Court Investigator's Review
Santa Barbara County - Judge Jed Beebe - 20260708 Tentative Ruling: Conservatorship of Terry Allen Ramsey Tentative Ruling: Conservatorship of Terry Allen Ramsey Case Number 1171960 Case Type Conservatorship Hearing Date / Time Mon, 07/13/2026 - 08:30 Nature of Proceedings Review Hearing on Transfer to Contra Costa County Tentative Ruling Probate Notes: Appearances required. There is no notification of receipt of transfer on file from Contra Costa County.
Tentative Ruling: Estate of Fidel Lira Tentative Ruling: Estate of Fidel Lira Case Number 24PR00325 Case Type Decedent's Estate Hearing Date / Time Mon, 07/13/2026 - 08:30 Nature of Proceedings Review of Disposition of Reserve Tentative Ruling Probate Notes: On March 9, 2026, this Court approved final distribution, with a $20,000 reserve, and set this matter for hearing to review the disposition of the reserve. Please submit accounting of reserve distribution and receipts from those entitled to receive distribution from the reserve.
Tentative Ruling: Conservatorship of George Bradford Fisher Tentative Ruling: Conservatorship of George Bradford Fisher Case Number 1230156 Case Type Conservatorship Hearing Date / Time Mon, 05/18/2026 - 08:30 Nature of Proceedings Court Investigator's Review Tentative Ruling
Probate Notes: The court investigator's report has been received and recommends that the conservatorship continue. No appearance is required. The next review hearing will be held on the same date of the next scheduled Accounting, June 7, 2027.
Tentative Ruling: Guardianship of Arian Anthony Santos Tentative Ruling: Guardianship of Arian Anthony Santos Case Number 22PR00572 Case Type Guardianship Hearing Date / Time Mon, 07/06/2026 - 08:30 Nature of Proceedings Review: Second Accounting and Report Tentative Ruling Probate Notes: Appearances permitted to address notes, but not required. After review of the Second Supplement filed on June 22, 2026, the following is noted for the Court: Reduction of Attorney's Fees recommended. The requested attorney's fees of $5,547.75 should only be approved for $3,950, because several billing entries reveal what is 1) clerical work and 2) reveal entries formally referred to as "duplicative work" or "padding," and more commonly known as "remedial work" to correct Court-identified discrepancies in the accounting.
This is confirmed in the Second Supplement attorney for the Guardian filed on June 22, 2026, where attorney confirmed that some of the time billed for the First Accounting was to correct discrepancies in the First Accounting that were identified in the Probate Notes.
Attorney's fees are within the sound discretion of the Court, and can be reduced for a multitude of reasons. (
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As for the Second Accounting, the descriptions of the work performed reveal that much of the work performed was for work that was clerical, not legal in nature, and the account was so simple that hardly any attorney's fees need have been generated. The rate this court usually allows for clerical work is $65 per hour. Therefore, the fee request in this case should be disallowed in part, leaving a fee award of $3,950 plus $501.10 in agreed-upon costs, for a total for $4,451.10.
Tentative Ruling: Conservatorship of Joel Ibarra Tentative Ruling: Conservatorship of Joel Ibarra Case Number 24PR00531 Case Type Conservatorship