Alameda County Superior Court
Probate Court Self Help

This section gives you information about probate court in Alameda County.

Probate court handles cases about people who cannot represent themselves.

Probate cases can be about:

• children (like guardianships),
• incompetent adults (like conservatorships),
• handling the estates of people who have died, or
• planning for your old age and death (wills and trusts).

Probate cases can be complicated. We recommend you talk to an experienced probate lawyer. This will help you to understand the risks and responsibilities of your case.

If you would like to see information about a particular case or find out about a hearing date, click here to visit our public access Case Info website.

Click on a topic below for more information:

Children

• Minor’s compromise (when a child gets a legal settlement)

Handling the estate of someone who dies and how to plan for your old age

• Powers of attorney
• Health care decisions and Advanced Directives
• Trusts
• Living trusts and estate planning
• Set aside money for a child without a trust

Other topics & resources

• Probate Court location and staff
• Court rules for probate cases
• Court forms for probate cases
• Filing fees for your court papers

Things you cannot do at this web site: