Background
The Public Administrator, currently an office under Sonoma County Human Services, investigates referrals from a designated
agency or person regarding personal decision-making, possessions and assets of adult Sonoma County residents who:
have died without a will or trust stating how their assets should be distributed or, there is no other person willing or able
to act, or
may, as a result of a mental illness or inability to make decisions in their own best interests, require a conservator to
manage their personal decision-making or financial affairs.
If the investigation shows the need for Sonoma County action, then a petition is filed with the California Superior Court
in Sonoma County requesting staff have the authority to act as the administrator of the adult’s estate, or to act as the conservator
of the impaired adult’s person and/or estate.
Availability
Materials stored offsite, but collection is open to research. In many cases, further details on individual volumes can be
found by calling staff at the Sonoma County History and Genealogy Library. To view these materials, please call staff at
to request they be brought from the Archives to the Library