military Law
•	Patent Law
•	Personal Injury Law
•	Privacy Law
•	Real Estate Law
•	Small Business Law
•	Small Claims Law
•	Tennant Law
•	Trademark Law
•	Wills-Estate Law
•	DUI Law
•	Speeding Tickets
•	Laser Detectors
•	Radar Detectors
•	How To Pass Law Bar Exams
•	Nolo Press Legal Help
•	Legal Dictionaries
•	The Patriot Act
•	The Supreme Court
•	US Civil War Books
•	The Civil War DVD
•	The West Wing DVD

How to Probate an Estate in California

enlarge

Author: Julia P. Nissley
Publisher: NOLO
Category: Book

List Price: ~~$49.99~~
Buy New: $0.95
You Save: $49.04 (98%)
Buy New/Used from $0.95

Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars

(16 reviews)
Sales Rank: 743586

Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Edition: 18
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 435
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.3
Dimensions (in): 10.9 x 8.4 x 1.1

ISBN: 1413305741
Dewey Decimal Number: 346
EAN: 9781413305746
ASIN: 1413305741

Publication Date: March 30, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Customer Reviews:

Showing reviews 6-10 of 16

« PREV

1 2 3 4

Indispensable. Beautifully written, thoughtfully compiled, and will save you a fortune. January 1, 2007
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

After my mother passed away and I was named executor, I discovered something: California's probate system is a massive, elaborate joke designed to make lawyers rich. It's incomprehensible how convoluted the process is, and how absolutely ZERO help is available. (The court clerks I turned to answered every question with this: "I can't tell you! I'm not a judge!" And, of course, it's not like you can contact a judge.) Imagine trying to file the tax returns for Microsoft without any training or instructions: that's just a hint of what you're in for here.

Armed with this book, though, I got through the process. And -- against all odds, and despite the ridiculous restrictions and obfuscations this laughable legal system imposes on people WHOSE PARENTS JUST DIED -- I got all the way through probate, saving something like $10,000 in legal fees.

So, if your estate doesn't have much money -- or the legal system just bugs the heck out of you, and you refuse to fling hard-earned money at those charlatans -- get this book and thank your lucky stars it exists.

5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Advice on Probating an Estate October 13, 2005
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

My brother and I are in the process of probating my Mom's estate with the assistance of this excellent book by Nissley. It hops around a little bit, but all the information is between the covers. So far we have had zero problems. We have not had to consult with an attorney nor a paralegal to have our forms filed with the court. This book is going to save us time and money - about $5,000 on my Mom's small estate. Thank you Julia Nissley and Nolo Press!

4 out of 5 stars

Used as school text October 10, 2005
1 out of 2 found this review helpful

I bought this as a text for school...good book, easily understandable.

5 out of 5 stars

How to Probate an Estate in California October 10, 2005
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

I am a big fan of Nolo Press books because they are easy to understand and follow. This book was no different. It takes you step by step and even takes you through each form. It is a great book. I must have for any one who needs to probate a small estate in California.

5 out of 5 stars

Indispensable - a tremendous value at twice the price! March 26, 2004
14 out of 14 found this review helpful

As a layman with no legal experience whatsoever, I acted as executor and recently concluded probate... from another state entirely, without ever having set foot in California! All of the court-related matters were handled through the mail/fax thanks to the indispensable guidance of this book.

Even if you're not acting as executor (or can't decide if you should), any party to probate should consider this book a "must-have". It is written for an executor but there is so much information on the 'mysterious' court procedures, anyone involved in a CA probate would be well-served by purchasing this book if for nothing other than to know "what is probate?" and "what is going on?"

As executor, it's easy enough to find the forms on California court sites, and some (sites) have sketchy details to assist in filling them out (the court probate examiner informed me the most common cause of delays in an individual probate case is due to improperly filled out forms). But even this relatively simple step requires you have an understanding of how the civil court system works; something I am fairly certain too few people have (myself included). Not only does this book familiarize you with the court system and its procedures (a rewarding learning experience in its own right), as well as gameplan the (typical) entire probate process but shows in explicit detail how to fill out every line of every form you'll most likely need.

None of this is to say probate is easy - I have not found mine to be and the estate was relatively simple. DIY probate is a lot of (detail/organizational) work. But I believe a large amount of the work involved for the first-time DIYer is due to unfamiliarity with the law, court procedures and its paperwork. Reading the book gave me the confidence that even so, I could do it myself and consult with an attorney on occasion rather than just washing my hands of it (and a pile of cash) by turning probate over to an attorney at the outset.

I was fortunate in that my probate case was relatively straightforward to be handled as it was. But even if it weren't, you MUST arm yourself with information of this nature if you're considering hiring an attorney. Get that information in one topical, detailed and pleasant-reading book.

Thanks so much Julia!

The Lawsuit and Self Help Legal Law Book Store From LawyerBuzz.com

International Orders & Shipping

We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.

Shipping Restrictions

Warranty issues and manufacturer restrictions prevent us from shipping certain products to all geographical locations. You'll be notified while placing your order if we're unable to ship specific items to the address you've selected.

International Addresses

The following items can be shipped to destinations outside the U.S.:

* books*
* DVDs
* music
* VHS videos

Additionally, some software, tools, and kitchen items can be shipped to the following countries:

* Australia
* Austria
* Denmark
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Japan
* Ireland
* Italy
* Netherlands
* New Zealand
* Sweden
* United Kingdom

These items can be shipped only via Priority International Shipping and are subject to an import fees deposit.

*Note: Books that require special handling because they are extremely heavy (for example, multi-volume sets) cannot be shipped outside the U.S. If this is the case, it will be noted on the product detail page.

When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Shipping date estimates will appear in the order form. After placing your order, you will see both shipping and delivery date estimates in the order confirmation e-mail and in the order summary in Your Account.

Calculating Cost

Shipping costs depend upon the method and option you choose.

If you choose to group items into as few shipments as possible, you'll be charged for one regular per-shipment fee, as well as a per-item fee for each item in that shipment.

If you choose to ship items as soon as they become available, we'll charge you full per-shipment fees for each shipment as well as a per-item fee for each item.

Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.