California Trust Contest Deadline Calculator
This tool estimates your California trust contest deadline under Probate Code sections 16061.7 and 16061.8. Enter the date you were served with the trustee's notification, and the date any copy of the trust was mailed to you. It is an educational estimate, not legal advice.
Educational estimate only. Deadlines depend on facts this tool cannot see — how notice was served, whether it complied with the statute, tolling, and the specific terms of the trust. Only an attorney reviewing your documents can determine your actual deadline. Do not rely on this output to decide whether to act.
Before you start
You need one document: the letter the trustee sent you after the death. It is usually titled Notification by Trustee and cites Probate Code section 16061.7. Two dates off that letter are all this takes.
- Find the date you were servedNot the date on the letter — the date it was delivered or mailed to you. It is often stamped, or shown on the enclosed proof of service.
- Check whether a copy of the trust came tooSometimes the full trust arrives with the notice, sometimes weeks later, sometimes never. If it came separately, use the date it was mailed.
- Enter both dates belowLeave the second blank if you never received a copy. Nothing is sent anywhere — the calculation runs in your browser.
Enter your dates
The day the section 16061.7 notice reached you. This starts the clock.
Leave blank if you never received one. If it arrived during the 120-day window it can extend your deadline.
Nothing is transmitted. No account, no email, no record kept.
How the calculation works
| Input | Rule | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Notification served | 120 days from service | Prob. Code §16061.8 |
| Trust copy mailed during that period | 60 days from mailing, if later | Prob. Code §16061.8 |
| No valid notification served | The period may not have started | Fact-dependent — consult counsel |
What this tool cannot tell you
It cannot tell you whether the notice was valid. A notification that omits required content, or that was never properly served, may not have started any clock at all — which sometimes means a person who believes they are out of time is not. It also cannot see tolling, no-contest clauses, or the trust’s own terms. Those are the things an attorney looks at, and they change outcomes.
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.
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