New York Probate Guide
County-specific probate filing-office contacts, filing fees, required forms, and step-by-step guidance for families settling an estate in New York.
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New York Probate Filing Offices by County
Choose your county to get its probate court contacts, filing fees, and required forms. 62 counties have detailed data.
Showing 36 of 62 counties. Search by county name or show the full list.
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New York Probate Guides
View all guides
New York Probate Guide
New York probate guide covering Surrogate's Court, probate with a will, administration with no will, voluntary administration, filing fees, and first steps.
How to Avoid Probate in New York
How to avoid probate in New York with beneficiary designations, survivorship title, living trusts, transfer-on-death deeds, and small-estate checks.
New York Probate Timeline
New York probate timeline guide covering Surrogate's Court filing, letters, creditor claims, estate tax timing, accounting, and small-estate timing.
New York Executor Duties Guide
New York executor duties guide covering letters testamentary, asset control, creditor claims, tax timing, accounting, commissions, and distribution safeguards.
Letters Testamentary New York Guide
Letters testamentary New York guide explaining what court letters do, how probate connects to executor authority, forms, eligibility, and related estate letters.
How Pet Trusts Work in New York
How a New York pet trust works under EPTL 7-8.1: setting aside money for an animal's care, naming a caregiver, trustee, and enforcer, and funding it right.
Browse New York guide topics
Jump to court, executor, tax, planning, property, and probate-avoidance guides that match your next task.
Browse New York guide topics
Jump to court, executor, tax, planning, property, and probate-avoidance guides that match your next task.
Probate Basics
3Forms & Court
4Executor Duties
4Taxes & Deadlines
6Planning Documents
6Property Transfer
1New York Probate Self-Help and Online Resources
New York probate source navigation starts with state court, form, agency, legal-help, or referral links that are already tracked in Settled state data. These links are state-level starting points, not county-specific filing instructions.
Which New York probate source should you use?
- Start with the state court, form, or self-help source for general New York probate context.
- Use county filing-office, clerk, register, or court pages for local filing locations, local forms, fee schedules, and records portals.
- Use legal-help, law-library, or referral links as research or referral paths, not as a substitute for counsel.
- Verify current filing steps with the county office, court, clerk, register, legal-aid source, or counsel before filing.
New York probate resource questions
Are these New York probate resources county-specific?
No. This map shows state-level source links from Settled data. Use it with the New York county page and the county office handling the estate before filing.
Which New York source should I use first?
Start with the official court, form, or agency source for the task, then confirm local requirements with the county filing office, clerk, register, or office that accepts the filing.
Does the New York Probate Resource Map replace attorney review?
No. The map is source navigation. It helps families find current public sources, but it does not decide eligibility, prepare filings, or replace advice from counsel.
New York probate resource map by source type
State court, form, statute, agency, and self-help sources for general probate and estate-settlement questions.
County court, clerk, register, or filing-office pages for local probate divisions, filing paths, local forms, fee references, and courthouse-specific resources.
Referral paths for finding certified lawyer-referral services when a family wants help locating counsel.
Show all New York self-help resources (17 links)
Statewide process, forms, and code sources
State court, form, statute, agency, and self-help sources for general probate and estate-settlement questions.
- New York CourtHelp - Probate
State-level source record in Settled data, accessed 2026-06-03.
- New York CourtHelp - Small Estate / Voluntary Administration
State-level source record in Settled data, accessed 2026-06-03.
- New York SCPA 1301 - Small Estate Definitions
State-level source record in Settled data, accessed 2026-06-03.
- New York EPTL 4-1.1 - Intestate Succession
State-level source record in Settled data, accessed 2026-06-03.
- New York EPTL 5-3.1 - Exemption for Benefit of Family
State-level source record in Settled data, accessed 2026-06-03.
- New York Real Property Law 424 - Transfer on Death Deed
State-level source record in Settled data, accessed 2026-06-03.
- New York SCPA 2307 - Fiduciary Commissions
State-level source record in Settled data, accessed 2026-06-03.
- New York State Department of Health - Death Certificates
State-level source record in Settled data, accessed 2026-06-03.
- New York City Department of Health - Death Certificates
State-level source record in Settled data, accessed 2026-06-03.
- New York DMV - If a Family Member Has Passed Away
State-level source record in Settled data, accessed 2026-06-03.
- New York State Department of Taxation and Finance - Estate Tax
State-level source record in Settled data, accessed 2026-06-03.
- New York State - Counties
State-level source record in Settled data, accessed 2026-06-03.
County filing-office sources
County court, clerk, register, or filing-office pages for local probate divisions, filing paths, local forms, fee references, and courthouse-specific resources.
- New York Courts - Surrogate's Court Forms
State-level source record in Settled data, accessed 2026-06-03.
- New York SCPA 2402 - Surrogate's Court Fees
State-level source record in Settled data, accessed 2026-06-03.
- New York CourtHelp
Court information, DIY forms, Surrogate's Court self-help pages
- New York State Unified Court System
Surrogate's Court information, Court locator, Forms
Referral-navigation sources
Referral paths for finding certified lawyer-referral services when a family wants help locating counsel.
- LawHelpNY
State-level source record in Settled data, accessed 2026-06-03.
Settled pairs these New York source links with county pages, forms, first-step guides, transfer guides, and source notes so families can move from statewide context to the local office that handles the estate.
Types of Probate in New York
New York offers several probate procedures depending on estate value and circumstances.
The full court process
Legal name: Formal Probate
Court-supervised administration for estates that do not qualify for a shortcut.
- Timeline
- 6-12+ months
- Attorney
- Recommended
A shorter path for qualifying estates
Legal name: Simplified Probate
A shorter court process that may be available for qualifying estates.
- Timeline
- Varies
- Attorney
- Recommended
A shortcut for smaller estates
Legal name: Small Estate Procedure
A limited shortcut for qualifying small estates.
- Timeline
- Varies
- Attorney
- Optional
New York Estate Law Overview
New York Estate Tax Info
New York tax information for estates
Federal estate tax info
Federal estate tax only applies to estates exceeding $15,000,000 (2026).
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Intestate succession controls who receives probate property when a New York decedent dies without a valid will.
New York Homestead Protection
New York does not have a Florida/Texas-style constitutional probate homestead shield recorded in these sources. Home transfers are handled through title, TOD deed, survivorship, trust, probate, or administration paths. Property tax exemptions may apply separately.
Exempt Property
EPTL 5-3.1 sets aside specified family exemption property for a surviving spouse, or if none or disqualified, children under age 21. These items are not treated as estate assets to the extent the statute applies.
Latest New York Articles
Letters Testamentary in New York: What Banks and Courts Ask For
Letters testamentary in New York guide for executors checking probate authority, certified copies, forms, asset-holder requests, and related court letters.
New York Health Care Proxy Checklist: Agent, Witnesses, and Medical Wishes
New York health care proxy checklist covering agent choice, two-witness signing, medical authority, artificial nutrition and hydration wishes, MOLST, and updates.
New York Probate Deadlines: Executor Watch Dates
New York probate deadlines guide for executors, administrators, and families tracking letters, creditor timing, estate tax, small estates, and court filing steps.
New York Small Estate Voluntary Administration: Filing Path Check
New York small estate voluntary administration guide for families checking the $50,000 personal-property limit, real property limits, filing papers, and court certificates.