Probate Attorney in Granite Bay, CA
On a $2 million estate in Granite Bay, California, statutory probate fees amount to $66,000, split equally between the attorney and the executor. The formula is based on the gross value of the property. A mortgage on the house does not reduce this amount by a single dollar.
Every Granite Bay probate case is filed with the Placer County Superior Court at the Hon. Howard G. Gibson Courthouse, located at 10820 Justice Center Drive in Roseville. Filippi Law Firm, P.C., represents executors, administrators, and beneficiaries throughout every stage of the estate administration process. You can use our probate calculator to check the math for your own estate.
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Placer County Hears Granite Bay Probate in Department 40
Granite Bay is an unincorporated community, so there is no local courthouse or city clerk to contact. Estates are transferred to the county’s main courthouse in Roseville. As of 2026, probate cases are heard on Friday mornings in Department 40 with Commissioner Michael A. Jacques as presiding officer. Remote appearances are usually allowed under Local Rule 10.24 (G).
A few local details that are more important than most people realize:
- Lawyers must file electronically according to the court’s local rules. Those who do not have a lawyer can still visit the Civil Division office in person to file.
- Calendar notes come out days before each hearing. The court’s legal research staff review each petition and list what’s missing: a bond waiver, proof of publication, and a required allegation. If anything is not cured in time, it usually means a delay of several weeks.
- The hearing notice must be published three times in a general newspaper serving the deceased’s community and mailed to all heirs and beneficiaries at least 15 days before the hearing.
Most Granite Bay estates include a house in Los Lagos, Wexford, Shelborne, Cavitt Ranch Estates or the streets around Folsom Lake. Property titled in one person’s name forces full probate, and home values here put many families past every shortcut that California offers.
AB 2016 Changed Who Actually Needs Probate
Assembly Bill 2016 took effect for deaths on or after April 1, 2025, and it created real breathing room for modest estates. The current figures published by the Judicial Council in Form DE-300 are:
| Procedure | Covers | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Petition to Determine Succession to Real Property (Prob. Code §§ 13150–13157) | Decedent’s primary residence only | $750,000 |
| Small Estate Affidavit (Prob. Code § 13100) | Personal property: bank accounts, vehicles, investments | $208,850 |
| Affidavit re Real Property of Small Value (§ 13200) | Low-value real property | $69,625 |
| Small Estate Set-Aside (§§ 6600–6613) | Surviving spouse and minor children | $107,900 |
The § 10810 Statutory Fee Schedule, in Dollars
California is one of the few states that determines attorney fees for probate cases based on a formula rather than by the hour. The Probate Code, Section 10810, sets the fee for attorneys. Section 10800 provides the personal representative with an equal amount.
Here are the percentages:
4% of the first $100,000
3% of the next $100,000
2% of the next $800,000
1% of the next $9 million
0.5% of the next $15 million
Additional amount determined by the court for amounts over $25 million
Across the range Granite Bay estates usually fall into:
| Gross Estate Value | Attorney Fee | Executor Fee | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000,000 | $23,000 | $23,000 | $46,000 |
| $1,200,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $50,000 |
| $1,500,000 | $28,000 | $28,000 | $56,000 |
| $2,000,000 | $33,000 | $33,000 | $66,000 |
| $3,000,000 | $43,000 | $43,000 | $86,000 |
| $5,000,000 | $63,000 | $63,000 | $126,000 |
A Realistic Placer County Timeline
Nine months is the optimistic answer people hear online. Here’s what a Roseville house usually looks like:
| Stage | Typical Timing |
|---|---|
| Gather death certificates, locate the original will, prepare the Petition for Probate (DE-111) | Weeks 1–3 |
| Petition filed; court sets the first hearing; notice mailed and published | 6–10 weeks out |
| Hearing; Letters issued; bond posted if required | Month 2–3 |
| Creditor claim period runs from the date Letters issue | 4 months, fixed |
| Probate referee appraises non-cash assets; Inventory and Appraisal filed | Due within 4 months of Letters |
| Sale of real property, if the estate needs one | Adds 2–5 months |
| Final tax returns, accounting, Petition for Final Distribution | Month 9–13 |
| Distribution hearing, order signed, receipts filed, case closed | 6–10 weeks after filing |
Why Roseville Families Call Jim Filippi
Before he practiced law, Jim Filippi was a California police officer. That career ended during a narcotics detail when a suspect trapped him in a vehicle and accelerated, dragging him down the street. The injuries healed, but the career did not return.
What he found next was estate law. And the connection was not as strange as it sounded. Both jobs were about showing up for people on their worst day of the year. Clients handing over their parents’ files were not signing documents; they were trusting someone with something their family had spent a lifetime building.