Pasadena Probate Court Records

Pasadena has no municipal probate court. All estate cases for Pasadena residents are processed by Los Angeles County Superior Court. The county handles wills, estates, trusts, conservatorships, and guardianships for everyone in Pasadena. State law puts probate jurisdiction at the county level rather than with individual cities. When someone who lived in Pasadena dies, their estate case is filed at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles, about 10 miles southwest of Pasadena. The probate division operates from Room 112 on the courthouse first floor. You can file documents there in person or use the county's electronic filing system.

LA County Superior Court

Los Angeles County Superior Court operates the probate division for the entire county. The division is at Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles. The probate clerk office is in Room 112. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

Call 213-830-0850 for probate information. Clerk staff answer questions about procedures and forms. They cannot provide legal advice on your specific case. The courthouse has a self-help center on the first floor where staff assist with form completion.

Los Angeles County provides online case access at lacourt.org. You can also search at lacourt.ca.gov case access. Enter a name or case number to view filed documents, hearing dates, and case status.

From Pasadena, take the 110 Freeway south toward downtown Los Angeles. Exit at Los Angeles Street. The courthouse is near City Hall. Parking garages are available nearby. Rates vary by location and time. Metro serves downtown. The Gold Line connects Pasadena to downtown Los Angeles. Plan extra time for parking and security screening.

Filing an Estate Case

Begin with form DE-111, the Petition for Probate. Get it from the court website or clerk window. Fill out all required fields. Provide information about the person who died, their assets, and their heirs. Sign under penalty of perjury. Attach a certified death certificate. Include the original will if one exists.

File your petition at the probate clerk window. The fee is $435. Pay by cash, check, money order, or credit card. The clerk stamps your documents and gives you a case number. They set a hearing date, usually six to eight weeks from filing.

After filing, you must notify interested parties. Mail copies of the petition and hearing notice to all heirs and beneficiaries. Keep proof of mailing. Also publish notice in a local newspaper. Los Angeles County has many approved newspapers. The Los Angeles Times and Pasadena Star-News are options. Publish once a week for three consecutive weeks.

File proof of mailing and proof of publication before the hearing. Use the forms provided by the court. Attend your hearing with original documents. The judge reviews your petition and may ask questions. If everything is in order, the judge signs an order appointing you as estate representative. You receive Letters of Administration giving you authority to manage estate assets.

Within four months of appointment, file an Inventory and Appraisal. This form lists all estate property and values. Some assets require appraisal by a probate referee. The court assigns referees. When you finish administering the estate, file a final petition and accounting. Another hearing and fee are required.

Small Estate Alternatives

Full probate is not always necessary. If the estate is worth less than $208,850, you may use a small estate affidavit. This is form DE-310. Fill it out, get it notarized, and present it to banks or other asset holders. They release property if the form is proper and 40 days have passed since death. No court filing. No fee. No hearing.

Real estate valued under $71,600 can transfer through a simplified court process using form DE-305. This still requires a court filing and hearing, but the procedure is faster and less expensive than full probate.

Some assets never need probate. Life insurance with a named beneficiary pays directly to that person. Retirement accounts work the same way. Payable-on-death bank accounts transfer automatically. Joint tenancy property passes to the surviving owner. Living trusts allow assets to avoid probate. Many Pasadena estate planning attorneys recommend these tools.

Legal Assistance in Pasadena

Public Counsel provides free legal services to low-income Los Angeles County residents. Call 213-385-2977. They handle various civil matters including probate when resources allow. You must meet financial eligibility requirements.

Bet Tzedek Legal Services helps with wills, powers of attorney, conservatorships, and probate matters. Call 323-939-0506. They serve elderly and low-income residents throughout Los Angeles County. Services are free or low-cost based on income.

The Los Angeles County Bar Association operates a lawyer referral service at 213-243-1525. They connect you with a private attorney for a reduced-rate initial consultation. Fees after the first meeting are negotiated between you and the lawyer.

Pasadena Public Library has legal reference materials at branches throughout the city. The Central Library on East Walnut Street has a comprehensive collection. Librarians help locate resources but cannot give legal advice. Free computer access allows online research and form completion.

Obtaining Death Certificates

Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder issues death certificates for the county. The main office is at 12400 East Imperial Highway in Norwalk. Request certified copies in person or by mail. Cost is about $28 per copy. Bring valid ID for in-person requests.

Order online through the county website. Complete the application, pay by credit card, and receive the certificate by mail. Processing takes one to two weeks. Rush service is available for an additional fee.

For older records, contact the California Department of Public Health in Sacramento. Mail to P.O. Box 997410, Sacramento CA 95899-7410. Call 916-445-2684. Online ordering available. State processing takes three to four weeks.

Other LA County Cities

Other cities in Los Angeles County that file probate cases at the same courthouse include Los Angeles, Glendale, Burbank, Santa Clarita, Pomona, Torrance, and Inglewood.

Adjacent counties have separate probate systems. See Orange County, San Bernardino County, and Ventura County.

Searching for Cases

Use the online portal to search by the last name of the deceased. Try different spellings and variations. People sometimes use nicknames but court records show legal names. Women may have cases under maiden names or former married names.

If you have a case number, enter it exactly as it appears. Include all letters, dashes, and leading zeros. The format identifies the case type and filing year.

Older cases may not be online. Los Angeles County digitized recent files but very old records may be in archives. Contact the clerk office to search archived files. Fees may apply and retrieval takes time.

Not all deaths result in probate cases. Small estates use affidavits that do not go through court. Assets with beneficiaries transfer directly. Joint property passes automatically. Many estates avoid probate through advance planning.