In California we are very fortunate.  Our probate courts have some very exceptional judges and people assisting them in one way or other.  In our larger counties, including Los Angeles County, we have judges that are full-time probate judges.  Probate judges do more than just decide cases involving the distribution of the assets of a decedent.  They also hear cases concerning the administration of trusts, conservatorship cases, guardianship cases, elder abuse cases, petitions regarding specific medical treatment, petitions to establish the fact of birth, marriage or death and even tuberculosis-detention proceedings among others.

The probate judges cannot do it all by themselves especially in the large counties.  While the number of cases a judge hears is obviously smaller in Alpine County (population 1,208), Sierra County (population 3,555), Modoc County (population 9,449), Mono County (population 12,853), Trinity County (population 13,022), Mariposa County (population 17,130), Colusa County (population 18,804), or Plumas County (population 20,824) than it is in Contra Costa county (population 948,816), Sacramento County (population 1,223,499), Alameda County (population 1,443,741), Riverside County (population 1,545,387), Santa Clara County (population 1,682,585), San Bernardino County (population 1,709,434), San Diego County (population 2,813,833), Orange County (population 2,846,289), and Los Angeles County (population 9,519,338).

In the larger counties, there are some combination or all of the following: probate examiners; probate investigators; probate attorneys; and research attorneys.  For example, Aviva Bobb the Supervising Judge of the probate departments of Los Angeles County has written that for the Los Angeles central district (the largest courthouse for Los Angeles County) the court has a staff of 19 probate investigators, 14 probate attorneys, 1 research attorney, and 8 probate examiners.

Obviously, in the smaller counties, the judges hear cases in a variety of areas of the law.  However, because the probate process in California is similar throughout the state, the judges hearing probate cases become very expert in those counties as well.