Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in California

If you are acting without an attorney and are waiving your own fee as administrator, it is not clear what fees you are concerned about. You have already paid the filing fee and publication cost, so the Probate Referee fee is pretty much all that should be left. Although it will probably be several hundred or even approach a thousand dollars (if the home is very valuable), you can likely borrow that amount, if necessary. Of course if there are significant claims against the estate or taxes, that is a different matter, but those are not probate fees.