Start Here: Do I Have a Probate Case? (Free Quiz)
Left in the dark or disinherited?
This short quiz may help you determine whether your situation meets basic California probate court requirements before you spend time or money.
This quiz will take about 60 seconds and looks at whether:
• you have legal standing
• you are within the filing deadline
• your situation fits recognized legal grounds
When you're done, you'll receive Pro Per Probate's Free Evidence Checklist.
**100% free. No credit card required. Not legal advice.**
Have you received formal notice about the estate?
For a trust, this is usually called a Notice of Trust Administration.
For a will, it’s often a Notice of Petition to Administer Estate.
(These formal notices are what typically start the 120-day clock to take legal action.)
If you did receive formal notice, how long ago was it?
(The typical deadline to take legal action is 120 days from the date you were served, so timing is critical.)
What is your connection to the person who passed away or their estate?
(Choose the one that fits you most closely.)
Why do you believe the trust or will might not be valid?
(Check all that apply.)
🎉 Congratulations! You just took the first step toward toward getting oriented.
If you’ve been feeling unsure where to begin, pausing to assess your situation is a meaningful step.
Enter your name and email to see a personalized overview of where your situation may stand in probate court.
You’ll also receive a free Evidence Checklist you can keep for reference (If you don’t see it soon, check your spam or promotions folder).
** No spam — ever. Your responses are private. Educational only. **
🎯 Your answers suggest your situation may warrant closer review
Based on your answers, you may have solid reasons to keep moving forward. This doesn’t guarantee a win, but it does suggest your case is worth actively pursuing. At this stage, it may be helpful to slow down, organize what you have, and learn more about what filing would involve.
Be sure to open your email for your free Evidence Checklist. It’ll help you get organized right away. If it’s not in your inbox soon, check your spam folder or promotions tab.
👉 As your next step, take my free course: Do I Belong in Probate Court - Understanding Statute, Standing, and Legal Grounds. It will give you the foundation to know if you’re in the right place, at the right time, and the right person to act. Start Your Free Course HERE!
🔍 Your situation has some indicators worth exploring further
It isn’t a clear green light, but it’s not a dead end either. Your answers suggest there could be grounds to move forward, but you’ll need more details to know for sure.
If you decide to continue exploring this, organizing documents and timelines can help clarify your options, such as creating a detailed timeline, and writing down specific concerns — or highlight what’s still missing. This will help clarify whether you truly have a case.
Look out for your free Evidence Checklist to help you start gathering the right information. If you don't see it shortly, check your spam folder or promotion tab.
👉 To guide your next steps, take my free course: Do I Belong in Probate Court - Understanding Statute, Standing, and Legal Grounds. It’s designed to help you understand the basics and clarify whether your case is strong enough to pursue. Start Your Free Course HERE!
Not obvious — more groundwork is needed
Right now, your answers don’t point to a strong case — at least not yet.
That doesn’t mean it’s over; you may need more information before putting in significant time, money, or emotional energy.
Try to get copies of the trust, will, or any notices you’ve received. Make a list of what you know and what you still need. Sometimes, simply filling in these gaps can reveal whether you actually have grounds to move forward.
You’ll find a free Evidence Checklist waiting for you at the end of this quiz to help you get organized. If you don't see it shortly, check your spam folder or promotion tab.
👉 While you’re doing that, my free course: Do I Belong in Probate Court - Understanding Statute, Standing, and Legal Grounds will help you understand the basics and give you direction on what to look for next. Start Your Free Course HERE!
🚫 Based on these answers, your situation may not fall within typical probate disputes
Based on your answers, it doesn’t currently appear there are common legal grounds typically addressed in probate court — at least not from the typical issues that bring people into probate court, like undue influence, lack of capacity, elder abuse, or trustee mismanagement.
Of course, every situation is unique. If you still feel something is wrong, you might consider talking to a legal professional just to be sure. Otherwise, it may simply be that your concerns fall outside what probate courts generally handle.
You’ll receive an Evidence Checklist you can use to see what information typically matters in probate cases and to help you decide whether there’s enough here to move forward. If you don't see it shortly, check your spam folder or promotion tab.
Thank you for taking the time to go through this quiz. Knowing where you stand is powerful in itself.
👉 If you’d still like to learn more about how probate court works — and what kinds of cases it does handle — you can explore my free course: Do I Belong in Probate Court - Understanding Statute, Standing, and Legal Grounds. Start Your Free Course HERE!
⚠️ Beyond the 120 days: Some Concerns May Follow Different Timelines.
The typical 120-day deadline may have passed, but your concerns about fraud or mismanagement could still matter.
Based on your answers, it’s been more than 120 days since you received formal notice, which usually means the window to directly contest the trust or will on grounds like undue influence or lack of capacity has closed.
But because you mentioned possible fraud, hidden assets, or a trustee not fulfilling their legal duties, there may still be issues worth learning about. These types of claims often fall under different timelines — sometimes up to 3 or 4 years from when the wrongdoing was discovered.
If you choose to explore this further, it can be helpful to gather your documents, write down everything you know (including dates when you first noticed problems), and get organized. At the end of this quiz, download your free Evidence Checklist to start pulling everything together. You’ll also find a link to a short mini-course that explains how statutes, standing, and different legal grounds work — so you can make the most informed decisions.
👉 To better understand what probate courts handle — and whether your situation fits — take my free course on Probate Court, Standing, and the Statute of Limitations. It will give you the foundation to know what’s possible, and what steps to consider next. Start Your Free Course HERE.