Number Pages In Legal New York Probate Forms For Free

The Probate Records Pathfinder will direct you to the best sources for probate records created in New York from the British colonial period to the present. The Probate Records Leaflet identifies and discusses the various courts and offices that have filed, recorded, or maintained probate records in New York since 1665.

Assuming that no one is contesting the will or challenging the appointment of the executor, and assuming all of the decedent's next of kin (called distributees) can be found and will sign a waiver of process and consent to probate, you can expect to pay $3,000 - $3,500 in legal fees to have the will admitted to probate ...

Getting started with the probate process in New York The first step is to petition the Surrogate's Court in the county where your loved one lived or owned property. The filing must include the will, a certified copy of the death certificate, and a Probate Petition that is signed and notarized.

A Petition for Probate must be filed in the county that the deceased resided at the date of death. The petition must be filed with the original last will and testament, death certificate, and court filing fee. Additional supporting documents and affidavits may be required depending on the circumstances.

In New York state, a will only has to be submitted to probate if the decedent's remaining assets are worth $30,000 or more. Such assets do not include any property or funds that transferred via pay on death accounts, in trust for (ITF) accounts, or joint ownership, as these automatically bypass the probate process.

Generally, the probate process in New York takes about 9-18 months to complete. This includes the time it takes to file the initial petition, gather assets, pay debts and taxes, and distribute the remaining property to the beneficiaries.