Frequently Asked Questions

Categories of Estates Handled by the Public Administrator

  1. Summary Estates
    1. Estates not exceeding $50,000.00 in value. The Public Administrator may act without court authorization to marshal and distribute the assets of these estates pursuant to the Probate Code. (Cal Prob Code § 7660 (a)(2))
    2. Estates valued at $50,000.01 to $150,000.00. The Public Administrator may act after an ex parte application seeking authority to summarily dispose of a small estate is approved by the court. (Cal Prob Code § 7660 (a)(1))
  2. Probated Estates
    These are estates over $150,000.00 in value. An estate of this size is handled by the Public Administrator under the jurisdiction of the Superior Court, subject to general rules of estate administrator. The proceeding commences from the first filing of a petition and appointment of the Public Administrator. At the end of administration accounting is completed and submitted to the court to show what was done before the Public Administrator is discharged. (Cal Prob Code § 7622)