Last updated: August 2026
Sivendra Ganesh Maraj is an attorney at Bay Legal, P.C. who handles California estate planning and probate. He drafts revocable and irrevocable trusts, wills, powers of attorney, and advance health care directives, and he advises trustees and personal representatives through trust administration and probate court. He also handles uncontested divorce and premarital agreements. Maraj is licensed by the State Bar of California, License No. 355415, and was named a 2026 Northern California Super Lawyers Rising Star. He works from Bay Legal’s Palo Alto and Los Angeles offices and serves clients statewide.
Practice snapshot: California estate planning and probate. Trusts, wills, powers of attorney, health care directives, trust administration, estate administration, uncontested divorce, and premarital agreements.
Sivendra Maraj was an absolute pleasure to work with. The prospect of completing my Estate Planning was extremely daunting but Sivendra was very patient with me and extremely professional. He has an amazing way of taking confusing legal jargon and translating it into simplified language that even I could understand. I’m so grateful that this really important process is done and even more grateful that it was done with so much ease. I strongly recommend anyone needing to get their Estate Planning done to reach out to Sivendra.
This review reflects one client’s experience. Results depend on the facts and law of each individual case and do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in your matter.
What does Sivendra handle at Bay Legal?
Sivendra carries two practice areas and a narrow third. Estate planning covers the documents that decide who manages your affairs if you cannot, and who receives your property when you die. Probate and trust administration cover the court process and the fiduciary work that follow a death. The third area is limited family work: uncontested divorce and premarital agreements.
He works on:
- Living trusts and irrevocable trust planning
- Wills and pour-over wills
- Durable powers of attorney and advance health care directives
- Beneficiary designations, asset protection planning, and special needs planning
- Trust administration for successor trustees
- Probate and estate administration and small estate affidavits
- Uncontested divorce and premarital agreements
He does not handle contested custody, restraining orders, criminal matters, personal injury, or immigration. If your matter falls outside that scope, Bay Legal will say so at intake.
Estate planning: the documents and what each one does
A California will must be in writing, signed, and witnessed by at least two people who sign during the maker’s lifetime (Cal. Prob. Code § 6110). A will alone does not avoid probate. A revocable living trust can, but only if assets are actually transferred into it. An unfunded trust is the most common defect Sivendra sees in plans drafted elsewhere.
Incapacity documents matter as much. A durable power of attorney lets someone you name handle your finances if you cannot. An advance health care directive names an agent for medical decisions, under Cal. Prob. Code § 4600 et seq. Without both, a family may have to petition for a conservatorship instead.
| Will only | Revocable living trust | |
|---|---|---|
| Court involvement | Probate generally required above the small-estate threshold | Assets titled in the trust pass outside probate |
| Timeline | Often well over a year | Weeks to months, depending on the assets |
| Public record | The will and inventory enter the court file | The trust generally stays private |
How does probate and trust administration work in California?
Whoever holds the original will must lodge it with the superior court in the county where the person lived, generally within 30 days (Cal. Prob. Code § 8200). The court appoints a personal representative, who inventories the estate, notifies creditors, pays valid claims, and petitions for an order distributing what remains. Bay Legal files most often in Santa Clara County Superior Court and Los Angeles Superior Court, and also in San Mateo, Alameda, and Contra Costa counties.
Not every estate needs full probate. Where the estate is small enough, a successor may collect personal property by affidavit under Cal. Prob. Code § 13100. That threshold is $208,850 for decedents dying on or after April 1, 2025, and $184,500 for deaths between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2025. Where an asset was meant to be in a trust but never transferred, a petition under Cal. Prob. Code § 850 can bring it in.
Trust administration runs outside court but carries deadlines. After a settlor dies or a trust becomes irrevocable, the trustee must serve statutory notice on beneficiaries and heirs, generally within 60 days (Cal. Prob. Code § 16061.7). Sivendra advises trustees through the notice, accounting, retitling, and distribution. The California Courts probate self-help pages cover the court process in more detail.
Who does Sivendra represent?
Most of his clients fall into four groups: families building a first estate plan, often after a marriage, a birth, or a home purchase; people updating a plan that no longer matches their assets or their family; successor trustees and named executors handed a job they did not ask for; and beneficiaries who want to know what a trustee owes them before a disagreement becomes a dispute.
Where a matter turns into contested probate or trust litigation, Sivendra works with Bay Legal’s litigation attorneys rather than carrying it alone.
Does Sivendra handle family matters alongside an estate plan?
Yes, within limits. He handles uncontested divorce, where the spouses agree on property, support, and parenting terms and the work is drafting and filing rather than litigating. California imposes a waiting period of at least six months from service before a dissolution can be final (Cal. Fam. Code § 2339), so even an agreed case takes time.
He also drafts premarital agreements. California requires at least seven days between a party first receiving the agreement and signing it, among other conditions for enforceability (Cal. Fam. Code § 1615). A premarital agreement and an estate plan can contradict each other, so drafting them together avoids a conflict nobody finds until it matters.
He does not take contested dissolutions, contested custody, or restraining order matters.
How does Sivendra work a new matter?
- Intake call. Bay Legal’s intake team collects the basics and confirms the matter is in scope.
- Consultation. Sivendra reviews your situation and explains the options, including when the answer is that you do not need what you called about.
- Written scope and fee. You receive an engagement agreement stating what is included and what it costs before drafting begins.
- Drafting and review. He prepares the documents, then walks you through them before signing.
- Signing and funding. Documents are executed with the required witnesses or notarization, and trust assets are retitled. The plan is not finished until this step is.
What matters has Sivendra handled?
Representative work, described generically:
- Preparing complete estate plans — trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney, health care directives — and running the review meetings where clients decide how the plan operates.
- Advising successor trustees on notice, accounting, and distribution duties.
- Preparing trust packages and assisting with execution and administration in earlier probate roles.
- Research and drafting on dissolution, custody, and premarital and postmarital agreements, and court appearances in family law matters.
Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any other matter. Every case turns on its own facts and the applicable law.
Education, bar admission, and certifications
Education
- San Francisco Law School — Juris Doctor, 2022
- Brigham Young University–Idaho — B.A., Political Science, Foreign Affairs emphasis, 2018
Admission and licensure
- Admitted to practice in California, May 30, 2024. State Bar of California License No. 355415 — verify on the State Bar attorney search
- California Notary Public, Commission No. 2451638 (California Secretary of State)
Recognition
Named to the 2026 Northern California Super Lawyers Rising Stars list.
Super Lawyers Rising Stars is a peer-influenced, research-driven selection process. No aspect of this recognition has been approved by the Supreme Court of California, and it does not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any matter.
Prior experience
- Associate Attorney, Anthoor Law Group — estate planning and family law, from 2024 until joining Bay Legal.
- Paralegal and law clerk, The Law Office of R. Morgan Holland, LC — probate and family law, 2022 to 2024.
- Legal intern, Geihs Law Offices — real estate, probate, and contract research, 2021 to 2022.
Languages
English and French.
Community
Board member, Center for Immigration Law and Psychology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of matters does Sivendra Ganesh Maraj take?
He handles California estate planning, trust administration, and probate: trusts, wills, powers of attorney, health care directives, and the fiduciary work that follows a death. He also handles uncontested divorce and premarital agreements. He does not take contested custody, restraining orders, criminal defense, personal injury, or immigration matters.
Is Sivendra Ganesh Maraj licensed to practice law in California?
Yes. He is licensed by the State Bar of California under License No. 355415, and his status can be confirmed on the State Bar’s public licensee search. He also holds a California notary public commission. He is admitted in California only, and Bay Legal serves clients throughout the state.
Does Sivendra Ganesh Maraj work with French-speaking clients?
Yes. He is fluent in French as well as English, so a consultation, a document walkthrough, or a signing meeting can be held in French. The documents themselves are prepared in English, because California courts and county recorders require English filings. Ask for him by name when you schedule.
How much does it cost to work with Sivendra Ganesh Maraj?
Bay Legal prices many estate planning matters on a flat fee, so you know the cost before drafting starts. Probate is different: California sets statutory compensation for the personal representative and the estate’s attorney based on the value of the estate. You will receive a written fee agreement before work begins.
Does Sivendra Ganesh Maraj work with clients outside the Bay Area?
Yes. Bay Legal serves clients across California from offices in Palo Alto and Los Angeles, and most estate planning work can be handled by video call with secure electronic document review. Signing meetings and probate hearings are the exceptions, since they may require appearing in the county where the matter is filed.
Related Questions
Does a living trust avoid probate in California?
It can, but only for assets actually titled in the trust’s name. A trust that was signed but never funded does not avoid probate. Retitling property and accounts is the step that makes it work.
How long does California probate take?
Most California probates run well past a year from petition to final distribution. Creditor claim periods, court calendars, property sales, and beneficiary disputes all extend the timeline. Contested estates take longer.
What happens if someone dies without a will in California?
California’s intestate succession rules decide who inherits, in a fixed order starting with the spouse and children. The court also appoints the administrator. The result often differs from what the person would have chosen.
Do you still need a will if you have a trust?
Yes. A pour-over will catches anything you did not transfer into the trust and directs it there. It also names guardians for minor children, which a trust cannot do. Most complete plans include both.
Work with Sivendra
To discuss an estate plan, a trust administration, or a probate matter with Sivendra Ganesh Maraj, call the office nearest you or email intake.
Bay Legal, P.C. — serving California statewide
- Northern California office — 667 Lytton Ave Ste 3, Palo Alto, CA 94301 · (650) 668-8000
- Southern California office — 3211 Cahuenga Blvd W Ste 212, Los Angeles, CA 90068 · (213) 668-8000
- Intake: intake@baylegal.com · Fax: (650) 963-0041
This page is general information about California law and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. For advice on your specific situation, contact a licensed California attorney.