When someone dies, their estate often has an executor or administrator (called a personal representative) who manages everything. If that person has special authority under a California law called the Independent Administration of Estates Act, they can approve or reject bills and debts owed by the estate on their own, without the court getting involved.
The court will stay out of those decisions unless there is a good reason to step in. This means creditors who have a claim against the estate generally cannot ask a judge to review the personal representative's decision right away. They need to show good cause, meaning a real and specific reason why the court should get involved.
This rule does not apply when the personal representative or their lawyer is the one making a claim against the estate. In those cases, the court can review the claim without the good cause requirement, since those situations involve a potential conflict of interest.