5 Things I Learned at My First California Probate Hearing

If you're representing yourself in California probate court, your first hearing may not go the way you expect. Mine certainly didn't.

When I walked into probate court for the first time, I thought I was finally going to tell my side of the story. I had spent weeks preparing my petition, gathering medical records, organizing exhibits, and reviewing everything I thought the judge would want to know.

Instead, I quickly realized my first hearing wasn't about proving my case at all. It taught me some lessons I wish someone had explained beforehand.

Here are the five biggest takeaways from my first California probate hearing.

1. Your First Hearing Probably Isn't the Trial

This was my biggest misconception.

I walked into court ready to fight.

I thought the judge wanted to hear about the medical records, the trust, and the circumstances surrounding our disinheritance. I expected to explain why we believed the trust was invalid.

Instead, I barely had the chance to say anything about the facts of our case.

If you're preparing for your first probate hearing, don't expect to argue your case on day one. Your first hearing may look very different than you imagined.

2. Procedure Comes Before Proof

Once I understood what the court was trying to accomplish, everything made much more sense. The judge wasn't deciding whether we were right or wrong. The court was determining whether our case was procedurally ready to move forward.

That meant addressing issues like:

Were the required documents filed?
Had the interested parties been properly notified and served?
Were there any procedural issues identified in the Probate Notes?
Were any additional filings required before the case could continue?

Only after those issues were addressed could the court begin focusing on the merits of the case.

3. Read the Probate Notes Before Your Hearing

This is the one thing I wish someone had told me.

When the judge asked whether I had read the Probate Notes, I honestly had no idea what he was talking about.

In Los Angeles Superior Court, Probate Notes are typically posted a few days before the hearing and can often be found on the court's website. Those notes identify issues the court expects the parties to address.

Reading them beforehand can help you arrive much better prepared than I was.

(If you're in another California county, check with your local superior court to see whether Probate Notes or a similar system is used.)

4. Don't Be Surprised if Your Hearing Is Continued

I assumed we'd leave court with answers. Instead, I left with another court date.

Many probate hearings are continued because additional procedural issues still need to be resolved.

A continuance doesn't necessarily mean something went wrong. It often means the court needs additional information before moving forward. Understanding that made future hearings much less frustrating.

5. Everything Happens Faster Than You Think

After spending weeks preparing, I imagined I'd be standing before the judge for quite a while.

In reality, my hearing was over surprisingly quickly.

Probate calendars are often busy, with many cases scheduled for the same morning. When your case is called, the judge may ask only a handful of questions before moving on to the next matter.

The waiting often lasts much longer than the hearing itself.

Bonus Takeaway: Bring a Notebook

This may sound simple, but it turned out to be one of the most valuable things I did.

During my hearing, I found myself writing down unfamiliar legal terms, instructions from the judge, deadlines, and items I needed to research later.

Those notes became my checklist for preparing the next hearing.

If you're representing yourself, don't rely on your memory. Bring a notebook. You'll probably use it more than you expect.

Want to See What Actually Happened?

These five lessons come from my own experience representing myself in Los Angeles Superior Court.

In my video, What Really Happens on Your First Day of California Probate Court, I walk through my first hearing step by step—from roll call and Probate Notes to the continuance that caught me completely by surprise.

If you're preparing for your own first probate hearing, I hope my experience helps you feel a little more prepared than I was.

▶️ Watch the video below.