By Corcoran Smith Law Corp. · Published · Updated
Probate in Orange County, California
Probate for a Orange County resident is filed with the Superior Court of California, County of Orange, seated at Santa Ana. Under Probate Code section 7051 the proper county is where the decedent was domiciled, regardless of where they actually died.
Find the case and prepare for the next hearing
Orange County offers probate-note notifications by text or email and a Clear Your Notes workshop. Read the notes for the actual hearing, not just the case summary. Deficiency responses generally require a filed document; emailing an attachment to the examiner is not a substitute. The public probate portal provides case information separately from the notes instructions.
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.
A resident’s estate normally belongs in the county of domicile under section 7051. For a person domiciled outside California, section 7052 supplies a different property-based rule. Check the nonresident process before filing. Appointment and issued letters are needed before acting as personal representative; see opening an estate.
Sources: Probate Code s.7051 - Proper county is the county of domicile · Probate Code s.7052 - Venue where the decedent was not domiciled in California · Probate Code s.8000 - Petition commencing administration · Probate Code s.8400 - No power to administer until letters issue · Verified 2026-08-20.
The court that will hear it
| Detail | For Orange County |
|---|---|
| Court | Superior Court of California, County of Orange |
| Where probate is heard | Costa Mesa Justice Complex |
| Address | 3390 Harbor Boulevard, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 |
| Probate department | Decedents’ estate calendars: Department CM06 on Thursday and Department CM08 on Wednesday, both at 1:30 p.m. (court page, ) |
| Filing | A petition is set for hearing when it is filed; hearing dates are not reserved ahead of time. (court page, ) |
| Probate clerk | Clerk’s office hours at the Costa Mesa Justice Complex: Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (court page, ) |
| E-filing | Attorneys must e-file in probate. Self-represented parties are exempt but encouraged to e-file. Original wills and codicils are not e-filed. (court page, ) |
| Self-help | Costa Mesa has a live self-help kiosk (Monday to Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Friday to 3:00 p.m.). In-person self-help is at the Central and Lamoreaux Justice Centers. (court page, ) |
| County seat | Santa Ana |
| Court website | Filing information and local rules |
| Venue rule | Domicile of the decedent — Prob. Code §7051 |
| Inventory deadline | Four months from letters — §8800 |
| Creditor window | Later of four months after first letters to a general personal representative or 60 days after notice is mailed or personally delivered — §9100 |
Probate for Orange County is heard at the Costa Mesa Justice Complex, 3390 Harbor Boulevard, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. The probate clerk's office is on the first floor. Read from thecourt’s own probate pages on 2026-08-31.
Departments, filing windows and local forms are set by the court itself and change. Confirm current requirements on the court’s own site before filing.
Estate fees and filing costs
The ordinary compensation schedule is statewide. It applies separately to the representative and attorney, on gross probate value before mortgages. Court filing charges, extraordinary work and other expenses are additional; check the court’s current fee schedule for the actual petition. Compare city home-value examples or use the fee calculator for your own estimate.
What an estate here actually faces
The statute is statewide; the arithmetic is not. Sections 10800 and 10810 run on gross value, so what probate costs in Orange County is decided by what homes here are worth. Across the 17 Orange County cities this site covers, the median owner-occupied home runs from $713,000 to $1,398,400, with a midpoint of $945,800.
The second question is whether the estate can avoid full administration at all. Probate Code section 13151 caps the petition to determine succession to a primary residence at $750,000 for deaths on or after 1 April 2025. 1 of the 17 Orange County cities on this site sit under that ceiling and 16 clear it, so which route is open depends on where in the county the home is.
| In Orange County | Median home | Statutory fees | §13151 residence petition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anaheim | $831,200 | $39,248 | Over the limit |
| Santa Ana | $713,000 | $34,520 | Appraisal decides |
| Irvine | $1,191,500 | $49,830 | Over the limit |
| Huntington Beach | $1,100,000 | $48,000 | Over the limit |
| Garden Grove | $814,100 | $38,564 | Over the limit |
| Fullerton | $902,600 | $42,104 | Over the limit |
| Orange | $945,800 | $43,832 | Over the limit |
| Costa Mesa | $1,115,100 | $48,302 | Over the limit |
| Mission Viejo | $1,009,600 | $46,192 | Over the limit |
| Westminster | $858,300 | $40,332 | Over the limit |
| Lake Forest | $937,000 | $43,480 | Over the limit |
| Buena Park | $838,800 | $39,552 | Over the limit |
| Tustin | $950,400 | $44,016 | Over the limit |
| Yorba Linda | $1,147,100 | $48,942 | Over the limit |
| Laguna Niguel | $1,190,900 | $49,818 | Over the limit |
| San Clemente | $1,398,400 | $53,968 | Over the limit |
| La Habra | $781,600 | $37,264 | Appraisal decides |
Median owner-occupied home values are U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-year estimates. The fee column is the personal representative’s and the attorney’s statutory compensation combined, on gross value, before any mortgage is deducted. A specific estate is decided by its appraisal, not by a median.
Estate disputes and trust proceedings
Check the existing Orange County estate docket for a will contest or an objection to the representative’s account. A trust proceeding has separate venue rules under Probate Code section 17005; it does not automatically follow the estate’s court. Confirm the trust’s principal place of administration and the applicable venue rule with counsel.
Related: how probate disputes are litigated, what it takes to contest a will, the administration process end to end, opening the estate, how long it takes, and whether you can avoid probate altogether.
The Probate Code sections behind this page
Each section links to its official text at the California Legislature’s own site. The full index of sections covers the rest of the Code.
Also cited above, explained elsewhere on this site
- Probate Code section 7051
- Proper county is the county of domicile. Where section 7051 is explained
- Probate Code section 7052
- Venue where the decedent was not domiciled in California. Where section 7052 is explained
- Probate Code section 8800
- Inventory and appraisal, four-month deadline. Where section 8800 is explained
- Probate Code section 13151
- Petition to determine succession to a primary residence. Where section 13151 is explained
Before you call: What probate costs · How long it takes · Which court hears it