Probate in Washington County

Probate Court Record

Washington County Superior Court - Probate Division

Washington County

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM

Office

65 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05602

Filing in person

Walk-ins accepted

Self-represented filing

Allowed

Self-help forms

How to file probate in Washington County →

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

Do I need a lawyer for probate in Washington County? →Settling an estate in Washington County →

Guardianship Firms Serving Washington County

South Hero practice based in Grand Isle County that represents clients in almost every Vermont county. Harry Parker handles probate and trust administration and minor and adult guardianships, and drafts wills, trusts, powers of attorney and special needs plans. The Vermont Supreme Court appointed him in November 2025 to the Advisory Committee on the Rules of Probate Procedure.

Solo PracticeServes the whole stateEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateGuardianshipSpecial Needs PlanningReal Estate

Burlington firm with a White River Junction office whose attorneys handle matters in all fourteen Vermont counties. Its estates and trusts attorneys represent trustees in trust administration and fiduciaries and families in probate court estate and guardianship proceedings. Principal Mark Melendy served on the bar committees that drafted Vermont's trust-decanting and directed-trust acts.

Serves the whole stateEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder LawTax Planning+3

Middlebury solo practice serving clients throughout Vermont, begun by Jennifer Wagner in 2023 after Marsh & Wagner, P.C. dissolved. It guides executors through probating a will in Vermont probate court, from filing the will through paying creditors and taxes and locating beneficiaries, and handles will challenges and probate disputes. The first office visit is half-price.

Solo PracticeServes the whole stateEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationTax PlanningGuardianshipFamily Law

Rutland practice Nicole McPhee opened in 1996, serving all 14 Vermont counties; she has appeared before probate courts in every county. Her work includes Vermont probate administration and guardianship matters as well as wills, trusts, special needs trusts and estate tax planning, for a flat fee in three meetings held in person, by Zoom or through an online portal.

Solo PracticeSince 1996Serves the whole stateVirtual consultationsEstate PlanningProbateTax PlanningGuardianshipSpecial Needs PlanningAsset Protection

Middlebury firm formed in 2020 that practices in all of Vermont's civil, probate and environmental courts. Attorney Amy Menard focuses her litigation practice on trust and estate matters, handles probate and trust administration, and commonly serves as an estate administrator or trustee. Planning work includes wills, trusts, special needs trusts and Medicaid long-term care planning.

Since 2020Serves the whole stateEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+6

All 10 Vermont guardianship firms serving Washington County →

Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Vermont

Free Vermont forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for Vermont.

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Last Will and Testament

In Vermont, a will is signed before 214 V.S.A. § 5Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimony14 V.S.A. § 5Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.

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Free

Healthcare Power of Attorney

Vermont requires 218 V.S.A. § 9719Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses for a healthcare power of attorney; notarization is not required18 V.S.A. § 9719Verified Oct 15, 2026View source.

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Free

Financial Power of Attorney

Vermont treats a power of attorney as durable by default14 V.S.A. §§ 4004, 4005, 4006, 4007, 4009, 4013, 4019, 4020, 4031, 4047, 4051, 4052Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and it is signed with no witness or notary requirement14 V.S.A. §§ 4004, 4005, 4006, 4007, 4009, 4013, 4019, 4020, 4031, 4047, 4051, 4052Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.

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$12/month

Revocable Living Trust

Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.

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All Vermont forms

Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Vermont

Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in Vermont: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool for Vermont.

How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?

In Vermont, four years at a public university cost about $123,548NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 330.20, public 4-year in-state tuition, fees, room and board, academic year 2022-23Verified Oct 17, 2026View source and the cost of living is near the U.S. averageBEA Regional Price Parities, all items, by state, 2024Verified Oct 17, 2026View source; the state levies an estate tax32 V.S.A. § 7442aVerified Sep 15, 2026View source above $5,000,00032 V.S.A. § 7442aVerified Sep 15, 2026View source.

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What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Vermont runs $2,400Estimate: 10 hours at $240, Clio's Vermont Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $3,600Estimate: 15 hours at $240, Clio's Vermont Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source and a simple will $891Estimate: 3 hours at $297, Clio's Vermont Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $1,782Estimate: 6 hours at $297, Clio's Vermont Wills and Estates rate; 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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Who Inherits Without a Will?

Without a will in Vermont, a surviving spouse takes the entire estate14 V.S.A. § 311Verified Oct 21, 2026View source when every child of either spouse is a child of both, and descendants divide what passes to them per stirpes14 V.S.A. § 314Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.

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All Vermont tools