How long does probate take in California?

There is no single clock. A straightforward Independent Administration of Estates Act (IAEA) estate with cooperative heirs, a marketable house, and no creditor fights can close the property sale in a few months and finish the rest of the probate later. A contested will, a missing heir, a reverse mortgage, or a required court-confirmed sale at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse will stretch the timeline.

Can an executor sell a house before probate is complete?

An executor or administrator generally cannot convey California real property on the strength of a will sitting in a drawer. Title companies look for Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, and for the statutory power to sell.

What is a court-confirmed sale?

When a personal representative lacks full IAEA authority, or when confirmation is otherwise required, the sale of estate real property goes to a confirmation hearing. In Los Angeles County that often means the Stanley Mosk Courthouse. The accepted offer is presented to the court. Other buyers may overbid.

How does a reverse mortgage affect probate?

Most reverse mortgages, including HECMs, become due and payable when the borrower dies (or permanently leaves the home). Servicers send notices. There are federal timelines for heirs to decide whether to pay off, sell, or turn the keys over. Ignoring the mail does not pause the loan.

What is a probate referee?

California Probate Code provides for probate referees: independent appraisers appointed to value estate assets as of date of death. Their work lands on the Inventory and Appraisal filed with the court. That inventory is a legal and tax document. It is not a marketing CMA.

For heirs, attorneys, and fiduciaries · Not a loan

Start the probate even if you don’t have the cash up front.

Pick the right attorney — not the one who asks for the smallest retainer. A probate advance is not a loan. There is no monthly payment to you. Cash can cover attorney fees, filing, and expenses while the estate is still in court.

Bill Gross is a broker, not a lender. He has worked with California attorneys, executors, and heirs since 1986. He connects heirs and counsel with probate-advance companies. He can help you get started with no up-front funds by advancing an inheritance and, where it fits, lending to the estate — so you can pick the best attorney, not just the one that requires the least up front.

Request an introduction Book a probate-advance call Call (310) 210-0008

8383 Wilshire Blvd #800, Beverly Hills, CA 90211 · bill@thelaprobateexpert.com

How this works

An assignment of part of an expected inheritance — not a conventional loan.

Not a loan to you

The company advances against what the heir is expected to receive. There is no monthly payment to you. The company charges a fee instead of interest. Shop terms. Ask your probate attorney.

Bill is not the lender

He introduces heirs and counsel to third-party companies. Those companies set eligibility, documentation, fees, and timing. Bill is not the lender. How he is paid, if at all, is disclosed before you proceed.

Not everyone qualifies

Typically the estate is in probate and the heir is legally entitled. Will or court papers are required. This is useful when an heir must cover debts, taxes, attorney fees, or personal expenses during a long probate — not a promise of any amount or speed.

When people call

The stuck places, in the first person.

No invented dollar figures. These are the situations families and counsel actually bring.

I am stuck in probate and I cannot fund the next step.

An advance is sometimes used so an heir can hire counsel, file, or keep a specialist on the file — instead of waiting for an estate that has not paid out yet.

The attorney is not talking, or I cannot afford the one I want.

The point of this page is to pick the right attorney, not the one who asks for the smallest retainer. Cash to cover fees is the mechanism. The legal work still belongs to counsel.

I was declined for a probate bond.

Bonding problems stall administrations. An introduction to an advance company does not replace a bond producer — it can put money on the table so the estate can keep moving while that is sorted.

I just inherited and I do not know where to start.

Bill’s first conversation is triage: is there real property, is a petition filed, who has authority, and is an advance even the right tool. He has sat with California heirs since 1986.

I cannot open a bank account for the estate.

Fiduciary banking is its own desk. An inheritance advance is not a bank account. It is a way to cover costs while the estate is still in court.

A sibling is living in the house. Or the property is in several states.

Occupancy fights and multi-state estates are why people get stuck. Sometimes the file needs counsel to monitor a personal representative, or a partition path. An advance can fund that work. It does not settle the fight by itself.

Selling the house is a separate path — schedule a consultation.

Bill Gross is a licensed California real estate broker (DRE #01022275) with eXp Realty. The content on this site reflects his real estate experience and the advice he has received from the estate attorneys he works with. Nothing on this site is legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created by use of this site. For legal questions about a probate, trust, or estate matter, please consult a licensed California attorney.

eXp Realty of California, Inc. DRE #01878277.

Bill is not a lender. Inheritance advances and estate loans are offered by unaffiliated third parties. Those companies set terms, fees, and eligibility. How Bill is paid, if at all, will be disclosed before you proceed.