Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in California

Unless your mother's assets were inside of a Trust, you will need to probate her estate through the Courts in order to get her assets, including the check you received, transferred to her heirs. Through the probate process, the Court supervises the collection of a decedent's assets, the payment of their debts, and the distribution of the remaining assets to their heirs. Although generally not too complicated, it would be best if you had the assistance of an attorney in order to make sure the probate process gets completed as quickly as possible and to deal with any unforseen problems that might arise. If your mother had a Trust there is a simplified process to get outside assets, such as the check you received, included in the Trust so that the Trustee can dispose of them without going to Court.