Williamsville estate practice on Main Street, working the Erie County and Niagara County Surrogate's Courts. Opens the estate on the nominated executor's petition and carries it through asset collection and distribution, and handles estates where assets arrive after death or where the estate must take on a legal proceeding. Also drafts wills, trusts, powers of attorney and health care documents.
Buffalo is in Erie County.
More Probate Firms in Erie County
Williamsville firm handling Erie County estates through the Surrogate's Court, from probate of a will to administration when there is none. The work covers marshaling assets, final accounting and settlement, and small estate proceedings for estates under $50,000, plus contested matters where an heir was excluded or an executor's conduct is questioned. Elder law and Medicaid crisis planning run alongside.
Williamsville firm outside Buffalo practising only in estate planning, elder law, trust planning, and estate administration, and serving Buffalo, Amherst, Clarence and the rest of Erie County. Its probate lawyers resolve claims and distribute estates under a will, and the firm handles kinship cases and Medicaid planning. Every matter is handled directly by a partner.
Orchard Park firm serving Erie County families in Surrogate's Court, whether a loved one left a will or died without one. The practice covers getting the executor or administrator appointed, identifying and collecting the decedent's assets, and distributing to beneficiaries. Planning work runs to Medicaid asset protection trusts and supplemental needs trusts for a beneficiary on public benefits.
Elma (Erie County) firm just outside Buffalo, protecting families and their assets since 1993. Handles Erie County Surrogate's Court probate and estate administration, including voluntary administration, Letters Testamentary, and ancillary probate for out-of-state decedents, plus wills, powers of attorney, and elder law.
Williamsville (Erie County) firm handling probate and estate administration across Western New York. Marshals and values assets, pays estate debts, files estate accountings, and represents beneficiaries and excluded heirs in will-validity and executor-impropriety disputes, including ancillary probate for out-of-state property. Free 30-minute consultation.
Probate in Erie County
Probate Court Record
Erie County Surrogate's Court
Erie County · 8th Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Erie County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Erie County? →Settling an estate in Erie 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.
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.
Do I Need Probate?
In New York, estates with personal property of $50,000SCPA § 1301Verified Sep 8, 2026View source or less use the Voluntary AdministrationSCPA § 1301Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, a court filing short of full probate.
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.
Can I Self-File Probate?
In New York, informal probate is not availableSCPA § 1408 (court must inquire into all facts before admitting a will to probate)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, so self-filing means a formal court petition rather than a registrar filing.
