Santa Clara County, CA Consumer Law: LegalConsumer.com

Free Tools and Information
for Santa Clara County, CA Consumers

California Inheritance Law & Probate Procedure

California PROBATE COURT FINDER:
- Probate Court for Santa Clara County: Key information about your local probate court (Probate Court in California) for Santa Clara County.
How Probate Works in California: How to handle the probate of an inheritance at Santa Clara 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 Alabama, you can't use the Affidavit procedure that's available in some states. Instead, if the estate's value doesn't exceed $34,611, you can use Alabama's summary probate procedure after waiting 30 days. The $34,611 limit only applies to estates without real property. This limit is adjusted annually for inflation, pursuant toAla. Code §43-2-692(b)(1),
  
  For 2010 $25,410
  For 2011 $25,791
  For 2012 $26,616
  For 2013 $27,175
  For 2014 $27,583
  For 2015 $28,024
  For 2016 $28,052
  For 2017 $28,417
  For 2018 $29,014
  For 2019 $29,710
  For 2020 $30,245
  For 2021 $30,608
  For 2022 $32,047
  For 2023 $34,611
  
  Ala. Code 43-2-690.
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)

Bankruptcy & Debt

MEANS TEST CALCULATOR
- for Santa Clara 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. Federal Exemptions not available. Ala. Code § 6-10-11.
- California Homestead Exemption
  - Real property or mobile home to $18,800 (increased to $18,800, April 1, 2024); property cannot exceed 160 acres (husband & wife may double)
- California Vehicle Exemption
  - none (see wild card)
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.

California Unemployment Benefits

Benefit Amounts in California: Learn how unemployment works, how much you'll get, and for how long.
- Minimum:
  - $45 per week
- Maximum:
  - $275 per week
- Duration:
  - In Alabama, the duration of benefits depends on the state's unemployment rate when you apply. The maximum period for which you can receive benefits ranges from 14 to 20 weeks.
Eligibility: >Whether you qualify for unemployment.
How to Apply: How to apply for unemployment in California.
- Alabama Department of Labor
  - 1-866-234-5382
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:
  - Alabama does not have its own minimum wage law. Therefore, employees in Alabama are entitled to earn at least the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour.
    
    Santa Clara County Minimum Wage
    
    The minimum wage in Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara County has passed its own minimum wage law since we last updated, visit https://www.sccgov.org/sites/scc/Documents/home.html.
    
    Sunnyvale Minimum Wage
    
    In the city of Sunnyvale, the minimum wage is $18.55 an hour currently.
- 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.