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.
Seaford is in Sussex County.
More Probate Firms in Sussex 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 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 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.
Serves New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties from offices in Wilmington, Hockessin, Greenville, Middletown, Rehoboth Beach and Milford. Guides executors and personal representatives through probate and estate administration, using mediation and negotiation to settle family disputes over an estate, alongside wills and trusts. Joseph Giordano and David Gagne lead the firm.
Serves Sussex County from the Paynter House on The Circle in Georgetown, with offices in Lewes and Rehoboth Beach. Attorney William Schab drafts wills and settles estates, and the firm handles wills, trusts and probate after a death in the family alongside real estate settlements and land use matters.
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.
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.
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.
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.
How Much Can an Executor Charge?
Delaware pays executors reasonable compensation12 Del. C. § 2305 (commissions "as provided by rule of the Court of Chancery"; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, typically 2.2%Estimated from the 16 state statutes that set an executor fee schedule (median and interquartile range at this estate value)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.8%Estimated from the 16 state statutes that set an executor fee schedule (median and interquartile range at this estate value)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate.
Do I Need Probate?
In Delaware, estates with personal property of $50,000delcode.delaware.gov: 12 Del. C. § 2306Verified Sep 8, 2026View source or less skip probate with the Distribution Without Lettersdelcode.delaware.gov: 12 Del. C. § 2306Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, 30 daysdelcode.delaware.gov: 12 Del. C. § 2306Verified Sep 8, 2026View source after death.
What Are the Creditor Claim Deadlines?
In Delaware, creditors have 8 months12 Del. C. § 2102 (8 months from death for pre-death claims; 6 months for post-death claims)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source from the date of death to present claims; late claims are barred.
Can I Self-File Probate?
Delaware has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is available12 Del. C. §§ 1302, 1303, 1502, 1505 (Register of Wills proves the will and grants letters; proof taken without notice unless an interested person petitions the Court of Chancery)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
