Q: Unequal inheritances - CA Do statutory legal fees get allocated against beneficiary shares based on value of share?

A: Under California law, estate administration fees are generally paid from the estate as a whole before distribution to beneficiaries. This means that the fees are not directly allocated against individual beneficiary shares based on the value of each share. Instead, these fees are deducted from the estate's total assets, which can effectively reduce the value of all beneficiaries' shares.

In the scenario you described, where real property is specifically devised to one beneficiary and constitutes the majority of the estate's value, the administration fees would still initially be paid out of the total estate. This could indirectly affect the value of the real property being passed to the specific beneficiary. However, if the non-devised beneficiaries believe that the fees should be disproportionately borne by the beneficiary receiving the real property, they may need to raise this issue during the estate administration process.

There isn't a clear-cut rule in California that mandates proportional payment of estate fees based on the value of individual shares or specific devises. The handling of such situations can vary and may depend on the terms of the will, if any, and the decisions of the probate court. Beneficiaries concerned about the allocation of fees should consider seeking legal guidance or raising their concerns with the executor or administrator of the estate.

It's also worth noting that case law can provide guidance on specific circumstances, but each case is unique. For precise case law applicable to your situation, a thorough legal research specific to your circumstances would be required.