The California Trust & Probate
Knowledge Base
Not a marketing brochure. A working reference — timelines, court guides, statute citations, glossary definitions, and real-world scenarios, written by a Certified Specialist who handles these cases in Sacramento and Placer County every week.
Definitions & Law
3 resourcesCalifornia Estate & Probate Glossary — 30 Terms Defined by a Certified Specialist
Heggstad Petition, MAPT, Spendthrift, 16061.7 Notice, and 27 more — anchored to California statute and case law.
Read more →Will vs. Living Trust in California — Complete 2026 Comparison
Cost, timeline, privacy, probate, Medi-Cal protection — all three options compared in one table.
Read more →Why DIY Estate Plans Fail in California Courts
The 5 fatal flaws in LegalZoom and online trusts — with California statute citations and real-world consequences.
Read more →Timelines & Procedures
3 resourcesSacramento County Probate Timeline — Month by Month
Every stage from filing to distribution: deadlines, hearings, what you can speed up, and what you cannot.
Read more →Sacramento & Placer County Probate Court — Local Rules Guide
Where to file, where to park, how the clerks operate, hearing schedules, and how the two courts differ.
Read more →Trust Administration Guide for Successor Trustees
§ 16061.7 notices, accounting duties, creditor claims, and how to administer a California trust without court involvement.
Read more →Urgent 2026 Issues
3 resources2026 Estate Tax Sunset — What California Families Must Do Now
The federal exemption dropped to ~$7M on January 1, 2026. SLATs, GRATs, ILITs, and gifting strategies explained.
Read more →Medi-Cal Asset Limits Return — July 1, 2027 Deadline
Asset limits drop to $21,000 per person July 1, 2027. Families with savings above that threshold need to act now.
Read more →Proposition 19 — Property Tax Planning for California Homeowners
The 2021 law that changed parent-child property transfers. What it costs your heirs if you ignore it.
Read more →Court & Process Guides
3 resourcesWhat Is a California Heggstad Petition?
Move assets into a trust without full probate using Estate of Heggstad (1993) — when it works and when it doesn't.
Read more →Sacramento & Placer Probate Court — Addresses, Hours, Parking
Dept 129, Auburn courthouse, filing windows, clerk tips, newspaper publication requirements.
Read more →California Probate Fees — What They Actually Cost Your Family
Statutory fee table: what a $400K, $800K, $1.2M, and $2M estate pays in attorney and executor fees.
Read more →Planning Tools
3 resources2-Minute Estate Health Audit — Get Your Score
5 questions. A–F grade. See your red flags instantly. No email required.
Read more →California Estate Planning Myths vs. Reality
7 misconceptions corrected — "I don't need a trust if I have a will" and 6 others that cost families most.
Read more →DIY vs. Certified Specialist — Full Comparison Table
Trust funding, Prop 19, incapacity, spendthrift provisions — what each approach actually delivers.
Read more →Common Scenarios
3 resourcesUnfunded Trust — Granite Bay Home Never Transferred
Heggstad Petition vs. full probate — timeline, cost, and when each applies.
Read more →Trustee Won't Account After 3 Years — What Beneficiaries Can Do
California Probate Code § 16062 petition, surcharge, and trustee removal under § 15642.
Read more →Parent Needs Medi-Cal — Has $400K in a Revocable Trust
A revocable trust offers zero Medi-Cal protection. What does — and the timing that matters.
Read more →
About the Author
Dustin MacFarlane, Esq.
California State Bar Certified Specialist — Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law · Less than 1% of California attorneys hold this designation
Dustin has helped 6,000+ Sacramento and Placer County families avoid probate, protect assets, and navigate trust administration since 2009. He appears regularly in Sacramento Superior Court Department 129 and Placer County Superior Court (Auburn). Everything in this Knowledge Base reflects what he actually does — not what looks good on a website.