Probate and trust administration in Mission Viejo

Mission Viejo was largely built out in the 1970s and 1980s, and many original owners still live in the homes they bought new. That means many estates here include a long-held single-family home with a very low property tax base and a large gain since purchase.

What we see most often

• A home held in a living trust set up decades ago, sometimes never updated. We check that the deed actually matches the trust before assuming probate is avoided.
• Proposition 19 decisions. Whether a child moves in can be the difference between keeping the old tax base and a full reassessment.
• Lake and HOA communities. Lake Mission Viejo membership and HOA transfer documents need to be part of any sale timeline.

Services for Mission Viejo families

• Probate administration when assets were in the decedent's name alone
• Trust administration for successor trustees
• Spousal property petitions
• Small estates and the $750,000 home petition
• Selling a house in probate

Probate cases for Mission Viejo are heard at the Orange County Superior Court's Costa Mesa Justice Complex. We handle the filings and appearances.