Examiner Notes Overview

What are Examiner Notes?
Probate Examiner Notes are summaries prepared by the probate examiner after reviewing your petition. Examiner Notes will include a list of any deficiencies that need attention in your petition. Examiner Notes will also inform you if you need to file a new document to correct or explain information to the Court. 

About Probate Examiners
Probate examiners are employed by the Court to review documents filed with the probate court. They evaluate filings for compliance with the probate code, local court rules, and the policies of the court. As a result of this review, the examiners may identify procedural issues or other concerns that need to be amended. The written results of the probate examiner's review - the examiner's notes - are made available by the Court before the hearing date. The notes for each matter on the calendar may be publicly viewed online or at the courthouse.  

When are the Examiner Notes Available? 
Approximately three (3) weeks before your hearing date, Examiner Notes will be ready for your review. Examiner Notes may be available earlier, so it is best to check early and often.  

Please refer to eCourt Public Portal, the Court's public access website to view the Probate Examiner's notes. Examiner's notes for upcoming hearings may be found in the Register of Actions on eCourt Public Portal. 

Detailed Instructions for Retrieving Examiner Notes. (PDF)

Probate Examiners can be reached by phone at (510) 647-4403, Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Please note that filings submitted via eFiling may take three days or more to be processed and appear on the Register of Action. To ensure your filings are processed and considered by the Court, please submit filings as early as possible.

• Personal Appearances are REQUIRED for Petition(s) for Appointment of Guardian of Person/Estate (No Zoom/Remote Appearances allowed).
• Effective January 3, 2022, the Probate Division of the Alameda County Superior Court may allow appearance for hearings to be either in-person or remote, depending on case type, in compliance with CCP Section 367.75. Please see the Alameda Court Local Rule 1.90 for detailed instruction. 
• All procedural issues must be cleared by 12:00 p.m. two (2) court days prior to the hearing, otherwise the hearing may be dropped at the Court's discretion.  
• You may NOT need to file an amended Petition to address the issues related to the Petition. Instead, a verified declaration (MC-030) can be used to address procedural issues related to the filings. If Amended Petition or Amendment to Petition is needed and filed, new Notice of Hearing must be served and re-published if applicable, pursuant to California Rules of Court 7.53.  
• If you need a one-time continuance, you may contact the courtroom to obtain a new hearing date:

                    Dept. 201: (510) 647-4470
                    Dept. 202: (510) 647-4471

• If you do not have an attorney in Guardianship of the person or Limited Conservatorship of the person cases, the Self-Help Center staff and volunteers may be able to assist you with procedural information and instruction on completing forms. Please contact the Self-Help Services for further information.