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Solano County, CA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Court | Superior Court of California, County of Solano — Family Law, Probate and Adoption Division |
| Filing location | Hall of Justice, 600 Union Avenue, Fairfield, CA 94533 |
| Hearing location | Department 22 (Judge Alesia Jones), Old Solano Courthouse, 580 Texas Street, Fairfield, CA 94533 |
| Phone | (707) 207-7341 (probate clerk); hearing scheduling (707) 207-7340; Department 22 judicial assistant (707) 207-7322 |
| [email protected] (family, probate, and adoption matters) | |
| Division availability | Mon–Fri by phone, email, or in-person appointment; phone hours 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM (closed 12:00–1:00 PM); in-person 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM |
| Filing drop boxes | Fairfield (Hall of Justice, second floor under the stairs) 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM; Vallejo Branch Court 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM — documents deposited by 4:00 PM are filed same day |
| Filing fee (petition for probate) | $435 — statewide fee, no Solano County surcharge (Cal. Gov. Code § 70650(a)) |
| Local probate forms | None required for decedents' estates — statewide Judicial Council DE-series; the county's local forms are almost all guardianship/conservatorship |
| E-filing | Mandatory for attorneys since January 2, 2025 (Local Rule 20) via a registered EFSP; optional for self-represented filers, who may still use the drop boxes |
| Probate notes / pre-grants | Posted online: probate notes about one week before the hearing; pre-grant rulings after 2:00 PM the day before |
| Online case search | portal.solano.courts.ca.gov (free account registration required) |
| Remote appearance | ZoomGov and CourtCall for Department 22 probate hearings — current meeting details are posted on the court's Estate/Trusts page |
| Website | https://solano.courts.ca.gov/divisions/probate-conservatorshipguardianship |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before filing anything with the Solano 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. Solano publishes probate notes about a week before each hearing, and a petition filed before the family understands the estate tends to draw a note, which means clearing a defect and, often, a continued hearing weeks later.
Identify every bank account, brokerage, retirement plan, life insurance policy, business interest, and parcel of real property — and every debt — before choosing the path and filing. Sunset's asset-discovery work, searching more than 2,300 financial institutions, exists for this step.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Superior Court of California, County of Solano hears every probate matter in the county — decedents' estates, succession and spousal petitions, conservatorships, guardianships, and trust matters — for families throughout Fairfield, Vallejo, Vacaville, Suisun City, Benicia, Dixon, and Rio Vista. Probate is filed here when the decedent was domiciled in Solano County at death (Cal. Prob. Code § 7051), or owned Solano County real property as a non-resident (ancillary administration).
Filing and hearing happen at two different Fairfield courthouses. Petitions, the original will, and supporting papers are filed with the Family Law, Probate and Adoption Division at the Hall of Justice, 600 Union Avenue. Estate and trust matters are then heard in Department 22, Courtroom 3, before Judge Alesia Jones at the Old Solano Courthouse, 580 Texas Street. A probate examiner reviews each petition before the hearing and posts notes to the court's website.
The jurisdiction process
- Prepare the statewide Judicial Council DE-series forms for your path (DE-111 Petition for Probate for a decedent's estate). Solano County requires no local cover sheet for decedents' estates.
- If a will exists, the custodian must lodge the original will with the Probate Clerk's Office within 30 days of death (Cal. Prob. Code § 8200).
- File a Request for Special Notice/Notice of Petition to Administer Estate and a DE-120 (Notice of Hearing) to obtain a hearing date; the clerk sets the matter on the Department 22 probate calendar.
- File the petition. Attorneys must e-file through a registered Electronic Filing Service Provider (mandatory since January 2, 2025, Local Rule 20); self-represented filers may e-file or use the drop box at the Hall of Justice (600 Union Avenue) or the Vallejo Branch Court.
- Lodge paper-only items in person or by mail: original wills and codicils, orders requiring a judge's signature, sealed records, and hearing exhibits cannot be e-filed.
- Pay the $435 filing fee (statewide fee; no Solano County surcharge). Fee waivers are available on Judicial Council forms FW-001/FW-003.
- Complete notice: publish in a newspaper of general circulation and mail DE-121 notice to heirs and beneficiaries at least 15 days before the hearing.
- Check the probate notes and pre-grant rulings on the court's Probate Pre-Grants & Notes page — notes post about one week before the hearing and pre-grants after 2:00 PM the day before. Clear any noted defect by e-filing the corrected document (the court does not accept corrections by email), and if you need more time notify the Department 22 judicial assistant no later than 4:30 PM one court day before the hearing.
- Attend the hearing in Department 22 at the Old Solano Courthouse, in person or by ZoomGov/CourtCall — or, if the matter is pre-granted and uncontested, submit the proposed order and skip the appearance. The judge admits the will, appoints the personal representative, and issues Letters (DE-150).
- Administer and close the estate under the statewide process: creditor notice, the 4-month claim period, Inventory and Appraisal (DE-160), and the petition for final distribution.
Executor duties
The statewide personal-representative duties (creditor notice, the 4-month Inventory and Appraisal, DHCS notice, Notice of Proposed Action under IAEA) apply in Solano exactly as described on the California page. Solano adds these local obligations:
| Solano-specific duty | Timing |
|---|---|
| Lodge the original will with the Probate Clerk's Office | Within 30 days of death (Cal. Prob. Code § 8200) |
| E-file all documents if represented by counsel (originals excepted) | Throughout the case (mandatory since January 2, 2025) |
| E-file probate Letters and bonds if represented | Required for represented parties since July 1, 2025 |
| Monitor the probate notes and pre-grant rulings online | Notes post about one week before the hearing; pre-grants after 2:00 PM the day before |
| Clear any noted defect by e-filing the corrected document | Before the hearing; email corrections are not accepted |
| Notify the Department 22 judicial assistant if more time is needed | No later than 4:30 PM one court day before the hearing |
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Solano County
Solano County has no mandatory local form for a decedent's estate. Every filing uses the statewide Judicial Council DE-series — DE-111 Petition for Probate, DE-120 Notice of Hearing, DE-121 Notice, DE-140 Order, DE-147 Duties and Liabilities, DE-150 Letters, DE-160 Inventory and Appraisal, and the rest. The county's roster of local forms is almost entirely guardianship and conservatorship paperwork (investigator orders, care plans, venue declarations); the only decedent-estate items are a local petition for succession to real property and a waiver-of-account form, neither of which is a required cover sheet.
The practical Solano-specific steps are procedural: lodge the original will within 30 days (Cal. Prob. Code § 8200), file DE-120 to obtain a hearing date on the Department 22 calendar, and — if represented — e-file through a registered Electronic Filing Service Provider.
Timeline
- File the petition, lodge the original will, and complete the 15-day mailed notice and newspaper publication.
- The clerk sets the hearing on the Department 22 probate calendar: trust, estate, and other probate petitions are heard Tuesday through Friday at 9:00 AM (capped at 12 matters a day, no more than 5 trust matters).
- Probate notes post about one week before the hearing; pre-grant rulings post after 2:00 PM the day before. Clear defects by e-filing corrected documents before the hearing.
- Hearing to Letters (DE-150): same day to about a week for a pre-granted, cleared matter; noted defects push the case to a continued calendar.
- Creditor claim period and Inventory and Appraisal deadline: 4 months from Letters (statewide).
- Monday 11:00 AM calendar handles probate estate compliance and fee-waiver hearings; the court uses compliance reviews to keep administrations on schedule.
- Total for a cooperative-family IAEA probate: commonly under a year, driven mostly by the statutory 4-month creditor period.
Local nuance
Solano County-specific considerations
File in one courthouse, appear in another. Petitions and the original will are filed with the Family Law, Probate and Adoption Division at the Hall of Justice, 600 Union Avenue. Estate and trust hearings are held in Department 22 at the Old Solano Courthouse, 580 Texas Street — a different building. Address filings and hearings to the correct location.
Probate notes and pre-grants are online. Solano re-deployed probate notes on February 26, 2024. Notes on new petitions, spousal property petitions, and final-distribution petitions post roughly a week before the hearing (guardianships and conservatorships are excluded); pre-grant rulings post after 2:00 PM the day before. Clear a noted defect by e-filing the corrected document — the court does not take corrections by email.
Pre-grants can save the trip. If your matter appears on the pre-grant list, is uncontested, and you agree with the ruling, you can submit the proposed order for signature and skip the hearing. Appearance is required if the matter is contested, is not pre-granted, needs holographic-will proof, or involves a sale confirmation.
Capped daily calendar. Department 22 hears trusts, estates, and other probate petitions Tuesday through Friday at 9:00 AM, capping the calendar at 12 matters a day (and no more than 5 trust matters). Filing early enough to make a specific calendar matters when hearing dates are tight.
Morning-and-afternoon phones, lunch closure. The division answers (707) 207-7341 from 8:00 AM to noon and 1:00 to 3:00 PM and is otherwise available by appointment. The Hall of Justice drop box stays open 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM, but only documents deposited by 4:00 PM are filed the same day.
Ex parte by appointment. Ex parte applications on probate-of-estate cases are heard by appointment only; contact Department 22 to schedule. Solano Local Rule 7 governs probate procedures and Rule 7.10 governs ex parte applications.
Recent updates
| Date | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2025 | Represented parties required to e-file probate Letters and bonds (Letters of Administration/Testamentary/Special Administration/Conservatorship/Guardianship and bonds); self-represented filers may still file in person or by mail | Solano Superior Court news — Electronic Filing Now Available for Probate Letters/Bonds |
| April 1, 2025 | E-filing of probate Letters and bonds became available (optional for all parties) | Solano Superior Court news |
| January 2, 2025 | E-filing became mandatory for attorneys in civil, family, and probate cases under Local Rule 20; self-represented parties encouraged but exempt | Solano Superior Court Electronic Filing (E-Filing) page |
| February 26, 2024 | The court re-deployed probate notes; notes now post online about a week before the hearing on all probate matters except guardianships and conservatorships | Solano Superior Court Probate Pre-Grants & Notes page |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Solano County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | Spousal/Domestic Partner Property Petition filed at the Hall of Justice and heard in Department 22, often by ZoomGov and frequently resolved on the pre-grant list without an appearance. The court signs DE-226; record it with the Solano County Recorder to complete the title transfer. | Asset discovery to confirm community vs. separate property. Packet generation for DE-221, DE-226, MC-025. Title-transfer guidance. |
| Out-of-state adult child, small estate | Small Estate Affidavit under Cal. Prob. Code § 13100 (personal property up to $208,850 for deaths on or after April 1, 2025) goes directly to the banks — no Solano filing. A primary residence up to $750,000 uses the §§ 13150–13157 succession petition filed at the Hall of Justice and heard in Department 22, with remote appearance available. | Asset discovery to confirm the estate fits the caps. Packet generation. Online notarization so the child does not need to travel to Fairfield. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Full IAEA probate: DE-111 requesting full authority, filed at the Hall of Justice and heard in Department 22. Clear the probate notes before the hearing. The personal representative sells the home under IAEA authority with a Notice of Proposed Action (DE-165); a contested sale confirmation requires a Department 22 appearance. | Asset discovery for the child's assets. Packet generation for DE-111 with IAEA full authority requested. Help clearing probate notes. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it offers |
|---|---|
| Solano County Law Library — Hall of Justice, Third Floor (Room 300), 600 Union Avenue, Fairfield; (707) 421-6520, Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM | Practice guides, self-help books and forms, and legal databases in the same building where probate is filed; staff assist with research but do not give legal advice |
| Solano Superior Court Self-Help Center | General self-help services; note that Solano's self-help center and Family Law Facilitator cover civil, family, small claims, and unlawful detainer, NOT probate — estate filers rely on the court's forms and the law library |
| California Courts Self-Help Guide — Probate (selfhelp.courts.ca.gov/probate) | The Judicial Council's official plain-language guide to every California probate path |
| LawHelpCA (lawhelpca.org) | Statewide directory of free and low-cost legal aid programs serving Solano County |
When to hire an attorney
Because Solano's self-help center and Family Law Facilitator do not cover probate, self-represented families lean on the court's forms and the county law library — workable for cooperative-family cases but thin support for anything contested. Consider a Solano probate attorney when the estate exceeds $1 million, when a will contest or heir dispute is likely, when the estate holds business interests or out-of-state property, when ancillary administration is needed for a non-resident who owned Solano County real property, or when probate notes recur and the family cannot clear them. Sunset can connect families to a vetted California probate attorney serving Solano County.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions and Solano County public records to surface bank accounts, retirement plans, brokerage holdings, life insurance, real estate (with community-property characterization), business interests, and unclaimed property.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset assembles the statewide Judicial Council DE-series forms for your estate settlement path, the forms Solano County requires, ready for signature and either e-filing or drop-box filing at the Hall of Justice.
Find a local probate attorney. When the situation calls for counsel, Sunset connects families to a vetted California probate attorney serving Solano 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).
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file a probate case in Solano County?
With the Family Law, Probate and Adoption Division at the Hall of Justice, 600 Union Avenue, Fairfield, CA 94533. Attorneys must e-file; self-represented filers may e-file or use the drop box at the Hall of Justice (7:30 AM – 5:00 PM, second floor under the stairs) or the Vallejo Branch Court. Note that hearings are held in a different building — the Old Solano Courthouse at 580 Texas Street.
Where are probate hearings held in Solano County?
In Department 22, Courtroom 3, before Judge Alesia Jones at the Old Solano Courthouse, 580 Texas Street, Fairfield. Trusts, estates, and other probate petitions are heard Tuesday through Friday at 9:00 AM; a Monday 11:00 AM calendar handles probate compliance and fee-waiver hearings.
Do I have to e-file in Solano County probate?
Attorneys and other represented parties must e-file (mandatory since January 2, 2025, under Local Rule 20) through a registered Electronic Filing Service Provider, and represented parties must e-file probate Letters and bonds as of July 1, 2025. Self-represented filers may e-file or file on paper at the drop boxes. Original wills, codicils, orders needing a judge's signature, sealed records, and hearing exhibits are always filed on paper.
What are probate notes and pre-grants in Solano County?
Probate notes are the examiner's review of your petition, posted online about a week before the hearing; pre-grant rulings are the court's intended orders, posted after 2:00 PM the day before. Clear a noted defect by e-filing the corrected document. If your matter is pre-granted and uncontested, you can submit the proposed order and skip the hearing.
Can I appear at a Solano County probate hearing remotely?
Yes. Department 22 offers remote appearance by ZoomGov and CourtCall. The current meeting details are posted on the court's Estate/Trusts page — check it before your hearing date, since credentials can change.
Can I check my Solano County probate case online?
Yes. The court's public portal at portal.solano.courts.ca.gov lets you search case data after registering for a free account; parties get an enhanced view of their own case. Certified copies still require contacting the division directly.
How do I get a probate hearing date in Solano County?
File a Notice of Hearing (Judicial Council form DE-120) with your petition; the clerk sets the matter on the Department 22 probate calendar. If you have a will, its custodian must also lodge the original with the Probate Clerk's Office within 30 days of death (Cal. Prob. Code § 8200).
Does Solano County have local probate forms?
No mandatory local form applies to a decedent's estate — you use the statewide Judicial Council DE-series. Solano's local forms are almost entirely guardianship and conservatorship paperwork.
How much does it cost to file for probate in Solano County?
$435 for the first petition (Cal. Gov. Code § 70650(a)). Solano adds no county surcharge. Fee waivers are available on Judicial Council forms FW-001/FW-003.
Do I have to travel to Fairfield to settle an estate in Solano County?
Often not. Petitions can be filed through the drop boxes or by e-filing, Department 22 hearings can be attended by ZoomGov or CourtCall, uncontested pre-granted matters can be resolved by submitting the order, and the small-estate affidavit under Cal. Prob. Code § 13100 never touches the court at all.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.