The Fresno probate court was formerly very prompt. You could submit a petition and receive a hearing date within six to eight weeks. Everything moved right along.
Not now. On February 7, 2023, we filed a petition to distribute an estate to two heirs. The heirs waived the accounting, and the estate is all cash, half to each brother. The probate court set the hearing for July 3, 2023. That’s a five-month delay in the Fresno probate court to get a hearing on a simple petition for distribution.
Meanwhile, we filed a similar petition, on the same day, in the Madera probate court. We received a hearing date of March 16, 2023, which is five weeks out. The Madera probate court is a model of efficiency, and we appreciate it greatly.