Probate Is a Journey.

Lawvex Is Your Guide.

Navigate the legal process with confidence, fast-track your inheritance, and honor your loved one’s legacy—guided every step of the way by California’s top probate specialists at Lawvex.

Who We Are & How We Help

We founded Lawvex on the simple premise that law should be less frustrating: for everyone – clients, lawyers and staff. That’s where the name “Lawvex” came from – to take the frustration (the “vex”-ing part) out of law. We were the first in our region to use a brand and to operate with a trade name instead of the partners’ last names. We did this because we believe the law firm name should communicate our heart and be about the clients first, and not just about the lawyers.

Lawvex is a team of dedicated, compassionate California probate attorneys helping families settle estates with confidence, speed, and clarity. We simplify what can feel like an overwhelming legal process — guiding you every step of the way to protect your loved one's legacy.

Whether you need full representation or just some help navigating the next step, we're here to help you get through this with less stress and more support.

📣 Big Update to California Probate Law: AB 2016

Starting April 1, 2025, it’s now faster and easier to settle small estates in California.

New legislation (Assembly Bill 2016) makes simplified probate more accessible — saving time, reducing legal complexity, and helping families avoid unnecessary court delays.

What People Say About Us

"Both Amanda Neal and Rikki Walther were very professional, knowledgeable and easy to deal with. Although my mom's estate will take time to go through probate, I feel comfortable that Lawvex, LLP will handle everything in a timely and complete manner. Thanks for your help and guidance!"

- Patricia Stone

★★★★★

"We had an excellent experience working with Lawvex. Mark Edwards and Gary Winter were terrific!! They were fabulous and provided terrific customer service and attention to detail for our matters."

- Michael Mitchell

★★★★★

"As a Realtor, I've had the pleasure to work with Logan Howard on multiple probate files. He is always an excellent advisor to the probate process and a great communicator. He always makes time to update the executor and myself with any pending items and ensures everything is completed in a timely manner."

- Jared Thomas

★★★★★

"We had the pleasure to work with Catarina and Jordan. We found ourselves in a really bad situation, I searched around for a good lawyer. I found Lawvex and they had a lot of good reviews more than any other place. Now I know why Catarina and Jordan were professional, caring, knowledgable, and understanding. They understood the predicament we had been put in. They knew exactly what to do to help us out. They were both honest and looked out for our best interest. I would recommend them 💯% Thanks Again"

- Johnny

★★★★★

"Our experience with Lawvex was outstanding. Gary and his associates were very helpful, knowledgeable, and did an excellent job handling our will/trust for us. We would highly suggest using their services."

- Karen Davids

★★★★★

"Mark is fantastic. Definitely knows what he’s doing, is very thorough and is thoughtful through the process. Explains things in detail and helps you understand law terms, etc. I would recommend him and LAWVEX."

- Zachary Rutherford

★★★★★

Do You Qualify for Simplified Probate?

Total assets (excluding real estate) under $184,500?

One residential property valued under $750,000 or less?

Heirs and beneficiaries are cooperative and ready to sign?

If you answered "Yes" to any of these — you may qualify for California’s simplified probate pathway.

Most Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to open a Probate?

If your loved one passed away owning more than $184,500 in assets, probate is required regardless of whether they had a Will. It’s the ONLY legal way to transfer those assets to you.

What is probate court and what happens there?

Probate court is a specialized type of court that deals with the property and debts of a person who has died. When someone dies, Probate court is where the government (the probate judge) makes sure that your Will is real, your bills and loans are paid off and then the rest of your property goes to the people or charities named in your Will, or if there is no Will, then by inheritance. Probate is a court case and the person named in the Will to carry out your wishes is responsible to the Probate judge and to the people inheriting to do their job correctly (called the “Executor”).

What does an Executor have to do?

You are named as an Executor in a Will, or your loved one didn’t have a Will but they died and owned more than $184,500 in assets, you need to:

Get Court approval and appointed as Executor or Administrator of the Probate estate

Notify heirs and beneficiaries and creditors

Collect assets and appraise them

Sell assets

Pay off outstanding bills, debts and taxes

Get Court approval to distribute the remaining assets according to the Will or California law

Distribute the assets

Get Court approval to be discharged as Executor or Administrator of the Probate estate

File final tax returns

How do I pay for the cost of Probate?

Good news – you don’t have to personally pay for the cost of Probate. Your loved one’s assets will pay for the attorney’s fee, your Executor’s fee and other expenses. At Lawvex, we do ask our Executor clients to personally advance a deposit of $3,000 for initial EXPENSES only (not our fees) which you can pay with a credit card and get reimbursed for at the end.

NOTE: If there is any possibility that you might not get appointed as Executor, we may request an additional deposit because if your Petition for Probate is denied or withdrawn for any reason, our fees will revert to hourly rates. Also, if the only asset is real estate and there is no cash in the Estate, we will require you, in advance, to either deposit personal funds or take out a small loan against the Estate real estate to provide for fees and expenses.

Cost varies depending on the assets in the Probate estate. More assets, more cost. Expenses include things like Court filing fees, process server fees, publication of the Estate in the local newspaper, and appraisals. But – regardless of what attorney you choose, you should choose an expert Probate attorney because the attorney’s fees and the costs will be the same because our fees are set by California law:

4% of the first $100,000; plus

3% of the next $100,000; plus

2% of the next $800,000; plus

1% of the next $9,000,000.

Note: If bond is required, and will be more than a few hundred $, then we may require an increased deposit from you to cover the initial bond premium.

How long does the Probate Process take?

Average time from opening to closing a Probate estate in 2023 have been upwards of 18 months. The Lawvex Probate Process target from when you hire us to Court Ordered distribution of the Probate estate is 12 months or less.

NOTE: Time to complete the Probate estate will depend on many factors over which Lawvex has no control, including you, the Executor / Administrator. Generally, if you follow our Probate Process, and nothing unusual happens, we should be able to complete it within 12 months.

How can a lawyer help with the probate process?

A probate lawyer can guide you through the legal process, file the necessary documents with the court, help resolve claims against the estate, ensure that estate taxes are calculated and paid, and distribute assets to beneficiaries according to the terms of the will.

How Different is the Lawvex Probate Pathway from other law firms & DIY solutions?

Very, very different. We want your experience to be fast, efficient, and compassionate.

At Lawvex, we are trust and estate attorneys and we do a LOT of probate. In 2024, we are maintaining a caseload of over 100 probates and growing. We do so much probate that we have our own proprietary process for it that we call the “Probate Pathway”.

“Probate Pathway” is Lawvex’ unique process for probate cases.

With our Probate Pathway, we take care of as much as possible so you don’t have to. When we need your help, you will have clarity about exactly what you need to do, when you need to do it and how to take care of the next step. We also bring our relationships with best-in-class vendors for things like probate bonding, estate bank accounts, real estate professionals, probate loans, and heir search firms so that you don’t have to go looking for experts in probate – we already have them, and we have streamlined processes set up in advance with each of them so that your probate moves faster – and
ultimately, you get your inheritance faster.

Why Lawvex is the Right Guide for Your Probate Journey

You don’t have to face this alone. We’ve helped hundreds of families across California move through probate with clarity and peace of mind.

Whether you're navigating grief or just trying to "do it right," we’ve built a team, a process, and a commitment to make your experience as easy and efficient as possible.