April 2022

Establishment of a Probate Division

Sonoma County has established a dedicated probate court division to resolve conflicts over wills, trusts, estates, conservatorships, guardianships and other end-of-life financial matters.  This court began hearing cases in January.

Kristen Ingersoll who chairs the Sonoma County Bar Association’s Trust and Estate Section noted that “We’ve been asking and pushing and begging for years wanting more resources because our clients – the public – need more resources to have their matters heard that much sooner and have them resolved that much sooner.”  Judge Larry Ornell is now the court’s dedicated probate judicial officer.  One judge with a team of probate-specific staff will work full time on the administering of Sonoma County residents’ wills and estates before they die.