Your probate attorney files a petition to open the estate with the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Probate Division. This is handled at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, located at 111 N. Hill Street in downtown Los Angeles. The court will set a hearing date, usually 6 to 8 weeks out, to approve the petition and appoint an executor or administrator.

Typical timeline: 6 to 10 weeks from filing to first hearing.

At the first hearing, the court formally appoints you as executor (if there's a will naming you) or administrator (if there's no will or the named executor can't serve). You'll receive Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration, which are the documents that give you legal authority to act on behalf of the estate. You need these before you can do anything with the property.

Typical timeline: happens at or shortly after the first hearing.

The court appoints a probate referee, an independent appraiser, to determine the property's fair market value. You don't get to choose this person. The probate referee's valuation becomes the baseline for everything that follows, including the minimum listing price. This appraisal is typically done within a few weeks of appointment.

Typical timeline: 2 to 4 weeks after you receive your Letters.

Now you're cleared to list. California law requires you to list at no less than 90% of the probate referee's appraised value. In practice, a good probate agent will price the home competitively within that range based on current market conditions. This is where having a knowledgeable local agent matters. Pricing it too low leaves money on the table. Pricing it too high leads to a stale listing and a skeptical court.

Typical timeline: list as soon as you have the appraisal and your Letters.

Once you receive an offer you want to accept, the buyer must put down a minimum 10% deposit in the form of a cashier's check. This is not a standard earnest money deposit. It's a court requirement. The buyer also needs to understand that the sale is subject to court confirmation and that they could be outbid at the hearing. A good buyer's agent will prepare them for this.

Typical timeline: varies depending on market activity. Could be days or weeks after listing.

If you have full IAEA authority, your attorney files a Notice of Proposed Action and gives heirs 15 days to object. No objections means the sale moves forward without a court hearing. This is the faster path. If IAEA doesn't apply, your attorney files a petition for court confirmation of the sale and schedules a hearing, typically 4 to 6 weeks out.

Typical timeline: 15 days (IAEA) or 4 to 6 weeks (court confirmation).

This is the step that surprises most people. At the court confirmation hearing, the judge opens the floor to overbids. Any buyer who shows up with a cashier's check for 10% of their bid amount can try to outbid your accepted buyer. The minimum overbid is the accepted offer price plus 5% plus $500. If someone overbids, there's an open bidding process right there in the courtroom until only one buyer remains standing.

It sounds chaotic, but it's actually well-organized. The court wants the estate to get the best possible price, and the open bidding process is how they ensure it.

Typical timeline: hearing is usually 4 to 6 weeks after the petition is filed.

Once the court confirms the sale, the buyer opens a formal escrow. From there, it moves like a standard transaction: title search, final loan approval (if the buyer is financing), and closing. The estate receives the proceeds, which are then used to pay debts and distribute to heirs according to the will or California intestate law.

Typical timeline: 15 to 30 days to close after court confirmation.