Probate in Belknap County

Probate Court Record

Belknap County 4th Circuit - Probate Division

Belknap County · 4th Circuit

Hours

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

Office

26 Academy Street, Laconia, NH 03246

Self-represented filing

Allowed

Self-help forms

How to file probate in Belknap County →

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

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

Probate Firms Serving Belknap County

Wolfeboro firm focused on elder law and estate planning for older residents of Carroll and Belknap Counties in the Lakes Region. Centers on Medicaid eligibility and long-term-care planning, trust administration, and special-needs planning, building trust-based plans that avoid probate.

Solo PracticeServes 2 countiesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder LawSpecial Needs PlanningMedicaid Planning

Plymouth practice serving Grafton, Coos, Carroll, and Belknap County families since 1985. Attorneys Ora Schwartzberg and Christopher M. West build trust-based plans that keep a home out of probate and out of a court-supervised guardianship, plus durable powers of attorney and health care proxies. Meets by video conference for clients across northern New Hampshire.

Since 1985Serves 4 countiesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateMediationPowers Of Attorney+2

Estate planning firm serving the Seacoast and southern New Hampshire with offices in Hampton, Windham, Concord, and New London. Candice O'Neil brings nearly 20 years of estate planning experience and formerly served as a NH State Representative.

Solo PracticeServes 4 countiesEstate PlanningProbateBusiness SuccessionPowers Of AttorneyTrustsWills

Law Office of Thomas F. McCue, PLLC

27 Cambridge Street, Berlin, NH 03570

Solo practitioner serving the North Country from Berlin, NH with over 30 years of experience. Provides estate planning, probate, business law, and real estate services to clients in Coos and Merrimack Counties.

Solo PracticeSince 1992Serves 2 countiesEstate PlanningProbateTrusts

Concord firm handling trusts and estates for individuals and fiduciaries across New Hampshire, in practice since 1946. Work spans estate and trust administration, administration of irrevocable trusts, and probate litigation, including disputes among beneficiaries and fiduciaries.

Since 1946Estate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationElder Law+3

All 20 New Hampshire probate firms serving Belknap County →

Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in New Hampshire

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

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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 New Hampshire, a will is signed before 2NH RSA 551:2Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyNH RSA 551:2Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.

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Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in New Hampshire

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

How Much Does Probate Cost?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in New Hampshire costs an estimated $26,585NH Circuit Court Probate Division Rule 88 (reasonable compensation for work, responsibility, and risk; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 2%Modeled estimate under NH Circuit Court Probate Division Rule 88 (reasonable compensation for work, responsibility, and risk; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.2%Modeled estimate under NH Circuit Court Probate Division Rule 88 (reasonable compensation for work, responsibility, and risk; 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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How Do I Settle an Estate?

Settling an estate in New Hampshire: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 90 daysRSA 554:1, 554:26-aVerified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 6 monthsRSA §§ 553:16, 554:19, 556:1, 556:2, 556:3, 556:5, 556:29Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 9 months.

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How Much Can an Executor Charge?

New Hampshire pays executors reasonable compensationNH Circuit Court Probate Division Rule 88 (reasonable compensation determined by court; 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.

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Do I Need Probate?

New Hampshire sets no dollar limit for its Waiver of AdministrationNH Probate Div. Rule 88 (fees), NH Probate Div. Rule 169 (filing feesVerified Sep 8, 2026View source; eligibility turns on other tests.

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What Are the Creditor Claim Deadlines?

In New Hampshire, creditors have 6 monthsRSA 556:3Verified Sep 8, 2026View source from the personal representative's appointment to present claims; late claims are barred.

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Can I Self-File Probate?

New Hampshire has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is not availableRSA 552:6; RSA 553:2Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.

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