Serves all three Delaware counties from Seaford, with further offices in Camden, Milford, Rehoboth Beach, Bethany Beach and Middletown. Represents executors, administrators, trustees and beneficiaries in probate filings, creditor notices, deed transfers and distributions, and in trust administration. Attorneys work in English and Spanish, and Steve Nowak heads the estate planning department.
Hockessin is in New Castle County.
More Estate Law Firms in New Castle County
Serves all three Delaware counties from offices in Wilmington, Dover, Lewes and Georgetown. The Estates & Trusts group advises executors and trustees on settling estates and administering trusts, and represents fiduciaries and beneficiaries in will contests, guardianship, accounting and fiduciary duty disputes. Its elder law practice handles Delaware Medicaid long-term care planning.
Serves New Castle County from Courthouse Square on King Street in downtown Wilmington. The Wills, Trusts and Estates practice, led by senior counsel Steven R. Director, handles estate and trust administration, family disputes after a decedent's distribution decisions become known, and federal estate and gift tax planning. Director is a past Chair of the Estate Planning Council of Delaware.
Serves New Castle County from the Darley House in Claymont. Gregory F. Birney focuses his practice on estate planning alongside alcoholic beverage licensing, and also handles business transactions. Appointments are offered by phone and remotely, including evenings and weekends, while signing of estate planning documents usually takes place in person.
Serves New Castle County from Newark. Valerie M. Carr opens estates with the Register of Wills, handles creditor notices, inventories, accountings and final distributions, and helps beneficiaries collect non-probate assets at hourly rates. She sits on the Estate Administration subcommittee of the Delaware State Bar Association's Estates and Trusts section and opened the practice in 2015.
Serves New Castle County from Wilmington. Its Wills & Probate practice drafts wills, powers of attorney and living wills, alongside family law, personal injury and workers' compensation work. Founded in 2006 by Tabatha L. Castro, it describes itself as one of the first Hispanic-owned law firms in Delaware and has a Spanish-language site.
Probate in New Castle County
Probate Court Record
New Castle County Register of Wills
New Castle County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Thursday 8:00 AM-noon and 1:00 PM-3:30 PM; Friday 8:00 AM-noon and 1:00 PM-3:00 PM
Office
800 North French Street, 2nd Floor, Wilmington, DE 19801
Website
E-filing
Filing in person
Appointment required
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
How to file probate in New Castle County →
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in New Castle County? →Settling an estate in New Castle County →
Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Delaware
Free Delaware forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for Delaware.
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Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
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Last Will and Testament
In Delaware, a will is signed before 212 Del. C. § 202Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimony12 Del. C. § 202Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
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Healthcare Power of Attorney
Delaware requires 116 Del. C. § 2511Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witness for a healthcare power of attorney; notarization is not required16 Del. C. § 2511Verified Oct 15, 2026View source.
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Financial Power of Attorney
Delaware requires explicit durability language for a power of attorney to survive incapacity12 Del.C. §§ 49A-104, 49A-105, 49A-106, 49A-109, 49A-113, 49A-114, 49A-119, 49A-120, 49A-201, 49A-204 through 49A-217, 49A-301; 12 Del.C. §§ 5002, 5004, 5005; 25 Del.C. §§ 151, 154, 155, 172Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and it is signed before 112 Del.C. §§ 49A-104, 49A-105, 49A-106, 49A-109, 49A-113, 49A-114, 49A-119, 49A-120, 49A-201, 49A-204 through 49A-217, 49A-301; 12 Del.C. §§ 5002, 5004, 5005; 25 Del.C. §§ 151, 154, 155, 172Verified Oct 21, 2026View source witness and a notary.
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Free
Pour-Over Will
In Delaware, a pour-over will is signed before 212 Del. C. § 202Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.
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Transfer on Death Deed
In Delaware, a transfer on death deed is signed before a notary25 Del. C. Ch. 2, 201-221Verified Oct 18, 2026View source and 225 Del. C. Ch. 2, 201-221Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, then recorded with the county before the owner's death25 Del. C. Ch. 2, 201-221Verified Oct 18, 2026View source. Delaware does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.
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Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Delaware
Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in Delaware: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool for Delaware.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
In Delaware, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 2.5%Modeled estimate under 12 Del. C. § 2305 (fees "as provided by rule of the Court of Chancery"; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.9%Modeled estimate under 12 Del. C. § 2305 (fees "as provided by rule of the Court of Chancery"; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.
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Do I Need a Revocable Trust?
Probate in Delaware takes 9 months to 12 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees of typically 2.5%Modeled estimate under 12 Del. C. § 2305 (fees "as provided by rule of the Court of Chancery"; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.9%Modeled estimate under 12 Del. C. § 2305 (fees "as provided by rule of the Court of Chancery"; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.
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How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Delaware costs an estimated $33,96412 Del. C. § 2305 (fees "as provided by rule of the Court of Chancery"; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 2.5%Modeled estimate under 12 Del. C. § 2305 (fees "as provided by rule of the Court of Chancery"; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.9%Modeled estimate under 12 Del. C. § 2305 (fees "as provided by rule of the Court of Chancery"; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.
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What Are the Estate Laws in My State?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Delaware costs an estimated $33,96412 Del. C. § 2305 (fees "as provided by rule of the Court of Chancery"; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source and takes 9 months to 12 months for a simple estate, with attorney fees of typically 2.5%Modeled estimate under 12 Del. C. § 2305 (fees "as provided by rule of the Court of Chancery"; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.9%Modeled estimate under 12 Del. C. § 2305 (fees "as provided by rule of the Court of Chancery"; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate. Estates under $50,000delcode.delaware.gov: 12 Del. C. § 2306Verified Sep 8, 2026View source can use a small-estate procedure instead.
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How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Delaware: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 90 daysDel. Code tit. 12, §§ 1904, 1905, 1908, 1910Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 8 months12 Del. C. §§ 2101, 2102, 2103, 2104, 2105, 2109Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 9 months to 12 months.
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What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Delaware runs $4,390Estimate: 10 hours at $439, Clio's Delaware Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $6,585Estimate: 15 hours at $439, Clio's Delaware Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source and a simple will $1,317Estimate: 3 hours at $439, Clio's Delaware Trusts rate (no Wills and Estates rate published); Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $2,634Estimate: 6 hours at $439, Clio's Delaware Trusts rate (no Wills and Estates rate published); Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
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