Troy firm at 22 First Street serving Albany, Troy, Schenectady and Saratoga in the Capital District, tracing its roots to 1813. Handles estate and trust administration: probating wills, intestate administration, beneficiary and fiduciary representation, contested accountings, will contests and right-of-election claims, plus Medicaid planning and guardianship petitions.
Probate in Albany County
Probate Court Record
Albany County Surrogate's Court
Albany County · 3rd Judicial District
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How to file probate in Albany County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Albany County? →Settling an estate in Albany County →
Probate Litigation Firms Serving Albany County
Schenectady solo practice serving families through the Schenectady County Surrogate's Court and four neighbouring counties. The office locates and values estate property, collects investment income, determines payment of claims, debts and taxes, prepares estate tax returns and distributes property to beneficiaries. Will challenges based on capacity, execution, undue influence or duress are handled in-house.
Binghamton (Broome County) firm tracing its lineage to 1898, with seven New York offices from Ithaca to Walton. Its trusts, estates and elder law group counsels executors, administrators and trustees through estate and trust administration, obtains Letters Testamentary and Letters of Administration, and litigates disputed executor appointments in Surrogate's Court.
New York (Manhattan) boutique on Third Avenue whose practice is trust, estate and fiduciary litigation. Represents heirs, spouses, next of kin, executors, trustees and charities in Surrogate's Courts across the state — will and trust contests, contested accountings, turnover and kinship proceedings, and fiduciary removal — and handles guardianships.
Financial District firm on Maiden Lane guiding executors and beneficiaries through New York Surrogate's Court probate, including SCPA 1404 examinations and will contests, and filing final 1040 and fiduciary 1041 returns. Also drafts wills, trusts, and powers of attorney, and builds Medicaid asset-protection trusts around the five-year look-back. Serving New York families since 2017.
All 11 New York probate litigation firms serving Albany County →
Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in New York
Free New York forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for New York.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
Last Will and Testament
In New York, a will is signed before 2EPTL § 3-2.1Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyEPTL § 3-2.1Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in New York
Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in New York: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool for New York.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in New York costs an estimated $35,992SCPA § 2110 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 2.5%Modeled estimate under SCPA § 2110 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 4%Modeled estimate under SCPA § 2110 (reasonable compensation; 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.
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Without a will in New York, a surviving spouse takes the first $50,000 plus half of the restEPTL § 4-1.1Verified Oct 21, 2026View source when a child or other descendant survives, and descendants divide what passes to them per capita at each generationEPTL § 4-1.1; EPTL § 1-2.16Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
What Are the Creditor Claim Deadlines?
In New York, the 7 monthsSCPA § 1802Verified Sep 8, 2026View source period after the personal representative's appointment protects a representative who distributes after it; late claims can still reach undistributed assets.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in New York: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 270 days22 NYCRR 207.20Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 7 monthsSCPA 1802, 1803, 1810, 1811; EPTL 11-1.5Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 7 months to 9 months.
How Much Can an Executor Charge?
New York sets executor compensation by statute — about $19,000 on a $500,000 estate, roughly 3.8%SCPA § 2307Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
