CHAPTER 2. Duties and Liabilities of Attorney [710. - 716.]

Cal. Probate Code - PROB 2.

in effect

Cal. Probate Code - PROB § 710. Section 710.

If a document is deposited with an attorney, the attorney, and a successor attorney that accepts transfer of the document, shall use ordinary care for preservation of the document on and after July 1, 1994, whether or not consideration is given, and shall hold the document in a safe, vault, safe deposit box, or other secure place where it will be reasonably protected against loss or destruction.

Cal. Probate Code - PROB § 711. Section 711.

If a document deposited with an attorney is lost or destroyed, the attorney shall give notice of the loss or destruction to the depositor by one of the following methods: (a) By delivering pursuant to Section 1215 the notice to the depositor’s last known address. (b) By the method most likely to give the depositor actual notice.

Cal. Probate Code - PROB § 712. Section 712.

Notwithstanding failure of an attorney to satisfy the standard of care required by Section 710 or 716, the attorney is not liable for loss or destruction of the document if the depositor has actual notice of the loss or destruction and a reasonable opportunity to replace the document, and the attorney offers without charge either to assist the depositor in replacing the document, or to prepare a substantially similar document and assist in its execution.

Cal. Probate Code - PROB § 713. Section 713.

The acceptance by an attorney of a document for deposit imposes no duty on the attorney to do either of the following: (a) Inquire into the content, validity, invalidity, or completeness of the document, or the correctness of any information in the document. (b) Provide continuing legal services to the depositor or to any beneficiary under the document. This subdivision does not affect the duty, if any, of the drafter of the document to provide continuing legal services to any person.

Cal. Probate Code - PROB § 714. Section 714.

(a) If so provided in a written agreement signed by the depositor, an attorney may charge the depositor for compensation and expenses incurred in safekeeping or delivery of a document deposited with the attorney. (b) No lien arises for the benefit of an attorney on a document deposited with the attorney, whether before or after its transfer, even if provided by agreement.

Cal. Probate Code - PROB § 715. Section 715.

An attorney may give written notice to a depositor, and obtain written acknowledgment from the depositor, in the following form: NOTICE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT To: (Name of depositor) (Address) (City, state, and ZIP) (Electronic address) I have accepted your will or other estate planning document for safekeeping. I must use ordinary care for preservation of the document. You must keep me advised of any change in your addresses shown above. If you do not and I cannot return this document to you when necessary, I will no longer be required to use ordinary care for preservation of the document, and I may transfer it to another attorney, or I may transfer it to the clerk of the superior court of the county of your last known domicile, and give notice of the transfer to the State Bar of California. (Signature of attorney) (Address of attorney) (City, state, and ZIP) (Electronic address) My addresses shown above are correct. I understand that I must keep you advised of any change in these addresses. Dated: (Signature of depositor)

Cal. Probate Code - PROB § 716. Section 716.

Notwithstanding Section 710, if an attorney has given written notice to the depositor, and has obtained written acknowledgment from the depositor, in substantially the form provided in Section 715, and the requirements of subdivision (a) of Section 732 are satisfied, the attorney, and a successor attorney that accepts transfer of a document, shall use at least slight care for preservation of a document deposited with the attorney.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026