Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in California

You do not "have" to but if you want to get the probate done efficiently and minimize the chance of errors then you should hire an experienced probate attorney. Also, an experienced probate attorney, like myself, can often save you money by making sure you file things right, file your parent-child exemption timely, etc.... I would encourage you to at least interview a couple of probate attorneys before you make your decision. I perform probates throughout California. Call or email if you want to chat! -John

You only have to if you want it to go through properly and smoothly. Otherwise you can do it yourself and take your chances on whether it will be successful.