Lake County, CA Probate Information

Before filing anything with the Lake County clerk, know exactly what is in the estate. The right path — small-estate affidavit, Petition to Determine Succession to Real Property, Spousal Property Petition, or full probate — depends entirely on the value and type of the assets. Lake hears probate on one calendar a week, so a petition filed on the wrong path or with a defect is simply continued to a later Tuesday, adding weeks to the case.

Identify every bank account, retirement plan, brokerage account, life insurance policy, and parcel of real property — including lakefront and rural acreage common in Lake County estates — and every debt, before choosing the path. Sunset's asset-discovery work, searching more than 2,300 financial institutions, exists for this step.

The Superior Court of California, County of Lake hears every probate matter in the county from the Lakeport Courthouse at 255 North Forbes Street in Lakeport, covering Lakeport, Clearlake, Kelseyville, Lower Lake, Middletown, Clearlake Oaks, Nice, Lucerne, Upper Lake, and the rest of the county. Probate is filed here when the decedent was domiciled in Lake County at death (Cal. Prob. Code § 7051), or owned Lake County real property as a non-resident (ancillary administration).

Probate matters — decedents' estates, the succession petitions, spousal property petitions, conservatorships, and guardianships — are heard in Department 3 (Hon. Andrew S. Blum) on the Tuesday 10:00 a.m. calendar. The court's Clearlake Branch at 7000-A South Center Drive houses the self-help center but holds no probate hearings; all probate filing and hearings run through the Lakeport Courthouse.

One probate department, one calendar. Probate is heard in Department 3 (Hon. Andrew S. Blum) on the Tuesday 10:00 a.m. calendar, effective June 16, 2025. The same calendar also handles LPS conservatorships at 10:00 a.m. and guardianships at 11:00 a.m. There is no separate probate business office or examiner counter — probate is processed through the Lakeport Courthouse civil operations.

Two locations, but probate is Lakeport only. The court operates the Lakeport Courthouse (255 North Forbes Street) and the Clearlake Branch (7000-A South Center Drive). All probate filing and hearings run through Lakeport; the Clearlake branch houses the self-help center and handles no probate matters.

E-filing is available but optional. Lake accepts electronically filed documents in probate through any e-filing service provider (EFSP), but e-filing is not mandatory. Self-represented filers may still file on paper in person at Room 417 or by mail. There is no single court-mandated vendor.

Zoom remote appearances. Remote appearances on the Department 3 calendar are made by Zoom. No Zoom account is needed, audio-only participation is allowed, and you should join at least 5 minutes before your hearing under your true name (Local Rule 16). Because department Zoom links change, confirm the current Department 3 link on the court's Zoom Meeting Information page before your hearing.

Free online case and calendar lookup. The court's public portal at portal.lake.courts.ca.gov/public-portal lets you search case information and view the court calendar at no charge. Some documents must still be viewed at the courthouse.

Self-help center does not cover probate. The Lake County Self-Help Center in Clearlake assists with family law, guardianship of the person, restraining orders, evictions, name changes, and small claims — but not decedent's-estate probate. Estate filers rely on the statewide self-help guide and the county law library.

Most cooperative-family Lake County probates — spousal petitions, small-estate paths, and uncontested IAEA administration — are completed without an attorney, and the court's Zoom-friendly Tuesday calendar makes that practical even for out-of-area families. Consider counsel when the estate exceeds $1 million, a will contest or heir dispute is likely, the estate holds business interests or out-of-state property, or ancillary administration is needed for a non-resident who owned Lake County real property. Because the Lake County Self-Help Center does not cover probate, self-represented families lean on the statewide self-help guide and the county law library. Sunset can connect families to a vetted California probate attorney serving Lake County.

Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions and Lake County public records to surface bank accounts, retirement plans, brokerage holdings, life insurance, Lake County real estate, and unclaimed property.

Generate the probate packet. Sunset assembles the statewide Judicial Council DE-series forms for your estate settlement path, the only forms Lake County requires, ready for signature and filing on paper or by e-filing service provider.

Find a local probate attorney. When the situation calls for counsel, Sunset connects families to a vetted California probate attorney serving Lake County.

Sunset is free for families. Revenue comes from bank partners that pay Sunset while estate funds sit in an FDIC-insured estate account ($3M coverage).