1Immediate Actions
The first days
First: Get Death Certificates
Required for everythingTown vital records offices serving the Glastonbury - Hebron Probate District
Office info
Secure the Property
- Lock the residence and secure valuable items
- Forward mail to a responsible family member
- Make a list of what you find (don't throw anything away yet)
Locate Important Documents
2Required by Law
First 30 days
Deposit the Will
Anyone holding the decedent's will must deliver it forthwith after learning of the death, either to an executor named in it or to the judge, clerk or assistant clerk of this Probate Court. Neglecting to deliver it within 30 days carries a fine of not more than $1,000, imprisonment of not more than one year, or both. Separately, each person who knows of being named executor must apply for probate within 30 days of the death or face a fine of not more than $250. There is no fee to deposit a will: the $25 filing fee in § 45a-109(9) applies to any document OTHER THAN a will. A will that is filed but not offered for probate is accompanied by form PC-211. (Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 45a-282, 45a-283; § 45a-109(9))
Creditor claim window
Creditors generally have 5 months from appointment of the first fiduciary to bring claims against the estate. (Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 45a-354, 45a-356, 45a-357, 45a-363, 45a-375)
Notify Key Parties
- Banks and credit card companies (to prevent unauthorized use)
- Social Security Administration (1-800-772-1213)
- Employer (if applicable) for final paycheck and benefits
3Assess Your Situation
Before filing anything
Which probate type is right for you?
Small estate? If the estate is worth less than the Connecticut small-estate limit (shown on the options below), you may qualify for simplified procedures.
Is there a valid will? If yes, you'll file for probate with will. If no will exists, it's intestate probate.
Complex assets? Business interests, real estate in multiple states, or contested claims may require probate administration.
Select a probate type below to see specific requirements and costs.
Which applies to your situation?
Not sure? Use the free checker at the top of this page - you don't have to decide this alone.
Connecticut's small-estate path. Instead of petitioning to admit a will or for letters of administration, an eligible person files a sworn affidavit on form PC-212 in the Probate Court for the district where the decedent resided. The court decides who is entitled to payment and distribution and decrees that each holder or registrant of an asset may transfer it. No fiduciary is appointed. The surviving spouse files; if there is none, any next of kin; and if there is no next of kin or they refuse, any person the court finds to have a sufficient interest, including a creditor. The court sends a copy of the affidavit to the Department of Administrative Services and may not issue a decree until 30 days after it was sent. Survivorship and beneficiary-designated assets do not count toward the $40,000, so a decedent can leave survivorship assets well above it and still qualify. A single solely owned Connecticut property disqualifies the route no matter how small the personal estate is. The affidavit does not buy a discount: the same § 45a-107 value scale applies, with a $25 floor, so a qualifying small estate pays between $25 and $255.
- Aggregate solely owned personal property of $40,000 or less
- No solely owned Connecticut real property at the date of death
- Affidavit signed under penalty of false statement
- Statement whether the decedent received aid or care from the state
- List of all solely owned assets and of all claims, expenses and taxes in the § 45a-365 priority categories
- Qualifies:
- $40,000
- Typical duration:
- 1-3 months
- Attorney:
- not required by law, though many families use one
The Probate Court admits the will, or grants administration where there is no will, appoints an executor or administrator, issues fiduciary certificates, and supervises the inventory, the creditor claims, the estate tax return and the final account. The petition is form PC-200, Petition/Administration or Probate of Will, filed in the probate district serving the town where the decedent resided, which for Glastonbury and Hebron is this court. Each person who knows of being named executor must apply for probate within 30 days of the death.
- Petition PC-200 filed in the probate district where the decedent resided
- Hearing on admission of the will, with notice, unless the will is proved out of court under § 45a-285
- Inventory (PC-2407) within 2 months of qualification
- Connecticut estate tax return within 6 months of death
- Final account or financial report, with a hearing unless all interested parties waive notice
- Qualifies:
- No dollar threshold. The default path whenever the § 45a-273 affidavit route is unavailable, which includes ANY estate holding solely owned Connecticut real property.
- Typical duration:
- 8-14 months
- Attorney:
- not required by law, though many families use one
Where a decedent is entitled to payment of medical benefits, insurance or health benefits or proceeds, or other intangible personal property, in a sum not exceeding $1,000, the judge of probate for the district where the decedent resided may name an administrator ex parte to enable distribution to the surviving spouse, or if none the next of kin, or to the funeral director or physician, on satisfactory evidence that all debts have been paid or provided for under § 45a-365.
- Qualifies:
- $1,000 or less of medical, insurance or health benefits or other intangible personal property owned by or payable to the decedent or the estate
- Attorney:
- not required by law, though many families use one
A will proved outside Connecticut may be presented for ancillary probate on form PC-201, Petition/Ancillary Probate of Will. Only the decedent's Connecticut real property and tangible personal property, plus intangibles when the Connecticut proceeding is not ancillary to another jurisdiction, go into the Connecticut inventory.
- Qualifies:
- A nonresident decedent who owned Connecticut real property or tangible personal property
- Attorney:
- not required by law, though many families use one
An estate may be declared insolvent on form PC-204, which opens the §§ 45a-376 to 45a-383 insolvency procedure. Claims are then paid in the § 45a-365 order of priority. The Probate Court must set out to the surviving spouse the household goods exempt from execution and may set out other exempt property (§ 45a-435).
- Qualifies:
- The estate's assets are insufficient to pay claims, expenses and taxes
- Attorney:
- not required by law, though many families use one
4File for Probate
Where to file, forms & fees
Where to File
Free Filing Help Available
Glastonbury - Hebron Probate Court can help you understand forms and filing requirements at no cost.
Visit Self-Help Center