Senior Probate Examiner & Court Policy Advisor

County of San Mateo; California; On-site; USD 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

The Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo seeks an experienced Probate Examiner to provide technical and procedural support on probate matters outside the courtroom, perform final examinations of probate files, and make recommendations for court action.

The role requires substantial knowledge of probate law, including conservatorships and guardianships, and involves reviewing petitions, preparing summaries, and coordinating with judges, attorneys, and litigants.

Qualifications

• Applicants must have substantial knowledge of probate law, including rules and procedures in conservatorships and guardianships.

Responsibilities

• Receive, examine, and process complex probate petitions for accuracy.
• Review accountings and petitions for compliance with statutes and rules.
• Confer with attorneys, litigants, and staff to resolve issues.
• Perform legal research and brief judges on unusual cases.
• Prepare summary documentation and recommendations for action.
• Attend hearings when needed and monitor changes in probate law.

Skills

Legal research

Probate procedures

Written/oral communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

Paralegal certificate or Associate degree

Juris Doctor degree

Job description

Note: This recruitment schedule was amended on September 16, 2026 to extend the Final Filing Date. This recruitment has been changed to "Continuous."

Please Note: On September 15, 2026, this recruitment was changed from closing on September 15, 2026, to a continuous recruitment. Applications are still being accepted. Please apply immediately if you are interested in this important opportunity. A hiring decision can be made at any time.

The Position

The Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo seeks experienced candidates for the position of Court Probate Examiner.

Under general supervision from the Senior/Supervising Court Staff Attorney, the Probate Examiner provides technical and procedural support to Attorneys and Judicial officers for probate matters. This specialized technical level position performs complex and specialized probate assignments, requiring the use of advanced specialized knowledge of probate policies, practices, and procedures. Applicants must have substantial knowledge of probate law, including rules and procedures in conservatorships and guardianships.

The person selected for this position will provide paraprofessional legal assistance on the technical and procedural aspects of probate law, applying probate rules, policies, procedures, and practices in carrying out difficult and detailed processes. The Probate Examiner will perform the full range of probate case evaluation and work closely with judicial officers, attorneys, county agencies, and unrepresented litigants.

The Probate Examiner works in a variety of settings primarily outside the courtroom, performs the final examination on probate case files prior to hearings in the Court, and recommends court approval on matters that are in order and may be approved by petition. The Probate Examiner classification is distinguished from Court Staff Attorney in that the latter is assigned to a variety of areas to perform all phases of legal work.

Because of the current business needs of the Superior Court of California in the County of San Mateo experience in probate law is essential. This is not an entry-level position.

Examples Of Duties

Duties may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Receive, examine, and process complex probate petitions and support pleadings for accuracy and inform judicial officers of any deficiencies.
• Review accountings, conservatorship petitions and guardianship petitions for compliance with jurisdictional and procedural requirements of existing statutes, rules, and policy, note deficiencies where appropriate, and recommend approval to a judicial officer those matters which are in good order.
• Confer and communicate with attorneys, litigants, other members of the public, judges, and courtroom staff, provide information regarding court procedures and materials, answer inquiries and explain legal filing processes, and explain fees and fines.
• Review files to ensure documentation is procedurally correct in compliance with appropriate laws and local rules and note deficiencies and contact attorneys and petitioners to resolve problems and issues.
• Perform legal research of statutes in applicable areas of law and brief the judge regarding unusual cases prior to hearing.
• Prepare summary documentation, set forth the facts of each matter before the court, summarize the legal factors and any issues, and make recommendations for action.
• Monitor changes to probate law and recommend policy and procedural changes required for compliance and institute such modifications after approval.
• Attend court hearings and provide consultation on procedural matters as needed.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.
  
  

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

Applicants must have substantial knowledge of probate law, including rules and procedures in conservatorships and guardianships.

In addition, applicants must meet the qualifications for a Probate Examiner as set forth in rule 10.777 of the California Rules of Court, which are:

• A Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree from an accredited educational institution and a minimum of two years' employment experience with a court, a public or private law office, a public administrator, public guardian, public conservator, or private professional fiduciary.
  
  

OR

• A paralegal certificate or an Associate of Arts degree from an accredited educational institution and a minimum of a total of four years' employment experience with a court, a public or private law office, a public administrator, public guardian, public conservator, or private professional fiduciary.
  
  

OR

• A juris doctor degree from an educational institution approved by the American Bar Association or accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar of California and a minimum of six months' employment experience with a court, a public or private law office, a public administrator, public guardian, public conservator, or private professional fiduciary.
  
  

Knowledge of:

• Provisions of the Probate Code, Civil Code and other California codes, California Rules of Court, and local court rules pertaining to the preparation, acceptance, and processing of probate documents.
• State and local Rules of Court that govern court operations, including but not limited to, the processing of court documents.
• Legal terminology, procedures, principles, and concepts relevant to probate cases.
• Correct English usage, including grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Office practices and procedures, including operation of standard office equipment such as a computer.
• Techniques for dealing with persons of various ages and ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, who may have physical and/or emotional problems.
  
  

Skill/Ability to:

• Interpret, evaluate, and explain complex laws, regulations, policies, and procedures pertaining to probate law.
• Perform legal research, and analyze and apply legal principles, facts, and precedents to legal problems.
• Prepare clear, concise, and accurate reports, documents, correspondence, procedures, and other written materials.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Interact appropriately with judges, court staff, attorneys, and the public.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work.
• Maintain confidentiality.
  
  

Application/Examination

Open & Promotional. Anyone may apply. Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo employees with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in classified regular, probationary, or extra-help/limited term positions prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score.

The examination process will consist of an application screening (weight: pass/fail) based on the candidates' application and responses to the supplemental questions. Candidates who pass the application screening will be invited to a panel interview (weight: 100%), which may include a written and/or performance exercise prior to the interview.

Depending on the number of applicants, an application appraisal of education and experience may be used in place of other examinations or further evaluation of work experience may be conducted to group applicants by level of qualification. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination. All examinations will be given in County of San Mateo, California and applicants must participate at their own expense.

IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the "Apply" button. If you are not on the County's website, please go to https://jobs.smcgov.org/ to apply.

Responses to the supplemental questions must be submitted in addition to our regular employment application form. A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for the required employment application and supplemental questionnaire.

Recruitment Schedule

This recruitment is now open as a continuous recruitment.

Apply immediately. Selections may be made at any time within the process.

The recruitment may close at any time. The final filing date will be posted five days in advance.

About San Mateo County