To begin probate, California law specifies which persons are eligible to do so. Typically the petitioner is seeking to become the personal representative, the person who will represent the interests of the estate. Depending on who the person is, the personal representative can be known by the following terms: (1) executor, (2) administrator, (3) administrator with the will annexed, (4) special
administrator, (5) successor personal representative, or (6) public
administrator. Prob C §58(a).
According to California law, "any interested person may commence proceedings for
administration of the estate of the decedent by a petition to the court
for an order determining the date and place of the decedent’s death and
for either or both of the following: (1) Appointment of a personal representative. (2) Probate of the decedent’s will. Prob C
§
8000. The question then becomes, what is the definition of an "interested person."
Consequently California law defines the phrase "interested person" to be the following individuals: (1) an heir, (2) devisee, (3) child, (4) spouse, (5) creditor, (6) beneficiary, or (7) any other
person having a property right in or claim against the estate of the
decedent that may be affected by the proceeding; (8) any person who has
priority for appointment as personal representative; and (9) a fiduciary
representing an interested person. Prob C
§ 48.
Naturally the question then becomes what constitutes an heir, creditor, etc. The following are definitions of an heir and devisee.
An heir is a person who would inherit the decedent's estate if the decedent did not write a will pursuant to the laws of intestate succession. Prob C
§
44. This is a fancy way of saying that a person's estate goes to their next of kin if they did not write a will. For example, John, a widower was a wealthy land-owner who resided in Los Gatos, CA. He had 3 children, Heathcliff, Hugo and Henry. John despised lawyers because he believed them to be devilish and avarice. Consequently, John never planned his estate and he died without having penned any estate planning instrument(s). His 3 sons, as heirs, would each be entitled to commence probate proceedings in Santa Clara County because they would inherit his estate through intestate succession.
A devisee is a person named in a will as the beneficiary of either personal and real property or both. Prob C
§
34. For instance, from the above example, if John had wrote a will and named his son Heathcliff as the beneficiary of his Rolex watch, then Heathcliff would qualify as a devisee.
