Locations & Phone Numbers

Probate Court is Court of General Jurisdiction that includes: decedent's estates, trust proceedings, guardianship proceedings, conservatorship proceedings, adoption, minor's compromises, and mental health filings.

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CONSERVATORSHIPS

Conservatorship proceedings are initiated in order to have a family member, friend, or fiduciary appointed to handle the personal care and/or financial affairs of the conservatee.  There are three types of conservatorship actions:

A General Probate Conservatorship (PrC 1800, et seq.) is for all other adults who are unable to provide for their personal needs due to physical injury, dementia or other reasons rendering them incapable of caring for themselves or making them subject to undue influence.

A Limited Conservatorship (PrC 1827.5 1828.5 2351.5) is only for a person who is developmentally disabled.  In this type of conservatorship the powers of the conservator are limited so that the disabled person may live as independently as possible.

An LPS (Lanternman-Petris-Short) Conservatorship (W&I 5350-5371) is for a gravely disabled person who may be a danger to themselves or others and requires hospitalization in a psychiatric facility.  An LPS conservatorship requires the annual reappointment of the conservator.  A person under an LPS conservatorship may be placed in a locked facility.  There are many extra protections in LPS conservatorships to insure that the conservatee's civil rights are not being violated.  LPS conservatorships are confidential cases.

For more information on conservatorship matters please click here.

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GUARDIANSHIP

Guardianship is a court proceeding in which a judge gives someone who is not a parent:

• Custody of a child, or
• The power to manage the child's property, or
• Both.

The child, called 'the minor' or 'the ward' is any person under 18.

There are 2 types of guardianship.  Most cases go to Probate Court.  But if the child is a dependent or a ward of the juvenile court, guardianship must be decided in Juvenile Court.

For more information on guardianship matters please click here.

Fill out Guardianship forms online at EzLegal File.

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PROBATE COURT LOCATIONS

Riverside Probate Court
4050 Main Street
Riverside, Ca. 92501
951.955.1970
Business Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Map and Driving Directions

Hemet Court
880 N. State Street
Hemet, Ca. 92543
951.766.2525
Business Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Map and Driving Directions

Larson Justice Center Annex - Filing Division
82675 State Highway 111
Indio, Ca. 92201
760.863.8207
Business Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Map and Driving Directions

 

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PRIVATE PROFESSIONAL CONSERVATORS/GUARDIANS

The following is a list of individuals who are licensed Private Professional Conservator/Guardians with the State of California, pursuant to Probate Code 2340-2341.

Cummins, Kenneth 4041 MacArthur Bl. Ste. 270 Newport Beach, Ca. 92660 949.833.8565	Jandt, Richard L. 54-711 Eisenhower Dr La Quinta, CA 92553 760.564.3044
Davidson, Christie 25 East State Street Redlands, Ca. 92373 909.793.4011	Jenkins, Kenneth F. 74047 Catalina Way Palm Desert, Ca. 92260 800.928.2502
Dean II, Lawrence 25 East State Street Redlands, CA 92373-4753 951.793.4011	Kerley, Sarah 1146 N. Central Ave #611 Glendale, CA 91202 818.241.4041
Drew, Rodney Alan 161 S. Civic Dr, Ste 8 Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.325.9331	Kityk, Jerry 900 El Dorado Dr. Fullerton, CA 92832 562.865.4990 Hm: 714.447.1788
DuCasse, Marion 10060 White Water Rd Moreno Valley, CA 951.242.8996	Lubitz, Julie Ann 274 Sharp Place Encinitas, CA 92024 760.753.5997
Erickson-Taube, Christina 25 East State Street Redlands, Ca. 92373 909.793.4011	Martin, Kenneth E. 837 Wetherly St. Hemet, CA 92545
Finerty, Cynthia D. 74900 Hwy. 111,  Ste. 120 Indian Wells, Ca. 92210 760.836.1954	Maxwell, Linda P.O. Box 1914 Upland, CA 91786 909.982.5723
Fort, Colin D. 1053 Passiflora Ave. Encinitas, CA  92024 760.634.3839	Olund, Ronald B. 471 East Tahquitz Canyon Way Suite 209 Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.323.8857
Handwerker, Judith A. P.O. Box 1147 Murrieta, CA 92564-1147 951.698.0770	Pierson, Prince 81-900 Avenue 52, #01 Indio, Ca. 92201-8815 760.398.0212
Hlavaty, W.A. 10336 Emerson Road Oak Hills, Ca. 92344 909.556.8569	Robertson, Pamela Jane P.O. Box 1147 Murrieta, Ca. 92564 951.764.2779
Hooker, Steve 471 Tahquitz Canyon, Ste 209 Palm Springs, CA 92262 760.323.8857	Young, Joann C/O Southwest Conservators 801 E. Chapman Fullerton, CA 92831 714.879.9404

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PROBATE-DECEDENT'S ESTATES

What is Probate?

Probate is the legal process dealing with the administration of decedents estates.  The probate process can be very complex, time consuming and costly.  Court supervision is required before property will pass to heirs or beneficiaries.  An estate can be probated with or without a will.  A will is a document that directs the distribution of the property.  If there is no will, the property passes by way of intestate succession (Probate Code, Section 6400, et seq.).  In the probate process the court will designate a personal representative of the estate who must closely follow probate procedures and carefully account for and distribute assets.  All property must be appraised, certain items by the personal representative and other items by the assigned probate referee.  See Probate Code, Section 8800, et seq.  The court may order that the personal representative be bonded to protect the assets of the estate.

In estates where the total value of the assets are less than $100,000, certain affidavits may allow transfer of property (Probate Code, Section 13100, et seq.).  The affidavit to transfer personal property is not filed with the court.  The affidavit to transfer real property must be filed with the court and a hearing held.  Proper notice of the hearing must be given.

In certain cases, spouses may transfer property themselves without the need for a formal probate.  This requires that a petition be filed, proper notice given, and appearance at a court hearing.  See Probate Code, Section 13500, et seq.

For more information on wills, probate, trusts, and estates please click here.

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ADOPTIONS

An adoption is the judicial act of creating a legal parental relationship when no biological relationship exists.

Key Points

In all adoption cases, an investigator writes a report.  The report provides important information to the judge about the adopting parent(s) and the child. 

If the child is over 12 years of age, he or she must agree to the adoption proceedings.

Stepparent adoptions require the consent or agreement of both parents unless one is deceased.

Adoption of an Indian child falls under the protection of the Indian Child Welfare Act 25 U.S. C. Normally this type of adoption means the child is a dependent of the court.  This type of adoption will normally take place in the Juvenile Division rather than the Probate Division.

All California Courts use the same basic Judicial Council forms for adoption proceedings.

For more information on adoption matters along with forms please visit the Judicial Council's California Self Help Center.

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PROBATE REFEREE

Designated probate referee's for the County of Riverside are:

Joan Scott P.O. Box 2125 Riverside, Ca. 92516-2125 Tel. 951.780.8683	William W. Scott P.O. Box 55118 Riverside, Ca. 92517 Tel. 951.682.5775
Ronald R. Easton 44489 Town Center Way, D312 Palm Desert, CA 92260 Tel. 760.341.1490 Fax 760.564.3315

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PROBATE CALENDARS/NOTES

All Probate Calendar Notes

Riverside Probate & Minor's Compensation Calendar & Court Call Guide

Riverside Final Adoption and Probate/Civil Minor Compromise - Hearing & Department Chart

Email a Probate Examiner or you can contact them by phone by calling 951.955.1970.  E-mail is checked daily and you should receive a response within 24 hours.

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EX-PARTE MATTERS - DEPT. 1O

Ex Parte hearings for Dept. 10 are for urgent matters only.

They are held Monday thru Thursday mornings at 10:00 a.m.

Reservations for ex-parte hearing dates can be made by calling 951.955.1970.

A fee of $40.00 and all ex-parte documents must be received before 11:00 a.m. the day before the chosen ex-parte hearing date.  Fee is to be paid at the Probate Clerk's Office.  Documents may be taken to the department secretary or left with the clerk's office for pickup.

Documents to be submitted: Ex-parte petition or application, supporting declarations and points and authorities, declaration regarding urgency (may be included in application), proposed order, declaration regarding notice to any and all parties entitled to notice.  Leave originals and at least one copy with the court.

Remember that 24-hour notice to parties is required for ex-parte hearings. 
Notice requirements are strictly observed by this court.

Guardianship matters require a 5-day personal service of notice on natural parents of minors, giving them 5 days to respond to the court.  Minors who will come under the guardianship must be personally served with notice if they are age 12 or older.

Conservatorship matters require a 5-day personal service of notice upon the proposed conservatee.

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HOW TO REQUEST COPIES

The court encourages parties to conduct their own records search through the court’s Public Access system.  For detailed instructions on performing a records search and to log on to Public Access click here.
Instruction can also be obtained from the clerk’s office. 

If court staff is asked to complete a records search and the search takes more than 10 minutes, a fee of $15.00 will be accessed pursuant to Government Code section 70627(c) for each search conducted.

The fee for copies is $.50 per page and if certification is requested, an additional $25.00 per document will be accessed.

Requests for records searches, copies, or certification may be made in person or by mail. If the request is made by mail, complete the Request for Records Search and/or Copies  form and submit a check payable to the ‘Riverside Superior Court.’ DO NOT SEND CASH. If the total amount owing is unknown, indicate under the amount line ‘not to exceed $45.00.’ The correct amount will be filled in and a receipt will be forwarded along with the requested copies. All checks must be preprinted with the maker’s name and address. Copy orders are filled within 7-10 working days.

Please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope large enough to accommodate the requested documents.

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• Documents filed less than 3 court days before hearing may not be examined and the case may be continued.   (See Local Rule 6.0101 B.4.)