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Best Probate Lawyers Santa Maria, CA

Our Recommended Best Santa Maria Probate Lawyers

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Our goal is to connect people with the best local professionals. We scored Santa Maria probate lawyers on more than 25 variables across five categories, and analyzed the results to give you a hand-picked list of the best.

34Reviewed

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12Top Picks

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Providers

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Best Probate Lawyers Serving Santa Maria
503 South McClelland Street, Santa Maria, CA 93454

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.0 (21)
Yelp
4.0 (8)

Why choose this provider?

C4 Legal Assistance and Mediation offers professional legal assistance to residents in Santa Maria. It focuses on helping clients with matters involving civil and family laws, such as probate, wills and trusts, deeds, divorce, child custody, and family support. With more than five decades of experience, its team members also give advice to those who are planning to start a business or currently maintaining one. C4 Legal Assistance works with a number of lawyers, who can provide clients with more extensive legal services.

  • Trusts

Best Probate Lawyers Serving Santa Maria
1410 Marsh Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.5 (8)
Yelp
5.0 (4)

Why choose this provider?

Carmel & Naccasha, LLP., caters to the legal, personal, and business needs of the Central Coast community. Its probate attorneys in Santa Maria are dedicated to helping individuals ensure that their assets are designated according to their wishes in cases of incapacity or death. It assists in preparing wills, trusts, and durable powers of attorney, advises on specialized trusts, and represents clients in litigation. Partner attorney Victor J. Herrera, who specializes in this area, also serves as a court-appointed guardian ad litem.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Best Probate Lawyers Serving Santa Maria
755 Santa Rosa St Ste 310, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Expertise.com Rating

Why choose this provider?

Ronca John A Jr A Law Corporation serves residents in and around Santa Maria. The firm handles estate planning matters, including irrevocable and charitable trusts, advance health care directives, and durable powers of attorney, to minimize estate taxes. Founder John A. Ronca Jr. is a certified specialist in estate planning, trust, and probate law, assisting fiduciaries in challenges in the probate proceedings, including sensitive distribution concerns and state and federal agency reporting requirements. He has been concentrating on estate and business planning since 1979.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Best Probate Lawyers Serving Santa Maria
1303 East Grand Avenue, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.0 (7)
Facebook
5.0 (4)

Why choose this provider?

Law Offices of Dennis James Balsamo, APLC, offers legal services to clients in Santa Maria. Established in 2002, the firm counsels in cases related to probate and other areas such as personal injury, business law, and landlord-tenant disputes. Its lawyer, Dennis James Balsamo, helps and educates clients in situations where probate is needed, including contested wills and trust litigation. Balsamo previously worked as a police officer and was a criminal investigator.

  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Best Probate Lawyers Serving Santa Maria
705 East Main Street, Santa Maria, CA 93454

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.0 (14)

Why choose this provider?

The Law Office of Christopher S. Biely is a Santa Maria-based law firm providing services to clients across California. It handles cases concerning probate law, such as matters of will and executing estate. Additionally, the firm's practice areas include various aspects of family, including divorce, child custody, adoption, and guardianships. Christopher S. Biely, the firm's principal lawyer, is a Santa Barbara College of Law graduate, where he received the Witkin Award for Excellence. He also holds over a decade of legal experience.

  • Estate Planning

Best Probate Lawyers Serving Santa Maria
1103 Johnson Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Yelp
4.0 (7)
Facebook
5.0 (5)
Google
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Douglass Barnes, LLP, serves clients' estate-related legal needs from its office in Saratoga. Working as probate lawyers near Santa Maria, the team manages estates of various sizes, including larger estates with complex tax matters. Founding attorney Douglass Barnes is a certified specialist in estate planning, trust, and probate law, with over 35 years of experience exclusively in this practice area. His expertise is complemented by his MBA degree in taxation and formal training as a mediator.

  • Wills
  • Estate Planning
  • Living Trust

Best Probate Lawyers Serving Santa Maria
756 Santa Rosa St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.8 (4)
Avvo
5.0 (2)
Yelp
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Stephen K. Hall & Associates addresses the legal needs of young professionals, married adults, and senior citizens in Santa Maria. The office provides estate planning services, including irrevocable life insurance trusts, gift and income tax planning, durable powers of attorney, and elder abuse detection and protection. Founder Stephen K. Hall handles complicated estate plans, like disclaimer and generation-skipping trusts directed at estate tax savings. He has been working in the industry for 25 years and is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.

  • Estate Planning
  • Trust Administration

Best Probate Lawyers Serving Santa Maria
426 Barcellus Avenue, Santa Maria, CA 93454

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
5.0 (5)
Avvo
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

Law Office of Rodolfo Marquez helps individuals and families in Santa Maria protect their wealth and leave a legacy. It assists with estate planning and probate matters particularly in the areas of last will and testament, durable powers of attorney, advanced health care directives, and revocable, special needs, and life insurance trusts. Attorney Rodolfo Marquez is a member of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles and is licensed to practice before the U.S. District Court-Central District. He also practices immigration and real estate law.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Best Probate Lawyers Serving Santa Maria
1014 Palm St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Avvo
5.0 (42)
Google
5.0 (3)

Why choose this provider?

O’Neill and Woolpert, with a team of probate lawyers in Santa Maria, supports families throughout the community in managing the estates of deceased loved ones. It provides personalized assistance throughout the entire process, from asset inventory and valuation to tax management, property sales, and estate transfers. Additionally, it offers estate planning and trust administration services, including specialized assistance for individuals with special needs. O’Neill and Woolpert is a multi-generational firm that has been in the industry for over 35 years.

  • Estate Planning
  • Living Trust
  • Estate Taxes

Best Probate Lawyers Serving Santa Maria
241 South Broadway Street, Orcutt, CA 93455

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.2 (5)
Avvo
5.0 (1)

Why choose this provider?

With over 10 years of experience, the Law Office of Aaron B. Smith provides assistance to clients who have concerns about estate planning, wills and trusts, trust administration, and probate. Aaron B. Smith is committed to delivering competent as well as affordable representation to his clients. He has worked with individual clients, average married couples, and multimillion-dollar corporations. Regardless of client nature, he ensures that each one is given the same level of respect and representation.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Best Probate Lawyers Serving Santa Maria
115 West Park Avenue, Santa Maria, CA 93458

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.7 (7)

Why choose this provider?

Michael S. Hardy, Attorney at Law, is an estate planning attorney in Santa Maria who has been practicing law for over 40 years. He handles comprehensive estate and business succession plans and drafts legal tools such as wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. Easing the burden of settling a loved one’s final affairs, he assists clients with the paperwork and process of probate and estate or trust administration. Hardy's other focus areas are real estate and business law.

  • Trusts
  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Best Probate Lawyers Serving Santa Maria
323 Vine Street, Santa Maria, CA 93454

Expertise.com Rating

Review Sources

Google
4.0 (25)
Facebook
5.0 (5)
Yelp
5.0 (4)

Why choose this provider?

For over three decades, the Law Offices of R. Morgan Holland, L.C., has been providing legal assistance to clients in Santa Maria. Founding attorney, R. Morgan Holland, received his Juris Doctorate in 1988. He is a member of the American Trial Lawyers Association. His law firm focuses on estate planning and probate services to help families settle the affairs of a deceased loved one. It guides clients in various aspects of the probate process, including estate debts and taxes, property appraisals, and division of assets.

  • Wills
  • Estate Planning

Compare Best Santa Maria Probate Lawyers

NameExpertise RatingAddressPromotionsLearn more
C4 Legal Assistance and Mediation
503 South McClelland Street, Santa Maria, CA 93454
Carmel & Naccasha, LLP.
1410 Marsh Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Ronca John A Jr A Law Corporation
755 Santa Rosa St Ste 310, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Law Offices of Dennis James Balsamo, APLC
1303 East Grand Avenue, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420
The Law Office of Christopher S. Biely
705 East Main Street, Santa Maria, CA 93454
Douglass Barnes, LLP
1103 Johnson Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Stephen K. Hall & Associates
756 Santa Rosa St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Law Office of Rodolfo Marquez
426 Barcellus Avenue, Santa Maria, CA 93454
O’Neill and Woolpert
1014 Palm St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Law Office of Aaron B. Smith
241 South Broadway Street, Orcutt, CA 93455
Michael S. Hardy, Attorney at Law
115 West Park Avenue, Santa Maria, CA 93458
Law Offices of R. Morgan Holland, L.C.
323 Vine Street, Santa Maria, CA 93454

Disclaimer:  Consumers utilizing Expertise.com are free to communicate and contract with any lawyer they choose. Expertise.com is not involved in the confidential attorney-client relationship. Featured lawyers pay a reasonable advertising cost to market their legal services with Expertise.com and must meet similar selection criteria as other lawyers. All cases are different. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Santa Maria, CA Probate FAQs

  • What is the non-emergency contact number for the local police station in Santa Maria, California?

    For non-emergency situations, please call (805) 928-3781 extension 2277.

  • Where can I get a copy of police reports for incidents related to my case in Santa Maria, California?

    To request a copy of an SBSO report, it is recommended to first contact the Records Unit at (805) 681-4180 to confirm its availability. Typically, it takes an average of 7-10 days for a report to be finalized by the deputy, approved by the sergeant, and submitted to the Records Unit, depending on the report's complexity.

  • Are heirs and beneficiaries responsible for paying the deceased person's taxes in Santa Maria?

    No, heirs and beneficiaries are typically not obligated to pay the taxes owed by the deceased person in Santa Maria, except for specific circumstances involving the surviving spouse. The taxes are typically settled using the assets of the deceased, and tax payments take precedence over distributions to creditors or beneficiaries.

  • How long does the probate process in Santa Maria usually take?

    The duration of the probate process in Santa Maria depends on the complexity of the case. Normally, it can span from a few weeks to over a year. Complex cases may take even longer. However, estates valued below $166,250 might be eligible for a simplified small estate procedure, which can accelerate the settlement timeline.

  • Where are probate matters heard in Santa Maria?

    Probate matters in Santa Maria and the entire northern Santa Barbara County are heard at various times and locations. These include Dept. SM 4 on Mondays at 8:30 a.m., Dept. SM 2 on Tuesdays at 9:00 a.m., and Dept. SM 3 on Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m. The hearings take place at the Cook Division, located at 312 E. Cook St., Santa Maria.

  • Can the court in Santa Maria appoint a conservator if probate is not properly managed?

    Yes, the court in Santa Maria has the authority to appoint a conservator in cases where the estate is inadequately managed or probate procedures are not appropriately followed. The conservator assumes the responsibility of managing and safeguarding the assets, which can potentially result in conflicts among beneficiaries who try to relinquish control over the estate's administration.

  • What services does the probate facilitator provide in Santa Maria?

    In Santa Maria, the probate facilitator, funded by the Sargent Shriver Civil Counsel Act grant program, provides valuable services to individuals in the north county area. They specifically assist those seeking conservatorship or guardianship of a person (excluding estate matters). The licensed attorney probate facilitator offers guidance on various aspects of these cases, such as petitions, objections, terminations, visitation, successors, fee waivers, notice and service requirements, and annual status reports.

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