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Notice:

The Court's Public Portal will be temporarily unavailable due to scheduled maintenance from Friday, April 24, 2026 at 5:00 PM through Monday, April 27, 2026 at 8:00 AM. 

Notice:

The Court’s Beta AI Chatbot, Coco, is now available to help answer common questions and guide you to court resources. Try it here: Coco (Beta)

Probate

Probate of Wills, Trusts, and Estates

Probate is when the court supervises the distribution of a person’s assets and payment of the person’s debts after their death. For information relating to wills, trusts and estates please call (925) 608-2613.

Download the Form Packet

Conservatorship

Conservatorship is when a judge determines, through a court process, that an adult person cannot take care of himself/herself or their finances and appoints a conservator

Conservatorship Workshop:

The Conservatorship Workshop covers the responsibilities of a conservatorship of the person and of the estate. The court requires that persons appointed as conservators, except for professional fiduciaries, complete this workshop. Workshop attendees MUST sign-up in advance. Please call the Contra Costa County Public Law Library at (925) 655-4627 to sign-up and obtain additional information. Or email: reference.questionsCCCPLLIB@gmail.com.

Click here for a schedule of the upcoming Court Accounting Workshops.

Download the Form Packet

Limited Conservatorship

A limited conservatorship is a court proceeding where a judge gives a responsible person, called a limited conservator, certain rights to care for another adult who has a developmental disability, called a limited conservatee. This is different from an adult conservatorship.

Probate Facilitator Assistance: The Probate Facilitator is an attorney employed by the court to assist parties who represent themselves and who seek limited conservatorship of a person only (NO ESTATE). If you have questions about the forms or process to obtain a limited conservatorship of a person, you can contact the Probate Facilitator by sending an email to probfac@contracosta.courts.ca.gov or by leaving a voicemail message at (925) 608-2066

Guardianship

Guardianship is when the court gives someone, who is not the child’s parent, legal and physical custody of a child or the right to control a child’s property, or both.

Probate Facilitator Assistance:

Probate Facilitator Assistance: The Probate Facilitator is an attorney employed by the court to assist parties who represent themselves and who seek guardianship of a person only (NO ESTATE). If you have questions about the forms or process to obtain a guardianship of a person, you can contact the Probate Facilitator by sending an email to probfac@contracosta.courts.ca.gov or by leaving a voicemail message at (925) 608-2066.

Completing Guardianship Forms:

  • You can complete the forms needed to start your guardianship case using a free online software program called LawHelp Interactive. To get started, please see the following steps:

    • Download the Parental Diagram: Form GC-51 ( English | Spanish )
      • This diagram will help you organize information about the minor child’s relatives before you have to enter the information into the program.
    • Contact the Probate Facilitator for the link to the LHI Program  and Instructions (email to probfac@contracosta.courts.ca.gov or by leaving a voicemail message at (925) 608-2066).
      • Please note, it is very important to speak with the facilitator prior to completing the program as some of the questions, if answered incorrectly, will cause you extra work. 

Checklist and Instructions for Service

After you have filed to open your guardianship case, you must serve certain family members. For more information about service, please read the following on Guardianship Service: Form GC-54 ( English | Spanish )

If you still have questions regarding service, please contact the Probate Facilitator.

Court Process and Information

Other Information