Probate and Trust Administration Attorneys Santa Cruz County


At Dawson, Passafuime, Bowden & Martinez, our Probate and Trust attorney have vast experience helping people in Santa Cruz County who have to be the administrator, executor, or trustee of a family member’s estate after they pass away. Our attorneys represent the client through all phases of the Estate Administration


During a Probate Administration, the administrator or executor is tasked with the following:

  • >Identifying, accountings, and organizing all the decedent’s assets.
  • >Identifying and settling all the decedent’s outstanding debts.
  • >Paying all taxes associated with the estate.
  • >Distributing the remaining assets in the estate to beneficiaries.
  • >Preparing a final accounting of the assets, debs, taxes, and distributions.


Probate can be a costly and lengthy process. The cost of Probate is determined by a number of factors including the value of the estate and the complexity of the assets and liabilities of the Probate Estate.


In contrast, a trust is designed to avoid the costs of Probate. Trust Administration is done with minimal court oversight and is governed by what is written in a decadent’s (the person who passed away) Trust document.


At Dawson, Passafuime, Bowden & Martinez, our attorneys have extensive experience administering Trusts and probating estates. Our Probate lawyers can also assist a beneficiary in the event of fraud, undue influence, or theft of estate property, as well as deal with any issues of testamentary capacity. We also have extensive experience in filing a will or trust contest or compel an accounting by a trustee.


Dawson, Passafuime, Bowden & Martinez

4665 Scotts Valley Drive

Scotts Valley, CA 95066

P (831) 438-1221 F (831) 438-2812

For more information please call:

(831) 438-1221


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Our Lawyers Proudly Serve the Following Areas:


Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, Aptos, Soquel, Capitola, Watsonville, Monterey, Carmel, San Jose, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz County, Santa Clara County, Monterey County, San Benito County