Free Tools and Information
for Orange County, CA Consumers

California Inheritance Law & Probate Procedure

• California PROBATE COURT FINDER:
  
  • Probate Court for Orange County: Key information about your local probate court (District Court in California) for Orange County.
• How Probate Works in California: How to handle the probate of an inheritance at Orange County's probate court.
  • Here are links to:
    • California Probate Forms and the
    • California State Probate Court Website.
• Small Estates Procedures in California: Learn how to use California's Small Estate procedures that can save you time and money.

  • In Oklahoma, you can use an Affidavit if the fair market value of estate, less liens and encumbrances, is $50,000 or less. Someone who inherits an interest in severed mineral interest may file Affidavit with the county clerk.

    Okla. Stat. Ann titl 58, 393

    There's a summary probate procedure available if the value of the estate is $200,000 or less, the person has been dead for more than five years, or the person resided in another state at the time of death.

    Okla. Stat. Ann titl 58, 245

     

• California Estate Taxes:

  • California, like most states, does not impose an estate or inheritance tax. Only a few states do.

• Avoiding Probate in California. Find out what property bypasses probate death and goes directly to beneficiaries. such as:
  • Transfer on Death Deeds (TODDs)

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Bankruptcy & Debt

• MEANS TEST CALCULATOR
  • for Orange County, California (applies the state and county income and expense standards into your means test calculation. Updated with the latest median income and expense standards for May 15, 2024)
• California BANKRUPTCY EXEMPTION FINDER: Search detailed listings of bankruptcy exemptions under California law and Federal law, for use in filing out Schedule C, when you file for bankruptcy. 
  • Federal Exemptions available in California?:  

    • No. Okla. Stat. tit. 31, § 1(B)

  • California Homestead Exemption

    • Real property or manufactured home to unlimited value; property cannot exceed 1 acre in city, town, or village, or 160 acres elsewhere; $5,000 limit if more than 25% of total sq. ft. area used for business purposes; okay to rent homestead as long as no other residence is acquired

  • California Vehicle Exemption

    • Motor vehicle to $7,500

• California BANKRUPTCY COURT ESSENTIAL INFO: Get information about using your local bankruptcy court.

  Oklahoma is divided into 3 federal districts with main cities in

  • Muskogee (Eastern District)
  • Oklahoma City, (Western District)
  • Tulsa (Northern District
• FREE BANKRUPTCY FORMS:
  We'll tell you which bankruptcy forms you need and where to find them.

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Democracy In California, Orange County, Santa Ana 

• Elected Representatives: Find out the websites and phone numbers of those representing you at the Federal, State, County, and City levels of government.
• How to Vote: Learn how to register and where and when to vote in Orange County, CA.
  • Key Links:
    • Check Your California Voter Registration Status: https://okvoterportal.okelections.us/
• Gerrymandering in California: Has your state been gerrymandered? Find out how to end gerrymandering and have voters pick politicians, not vice versa.
• Tracking Issues: Organizations that track legislation you care about 

 

California Unemployment Benefits

• Benefit Amounts in California: Learn how unemployment works, how much you'll get, and for how long.
  • Minimum: 
    • $16 per week
  • Maximum: 
    • $476 per week
  • Duration: 

    • In California, you can receive unemployment benefits for a maximum of 26 weeks under state law. 

• Eligibility: >Whether you qualify for unemployment.
• How to Apply: How to apply for unemployment in California.
  • Oklahoma Employment Security Commission 
    • 405-525-1500
• Unemployment Office Near Me? How to find your local unemployment office.
• COVID-19 Benefits: We tracked the rise and fall of COVID-19 unemployment benefit payments.

• California Wage & Hour Law

  • California Minimum Wage:  

    • Oklahoma sets its minimum wage to be the same as the federal minimum wage, which is $7.25 per hour.

      Orange County Minimum Wage

      The minimum wage in Orange County is $7.25 an hour, the state minimum wage. However, cities and counties in California are free to adopt their own higher minimum wage, and dozens of cities and counties across the country have done so. To find out whether Orange County has passed its own minimum wage law since we last updated, visit https://www.ocgov.com/.

      Santa Ana Minimum Wage

      The minimum wage in Santa Ana, California, is $7.25 an hour, the state minimum wage. However, cities in California are free to adopt their own higher minimum wage, and many have done so. To find out whether Santa Ana has passed its own minimum wage law since we last updated, visit the city's website at https://www.santa-ana.org/. 

  • Overtime Pay: Every state has rules about weekly maximum hours and overtime. Learn about the overtime laws in California and whether they apply to you.
  • Wage Claims: If you're being unlawfully underpaid, you need to learn how to file a "Wage Claim" in California. 
  • Tips : Every state has special pay rates for tipped workers. Find out the rules for tipped workers in California.

    • In California, your employer may pay you a minimum wage of $2.13 an hour, as long as you earn enough in tips to bring your total hourly pay up to the full minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. If you don’t earn enough in tips to bring your compensation to the full minimum wage, your employer must make up the difference.

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Find a Lawyer in Orange County, CA

• Our Lawyers by Zipcode section allows users to find a local lawyer using the best online resources, including on topics we don't cover.
• DUI, Criminal Defense
• Auto Accidents & Personal Injury
• Immigration
• Legal Aid
  • OKLaw.org 

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