COURT ACCOUNTING · LOS ANGELES

Court accounting in Los Angeles — prepared to statute, filed on time.

Trust, probate, conservatorship, and guardianship accountings for matters in Los Angeles Superior Court. Prepared to California Probate Code §1060-1064. Filed on time. Defensible under objection.

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What we do

A court accounting is not bookkeeping and it is not a tax return. It is a legal document — a reconciled, schedule-by-schedule report of every dollar that flowed through a trust, estate, conservatorship, or guardianship during the accounting period, filed with the probate court and defensible under objection.

We prepare court accountings for matters pending in Los Angeles Superior Court, primarily at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse (111 N. Hill St.) probate department, and at outlying LA County probate calendars in Long Beach, Pasadena, Van Nuys, and Torrance. Every accounting is prepared to California Probate Code §1060-1064, Rules of Court 7.575-7.577, and the applicable Judicial Council forms: DE-165 series for probate estates, GC-400 / GC-405 series for conservatorships and guardianships, and beneficiary-facing accountings to Probate Code §16063 standards for trusts not yet before the court.

We work as one node of the attorney's team — coordinating directly with your paralegal, delivering an indexed evidentiary packet, and remaining available for hearing support if the accounting is objected to. Boring, complete, and easy to check.

Who this is for

LA County probate attorneys who need a CPA-prepared accounting they can walk into court, not a bookkeeper's spreadsheet.
Professional fiduciaries (PFAC members) filing annual conservatorship or trustee accountings on the statutory schedule.
Family trustees who inherited a trust after a settlor's death and need a first accounting to distribute to beneficiaries.
Executors and administrators filing a first, subsequent, or final estate accounting under DE-165.

Deliverables

Summary of Account to Probate Code §1061 — receipts, disbursements, gains, losses, distributions, ending balance.
Schedule of Receipts — every dollar in, categorized by source (income vs. principal).
Schedule of Disbursements — every dollar out, categorized by type.
Schedule of Assets on Hand at period-end, valued to statute.
Gains, losses, and distributions — realized, detailed, and reconciled.
Supporting workpapers — bank statements, brokerage statements, and receipts, indexed as an evidentiary packet for the attorney.

Frequently asked

Q: How long does a court accounting take in Los Angeles?

A: A typical LA County trust or estate accounting takes 3-6 weeks from complete document intake to draft delivery. Rush turnaround is available at premium — we have delivered emergency accountings in 10 business days for calendared hearings at Stanley Mosk. Complex multi-year contested accountings scale from there.

Q: Do you file the accounting with LA Superior Court, or does the attorney?

A: The attorney files. Our role is to prepare the accounting, all schedules, and the supporting workpaper packet in the format LA County probate expects. Filing, hearing scheduling, and court communication remain with counsel — which is where they should stay.

Q: What forms do you prepare for LA County probate matters?

A: Probate estates use the DE-165 series (Summary of Account plus schedules). Conservatorships and guardianships use GC-400 or GC-405 depending on the accounting type. Trust accountings that are not filed with the court still follow Probate Code §16063 for beneficiary distribution. We prepare all three.

Q: Will you testify if the accounting is contested at hearing?

A: Yes. As preparer of record, we appear to answer questions from counsel, opposing counsel, and the court. Our workpapers are structured so testimony is a walk-through of the schedules — not a scramble. Professional liability coverage is in place and reviewable on request.

Q: How much does a court accounting cost?

A: Fixed-fee, quoted per engagement. Simple final accountings start around $3,500. Multi-year or contested accountings scale with transaction volume and account count. We provide a written quote before any work begins — no hourly surprises.

Q: Do you work outside of LA County?

A: Yes. The statutory format is the same statewide. We regularly file in Orange, Ventura, San Diego, Riverside, and Santa Barbara counties. See our /court-accounting-california page for statewide coverage.

When Stanley Mosk asks for numbers, they should be right.

Court-ready trust, estate, and conservatorship accountings for Los Angeles Superior Court. Prepared to statute. Filed on time. Attorneys — get an engagement letter and a fixed quote in one call.