By Corcoran Smith Law Corp. · Published · Updated
Los Angeles Inheritance Disputes: Which Court Hears It
Corcoran Smith Law meets clients in Los Angeles and represents heirs and beneficiaries across California. Trust and estate disputes arising here are generally heard by Los Angeles County Superior Court, which sets the venue, the local rules, and the hearing calendar your matter will run on.
Where your case would be heard
Matters arising here generally go to Los Angeles County Superior Court, at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse. Venue for a trust dispute usually follows where the trust is administered or where the decedent was domiciled, so the county of the estate — not your own address — is what decides it.
We work in Southern California, on one of the busiest probate calendars in the state — where hearing dates are the constraint that shapes strategy.
What we do here
- Contesting a trust — most often an amendment made late in life.
- Removing a trustee and surcharge for losses.
- Compelling an accounting when a trustee will not produce one.
- Recovering property transferred out of an estate.
- Financial elder abuse where assets moved during the person's lifetime.
On offices. We meet clients in Los Angeles by arrangement. We are a statewide litigation practice rather than a storefront, and we would rather say that plainly than imply a branch office we do not keep.
Start with the deadline, not the geography
Whichever county you are in, the clock is the same and it is short. Estimate your contest deadline, or read how the deadline works.
Need help with legal fees?
We litigate select cases on contingency, with no upfront fees.
Costs are separate from the fee, and whether you are responsible for them is set out in the written agreement before you sign anything.
How contingency fees work in California
A contingency fee means the attorney is paid from what is recovered rather than by the hour, so a beneficiary who cannot fund litigation out of pocket can still bring a claim. California regulates these agreements closely. Under Business and Professions Code section 6147, the agreement must be in writing and the attorney must give the client a duplicate copy, signed by both, when the contract is made. It must state the agreed contingency rate; how disbursements and costs incurred in prosecuting or settling the claim will affect that fee; and to what extent the client could be required to pay for related matters. Unless the matter falls under section 6146, the agreement must also state that the fee is not set by law and is negotiable. These are not formalities: failure to comply with any provision of section 6147 makes the agreement voidable at the client’s option, leaving the attorney entitled only to a reasonable fee.
Sources: Business and Professions Code s.6147 - Contingency fee contracts · Verified 2026-08-03.
Not every matter suits a contingency arrangement, and the firm does not take every case on one. Whether yours qualifies depends on the facts, the likely recovery, and the assets actually available to satisfy a judgment. Ask when you call.
Call Anytime — Answered 24/7 · (213) 695-7353Find the case and prepare for the next hearing
Look up the existing probate case and its assigned department before choosing a courthouse or making travel plans. Read the probate notes before a hearing: unresolved matters may require a filed supplement. An email to the examiner does not replace a required filing. Follow the court’s current instructions and deadlines.
Official court resources checked . Confirm current filing and appearance requirements with the court. If a record is unavailable online, ask the clerk about access and copies.
Before you call: What probate costs · How long it takes · Which court hears it