Yes! You can use AI to fill out Judicial Council of California Form DE-111, Petition for Probate (Probate—Decedents Estates)
Form DE-111 is the standard California court petition used to start a probate proceeding for a decedent’s estate in Superior Court. It tells the court key facts about the decedent, the existence and status of any will/codicils (including lost will requests), the estimated value of the estate, and the heirs/beneficiaries who must receive notice. The form also requests appointment of an executor/administrator (or special administrator) and issuance of Letters, and may request authority under the Independent Administration of Estates Act (IAEA). It is important because it is the primary pleading that initiates probate and establishes the personal representative’s legal authority to act for the estate.
DE-111 is part of the
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Form Complexity Index
Complex
64 / 100
| Fillable fields | 177 |
| Pages | 4 |
| Fields per page | 44 |
| Sections | 38 |
| Conditional rules | — |
| Tables & lists | — |
| Instruction pages | — |
| Instafill Form ID | IF-JUDICIAL-COUNCIL-OF-CALIFORNIA-FORM-DE-111-PETITIO |
DE-111 has a complex Form Complexity Index of 64/100 — 177 fillable fields across 4 pages. Instafill’s AI completes it accurately in under a minute.
Form specifications
| Form name: | Judicial Council of California Form DE-111, Petition for Probate (Probate—Decedents Estates) |
| Number of fields: | 177 |
| Number of pages: | 4 |
| FCI: | Complex (64/100) |
| Field instructions: | DE-111 Instructions |
| Filled form examples: | DE-111 Examples |
| Language: | English |
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How to Fill Out DE-111 Online for Free in 2026
Are you looking to fill out a DE-111 form online quickly and accurately? Instafill.ai offers the #1 AI-powered PDF filling software of 2026, allowing you to complete your DE-111 form in just 37 seconds or less.
Follow these steps to fill out your DE-111 form online using Instafill.ai:
- 1 Enter court and case caption information (county, branch, addresses), identify the estate/decedent, and provide petitioner and attorney/party contact details.
- 2 Select the type of petition being requested (probate of will, letters testamentary/administration, special administration, lost will, and/or IAEA authority with full or limited authority).
- 3 Provide decedent details (date and place of death, residence, citizenship if applicable) and complete publication/notice information, including the proposed newspaper for publication if required.
- 4 Complete the personal representative appointment section: identify the proposed representative, basis for appointment (executor named in will, intestate administrator, nominee, special administrator), residency status, and bond request/waiver details with any required attachments.
- 5 List and estimate the estate’s property values (personal property, real property gross and net, encumbrances, and any annual income figures) and calculate subtotals/totals as the form requires.
- 6 Identify heirs and family relationships by checking the applicable survivor boxes and listing all required persons (heirs, beneficiaries, persons named in the will/codicils, and certain trust beneficiaries) with names, relationships, ages, and addresses, adding Attachment 8 as needed.
- 7 Attach supporting documents (will/codicils, lost will copy or testamentary statement if applicable, bond waivers, nominations, priority explanations, special administrator grounds/powers), then sign and verify under penalty of perjury (all petitioners sign; one may verify) and prepare for filing and the hearing date.
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Frequently Asked Questions About DE-111
DE-111 has a Form Complexity Index of 64 out of 100, placing it in the complex complexity tier. This score is calculated deterministically from the form’s own structure using Instafill’s published Form Complexity Index methodology, so it can be reproduced and independently verified — it is not a subjective estimate.
For DE-111 specifically, the score reflects 177 fillable fields across 4 pages, grouped into 38 sections. The number of fields is the largest factor in the base score (weighted 36%), followed by how difficult those fields are to complete based on their type, where free-text and signature fields count for more than simple checkboxes (26%). The number of pages that actually contain fields (15%), the amount of conditional “fill-only-if” logic (16%), and how many sections the form is divided into (7%) account for the rest of the base. On top of that base, the index adds points for tables and repeating lists, bundled instruction pages, and dense page layouts — capturing difficulty the base alone can miss.
In practical terms, a complex score means the form is demanding, with many fields, multiple pages and branching rules that are easy to get wrong. Instafill removes that effort entirely: our AI reads your information, maps each value to the correct field — including the conditional ones — and completes DE-111 accurately in under a minute, with every field available for you to review before you download. See exactly how the Form Complexity Index is calculated.
Form DE-111 is used to ask the California Superior Court to open a probate case for a deceased person’s estate. It can request that a will be admitted to probate and that the court appoint a personal representative and issue Letters (authority to act for the estate).
A person entitled to be appointed (such as the named executor in the will or an eligible heir) typically files DE-111. A nominee of someone entitled to appointment may also file if a proper nomination is attached.
You can request probate of a will, Letters Testamentary, Letters of Administration (if there is no will), Letters of Administration with Will Annexed (if there is a will but no executor can act), or Letters of Special Administration. You can also request authority under the Independent Administration of Estates Act (IAEA) with full or limited authority.
You must provide the decedent’s name, date and place of death, and residence at the time of death (or, if a nonresident, the location of property in the county). The form also asks about citizenship if the decedent was a citizen of a country other than the United States.
Yes, the petition references filing the will and codicils and includes sections about the will date(s) and whether documents are self-proving. If the will/codicil is handwritten or in a foreign language, typed copies and English translations should be included as attachments.
The form includes a “Lost Will” option and requires you to attach a copy of the lost will/codicil or a written statement of the testamentary words (or their substance). You must also explain why the presumption in Probate Code section 6124 (that a missing will was revoked) does not apply.
If there is a will and it names an executor who will serve, you generally request appointment of an executor. If there is no will, you request an administrator; if there is a will but no executor can or will act, you request an administrator with will annexed.
A special administrator is a temporary personal representative appointed to handle urgent estate matters before a general personal representative is appointed. If you request one, you must state the grounds and the powers requested in an attachment (as indicated in the form).
IAEA authority allows the personal representative to administer the estate with fewer court approvals, depending on whether “full” or “limited” authority is granted. On DE-111 you request IAEA authorization and indicate whether you want full or limited authority, as long as the will does not preclude it.
You must estimate the character and value of the estate, including gross fair market value of real property, encumbrances, and net value, plus personal property totals. The form also asks for annual gross income from real and personal property.
Bond may be required unless a waiver applies, and the form lists common reasons bond is not required (for example, the will waives bond, or all adult beneficiaries/heirs waive bond). If you rely on waivers, you must attach the signed waivers in the specified attachments.
A blocked account is a restricted bank account where estate funds are deposited and cannot be withdrawn without a court order. If you request this option, you must specify the institution and location and later file receipts as the form indicates.
The form includes a publication section where you either request publication and name the newspaper or indicate whether publication will be arranged or is requested. Publication requirements and who arranges it can vary by county, so follow the court’s local probate rules and clerk instructions.
You must list names, relationships, ages, and addresses (as known or reasonably ascertainable) for people named in the will/codicils, heirs identified by the form’s family categories, and certain trust beneficiaries if the trustee and personal representative are the same person. If you need more space, use “Attachment 8” and indicate continuation.
All petitioners must sign the petition, but the verification (declaration under penalty of perjury) may be completed by any one petitioner as noted on the form. If an attorney is involved, the attorney signature block is also included.
Compliance DE-111
Validation Checks by Instafill.ai
1
Court Venue and County Completeness
Validates that the 'SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF' field is completed and that branch name/city/zip/street/mailing address are present when required by the filing location. This is important because probate venue and court routing depend on the correct county and courthouse information. If missing or inconsistent, the submission should be flagged for correction because it may be rejected or misrouted by the clerk.
2
Case Number Presence/Format (If Assigned)
Checks that the CASE NUMBER field is either blank (for initial filings) or matches the court’s expected case number format if provided (e.g., alphanumeric with separators). This prevents filings from being attached to the wrong case or failing automated docketing. If the case number is present but malformed, the system should require correction or confirmation before acceptance.
3
Decedent Identification Required Fields
Ensures the 'ESTATE OF (name): DECEDENT' field is completed with the decedent’s full legal name (first, middle, last; suffix if applicable). The decedent’s name is the primary identifier for the estate and is used across notices, orders, and letters. If missing or clearly incomplete (e.g., only a first name), the filing should be rejected as incomplete.
4
Petitioner(s) Names and Count Consistency
Validates that 'Petitioner (name each)' contains at least one petitioner and that each listed petitioner has a corresponding signature line completed on page 3/4 (or on the stated attachment). This is important because all petitioners must sign even if only one verifies the petition, and missing signatures can invalidate the filing. If a petitioner is listed without a signature (or vice versa), the system should flag the mismatch and require remediation.
5
Attorney/Party Contact Block Validation
Checks that either attorney information (name, State Bar No., firm name if applicable) or 'party without attorney' information is provided, along with a usable mailing address. Also validates phone/fax/email formats if entered (e.g., phone as 10 digits with optional punctuation; email contains '@' and domain). If the contact block is incomplete, the court and interested parties may be unable to serve notices, so the submission should be marked deficient.
6
Hearing Date/Time/Department Format and Future-Date Logic
Validates that HEARING DATE AND TIME and DEPT. are either blank (if not yet set) or in valid formats (date in MM/DD/YYYY or court-accepted format; time in HH:MM with AM/PM). If a hearing date is provided, it should not be in the past relative to the submission date. Failures should trigger a warning or hard stop depending on whether the court requires a scheduled hearing at filing.
7
Decedent Date of Death and Place Completeness
Ensures 'Decedent died on (date): at (place):' is completed with a valid date and a non-empty place (city/state/country or equivalent). The date must be a real calendar date and should not be in the future. If missing or invalid, the petition cannot establish jurisdictional facts and should be rejected as incomplete.
8
Residency Status and Address Consistency
Checks that exactly one residency option is selected: resident of the county, or nonresident with estate located in the county (with location specified). If the decedent is marked as resident, the 'Street address, city, and county of decedent's residence at time of death' must be completed; if nonresident, the location permitting venue/publication must be provided. If the selected residency status does not match the provided address/location fields, the system should flag the inconsistency for correction.
9
Citizenship Selection and Country Specification
Validates that if the decedent is indicated as a citizen of a country other than the United States, the country name is provided and is not left blank. This matters for notice requirements and potential international considerations. If the non-U.S. citizenship box is checked without a country, the submission should be flagged as incomplete.
10
Petition Type Selection (Mutually Exclusive/Compatible Options)
Ensures the PETITION FOR section has a coherent selection: e.g., Probate of Will vs Letters of Administration vs Letters Testamentary vs Special Administration, and that 'with limited authority' is only selected in combination with the Independent Administration of Estates Act request. This prevents contradictory relief requests that the court cannot grant as stated. If incompatible boxes are checked (or none are checked), the system should require the filer to correct selections.
11
Personal Representative Appointment Logic and Required Details
Validates that the appointment request is internally consistent: executor requires a will and a named executor; administrator with will annexed requires a will but no acting executor; administrator requires intestacy. Also checks that if 'nonresident of California' is selected for the proposed personal representative, a permanent address is provided, and that U.S. residency status is selected. If the appointment type conflicts with will/intestacy selections, the filing should be flagged as logically inconsistent.
12
Will/Codicil Attachment Requirements and Dates
Checks that if a will is referenced, the will date is provided, and if a codicil is referenced, the codicil date is provided. If the form indicates copies are affixed as Attachment 3f(2), the system should require an attachment count and presence of the referenced documents (including typed copies/translations where applicable). If 'original lost' is selected, the system should require Attachment 3f(3) content (copy/statement of testamentary words and reasons rebutting the presumption) before allowing submission.
13
Bond Selection and Amount/Blocked Account Rules
Validates that bond-related selections are consistent: if 'bond not be required' is selected, at least one qualifying reason in item 3e is selected and any required waivers are attached; if 'bond be fixed' is selected, a numeric dollar amount is provided. If a blocked account deposit is requested, the deposit amount must be numeric and the institution/location must be specified. If these conditions are not met, the system should flag the bond section as incomplete because bond orders depend on precise amounts and statutory bases.
14
Estate Value Calculations and Non-Negative Currency Validation
Checks that all monetary fields (personal property, gross/net real property, encumbrances, annual gross income) are valid currency numbers (non-negative, reasonable precision) and that subtotals/totals equal the sum of their components as indicated on the form. Also validates that net real property equals gross fair market value minus encumbrances when all three are provided. If arithmetic does not reconcile, the system should require correction because fees, bond, and jurisdictional thresholds may depend on these values.
15
Publication Selection and Newspaper Name Requirement
Validates that if publication is requested/arranged, the newspaper name is provided in the 'Publication will be in (specify name of newspaper)' field, and that the publication option selected is not contradictory (e.g., both 'requested' and 'to be arranged'). Publication details are critical for statutory notice compliance. If publication is selected without a newspaper name, the submission should be flagged as incomplete.
16
Heir/Beneficiary Survivorship Section Consistency and Item 8 Roster Completeness
Checks that the survivorship checkboxes in items 5–7 are logically consistent (e.g., cannot select both 'spouse' and 'no spouse'; cannot select both 'child' and 'no child') and that any box stating persons are 'listed in item 8' is supported by corresponding entries. Validates that each Item 8 entry includes name, relationship, age (numeric, non-negative), and address (sufficient for notice). If the survivorship selections imply heirs/beneficiaries but Item 8 is empty or missing required details, the system should block submission due to notice and due process requirements.
Common Mistakes in Completing DE-111
People often skip the top caption fields (county, branch name, street/mailing address, estate name, and case number) because they assume the clerk will fill them in. Missing or inconsistent caption information can cause filing delays, misfiled documents, or rejection by the court. Copy the court’s exact location information from the hearing notice or local court website, and use the same “ESTATE OF (name) / DECEDENT” format on every page and attachment; add the case number once assigned and then keep it identical everywhere.
This form contains multiple checkboxes for different requests (Probate of Will, Letters of Administration, Letters Testamentary, Special Administration, Lost Will, and IAEA authority), and filers frequently check boxes that don’t match the facts. Selecting the wrong option can lead to the wrong notices, wrong orders, or a continuance because the court can’t grant relief that wasn’t properly requested. Before checking boxes, confirm whether there is a valid will, whether an executor is named and willing to serve, and whether you need temporary powers (special administrator) or a lost-will procedure.
Applicants commonly confuse the decedent’s residence at death with where property is located, or they provide an incomplete place of death (e.g., only a city without county/state). Errors here can create venue problems and can affect publication and notice requirements, leading to rejection or transfer to another county. Use the death certificate for the exact date and place of death, and separately provide the decedent’s street address, city, and county of residence at time of death; if nonresident, clearly state the California county where the estate property is located and specify the location as requested.
The publication portion is frequently incomplete—people forget to name the newspaper, check both “publication requested” and “publication to be arranged,” or choose a paper not approved for probate notices in that county. Publication errors can delay the hearing because proper notice is a prerequisite for the court to act. Verify the court’s list of adjudicated/approved newspapers for probate notices, enter the exact newspaper name, and check only the option that matches who will arrange publication (petitioner/attorney vs. court request, depending on local practice).
Filers often check “bond not be required” without meeting the stated conditions (e.g., not all heirs/beneficiaries are adults, or the will does not waive bond) and forget to attach the required waivers or supporting documents. This can result in the court ordering a bond anyway, continuing the hearing, or requiring amended paperwork. Only select a bond waiver reason that truly applies, attach the referenced waivers/nomination documents as the form instructs (e.g., Attachment 3e(2) or 3e(3)), and if bond is required, state the amount and confirm how it will be furnished.
The property valuation section is a common source of math and definition errors—people mix gross fair market value with net value, forget to subtract encumbrances, omit annual gross income, or mis-add subtotals and totals. Incorrect values can affect bond amounts, court oversight, and later inventory/appraisal consistency, potentially triggering court questions or amendments. Use reasonable estimates, keep real property gross and net values distinct, list encumbrances separately, complete both personal property and real property lines, and double-check that each subtotal and the final total match the form’s instructions.
People frequently fail to attach copies of the will and codicils, omit typed copies of handwritten documents, or forget English translations for foreign-language documents. If the original will is lost, many do not include the required statement of testamentary words/substance and the explanation to overcome the presumption of revocation under Probate Code section 6124. To avoid delays, attach complete copies of all testamentary documents, include typed versions of handwritten instruments, provide certified/competent translations when needed, and if claiming a lost will, include the required attachment explaining the loss and why revocation should not be presumed.
Applicants often request appointment as executor/administrator without matching the will’s nomination, without confirming the proposed representative’s consent, or without explaining priority when multiple people have equal or higher priority. This can lead to objections, required renunciations/declinations, or a continued hearing until the court can determine who is entitled to letters. Confirm whether the will names an executor, obtain written consents/declinations from other named executors if they will not act, and if appointment is based on priority or nomination, attach the nomination and explain priority in the referenced attachment section.
The form asks whether the proposed personal representative is a California resident, U.S. resident, or nonresident, and requires a permanent address if nonresident; these fields are often left blank or answered inconsistently. Incomplete residency information can cause the court to require additional filings, impose bond requirements, or question eligibility and service of notices. Answer each residency/citizenship checkbox carefully, provide the full permanent address when required, and ensure the information matches any accompanying declarations or identification documents.
The survivor checkboxes are structured with conditional logic (e.g., spouse vs. no spouse; child vs. no child; issue of predeceased child), and people commonly check contradictory boxes or skip required combinations. Mistakes here can misidentify heirs, lead to improper notice, and invite objections or court-ordered amendments. Work through the section in order, check only the boxes that match the decedent’s actual family situation, and if uncertain about “issue,” adoption, domestic partnership, or step/foster child rules, verify definitions under the cited Probate Code sections before filing.
Filers often list only immediate family, omit beneficiaries named in the will, leave out ages, provide outdated addresses, or fail to include trust beneficiaries when the trustee and personal representative are the same person as required. Missing or inaccurate contact information can result in defective notice, delays, and potential challenges to the appointment or later orders. Include everyone the form requires (will beneficiaries, heirs identified by the checked boxes, and applicable trust beneficiaries), provide current mailing addresses and ages, and use an Attachment 8 continuation page if more space is needed.
This petition requires signatures of all petitioners, and the verification must be signed under penalty of perjury; people frequently forget additional petitioner signatures, omit dates, or sign in the wrong place (attorney vs. petitioner). Signature defects can cause the clerk to reject the filing or the court to require a corrected petition before proceeding. Ensure every petitioner signs where indicated, one petitioner completes the verification properly, all signature blocks include printed names and dates, and any additional petitioner signatures appear after the last attachment as the form instructs.
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