Free Tools and Information
for Sacramento County, CA Consumers

California Inheritance Law & Probate Procedure

• California PROBATE COURT FINDER:
  
  • Probate Court for Sacramento County: Key information about your local probate court (District Court in California) for Sacramento County.
• How Probate Works in California: How to handle the probate of an inheritance at Sacramento 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 Iowa, you can use an Affidavit if the value of the estate is $50,000 or less, and there is no real property. There is a 40-day waiting period.

    Iowa Code 633.356.

    You can use a summary probate procedure if the gross value of the property subject to probate does not exceed $100,000. (This excludes the value of all joint tenancy property and other assets that pass by beneficiary designation, such as life insurance and transfer on death accounts.)

    Iowa Code 635.1.

• 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 Sacramento 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. Iowa Code § 627.10.

  • California Homestead Exemption

    • Real property or an apartment to an unlimited value; property cannot exceed 1/2 acre in town or city, 40 acres elsewhere (husband & wife may not double)

  • California Vehicle Exemption

    • $7,000

• California BANKRUPTCY COURT ESSENTIAL INFO: Get information about using your local bankruptcy court.
• FREE BANKRUPTCY FORMS:
  We'll tell you which bankruptcy forms you need and where to find them.

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Democracy In California, Sacramento County, Sacramento 

• 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 Sacramento County, CA.
  • Key Links:
    • Check Your California Voter Registration Status: https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/voterreg/regtovote/search.aspx
• 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: 
    • $82 per week
  • Maximum: 
    • $582 per week
  • Duration: 

    • Iowa changed its benefit duration in July of 2022. Those who file their initial claim for unemployment on or after July 3, 2022 will be eligible for only 16 weeks of unemployment benefits. However, if you applied before that date, you will be eligible for up to 26 weeks of benefits. 

• Eligibility: >Whether you qualify for unemployment.
• How to Apply: How to apply for unemployment in California.
  • Iowa Workforce Development 
    • 866-239-0843
• 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:  

    • The minimum wage in Iowa is the same as the federal minimum wage: $7.25 an hour.

      Sacramento County Minimum Wage

      The minimum wage in Sacramento 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 Sacramento County has passed its own minimum wage law since we last updated, visit https://www.saccounty.net/Pages/default.aspx.

      Sacramento Minimum Wage

      The minimum wage in Sacramento, 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 Sacramento has passed its own minimum wage law since we last updated, visit the city's website at https://www.cityofsacramento.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 $4.35 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 Sacramento 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
  • Iowa Legal Aid 

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