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.
Lewes is in Sussex County.
More Estate Law Firms in Sussex County
Serves Sussex County from Milton. Guides executors and beneficiaries through estate administration before the Register of Wills, advises trustees on administering trusts that hold local real estate or family businesses, and handles trust disputes over validity, distributions and breach of fiduciary duty. Jason W. Adkins and Jennifer A. Tartt also practise real estate and business law.
Serves Sussex County from an office on South Race Street in Georgetown, the county seat. David W. Baker prepares wills and trusts and handles estates and asset protection.
Serves Sussex County from offices in Millsboro and Millville. Represents executors through estate administration before the register of wills, advises trustees on trust administration, and handles adult guardianship petitions for relatives whose incapacity planning was not completed. Its VA-accredited attorneys help clients qualify for long-term care Medicaid, and meetings can be held virtually.
Serves New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties from eight offices, with its main office on Kirkwood Highway in Wilmington. Its trusts and estates lawyers prepare wills, powers of attorney and living wills, explain probate before the Register of Wills, and advise families considering guardianship of an elderly relative. The firm has practised in Delaware since 1978.
Serves Sussex, Kent and New Castle counties from Rehoboth Beach. Guides families through probate, trust settlement and asset distribution after a death, and petitions for court-appointed guardianships of adults and minors. Founded in February 2024 by Rebecca N. Doyle, named a Delaware Today Top Lawyer five consecutive years; consultations are free.
Probate in Sussex County
Probate Court Record
Sussex County Register of Wills
Sussex County
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
E-filing
Filing in person
Self-represented filing
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Sussex County →
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Sussex County? →Settling an estate in Sussex 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.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
