Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in California

Re: Direct beneficiaries right to know what's going on

You should request special notice--this will get you more information than you would otherwise receive. You can also check the court's file to find out if letters have been issued, if a bond was required, and the executor's powers.

Notice may not be required to sell the personal property, so you may want to keep writing/calling the attorney, checking with your brother, and even asking the neighbors to call you if there's some kind of sale.

Re: Direct beneficiaries right to know what's going on

You should be kept informed. The attorney doing the probate is attempting to maximize his/her fee by doing as little extraneous work as possible. requesting special notice isn't a bad idea. However, as beneficiaries any sale of real property will have to be approved by the court, and you'll be given notice. The personal property is another matter. I have a difficult time understanding that your brother can marshal all the estate property, and sell it from a location outside Californian. So the attorney must have had someone go through all the personal property, and sell it. Start writing letters to the attorney and info your brothers and sisters. California permits the attorney to get his/her fee in accordance with a schedule and extra fees for other work. So keeping you informed is probably extra fees. However, demand it in writing.