Settle a California estate without overpaying for the administration
California is the most expensive state in the country to probate with an attorney. Lawyers here don't bill hourly for probate — they earn a fee set by statute, as a percentage of the whole estate. On a typical home-owning estate that's tens of thousands of dollars, before the estate is even settled.
- California probate attorneys earn a statutory fee (Probate Code §10810): about $13,000 on a $500k estate and $23,000 on a $1M estate.
- California sets an identical statutory commission for the executor (Prob. Code §10800) — though a family member serving as executor often waives it. Where both the attorney and executor are paid, a $1M estate can carry roughly $46,000 in combined statutory fees.
- California law allows an executor to handle an uncontested probate without hiring an attorney; much of the work is administrative. Whether to involve a lawyer is your decision.
- That administration is exactly what we do, for one flat fee with clear payment timing.
Your numbers in California
Set by Probate Code §10810. You pay this with or without Kindred — we don't reduce it, and an attorney handles the legal work.
Where California families save
Not on the statutory fee — but where formal probate can be avoided entirely(small estate, a living trust, or a Heggstad petition). That's the conversation to have.
Either way, we take ~150 hours of administration off your plate.
Based on the California statutory schedule (Probate Code §10810). Illustrative example only — not a quote or legal advice. Figures vary by estate; we're not a law firm.
Three ways to settle it
Hire a probate attorney
Hands-off — but you pay full lawyer rates.
- A licensed attorney handles the legal filings
- Expensive — in California, statutory fees run $13k–$23k+; elsewhere $250–$400/hour
- Most of the bill is administration a lawyer doesn't need to do
- You're still the one chasing documents and signatures
Do it all yourself
Free — but it's 500+ hours, alone.
- No professional fees
- 500+ hours of work spread across a year
- No map and no support; easy to miss a deadline or a step
- A mistake can cost far more than the money you saved
Kindred Estate
Done for you, for one flat fee.
- A dedicated coordinator does the administration — start to finish
- One flat fee, with clear estate-payment timing — not lawyer hourly rates
- You stay the executor and fully in control
- If something looks like it needs a lawyer, we flag it — you bring in an attorney of your choosing
We're not a law firm and don't give legal advice, and nothing here is a recommendation about whether to hire an attorney. We handle the administration; if something looks like it may need a lawyer, we flag it so you can bring in one of your choosing.
You don't have to carry this alone.
Tell us about the estate on a free, no-obligation call. We'll map out exactly what needs to happen — and how we'd take it off your plate.
Start with fixed-fee Estate Setup, then choose the right package.
Tell us about your situation
Has the person passed away?
Your relationship to them