Probate in Ulster County

Probate Court Record

Ulster County Surrogate's Court

Ulster County · 3rd Judicial District

Hours

Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM

Office

244 Fair Street, Kingston, NY 12401

Self-represented filing

Allowed

Self-help forms

How to file probate in Ulster County →

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

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

Probate Firms Serving Ulster County

Cairo (Greene County) two-lawyer practice serving the Catskills — Coxsackie, Catskill, Windham, Hudson, Ravena and Kingston. Guides estate administrators and executors through probate, and drafts wills, trusts, powers of attorney and health care proxies alongside Medicaid asset protection. Michael Esslie and Denise Frenia Esslie, a husband-and-wife team each with more than 16 years in practice, handle matters personally and offer free consultations, home visits and after-hours appointments.

Serves 4 countiesFree consultationEstate PlanningProbateElder LawMedicaid Planning

Goshen solo practice a few minutes from the Orange County Surrogate's Court, also serving Ulster, Sullivan and Rockland. Walks a surviving spouse or child through being appointed executor or administrator, marshaling scattered accounts, filing the inventory, paying creditors and taxes, filing the decedent's final return and the estate return, and filing the final account with the court. Former chairman of the Orange County Bar Association Elder Law Committee.

Solo PracticeServes 4 countiesFree consultationEstate PlanningProbateElder LawTax PlanningSpecial Needs PlanningMedicaid Planning

Poughkeepsie firm at 85 Civic Center Plaza representing executors and administrators in the Dutchess County Surrogate's Court. Handles the collection and marshalling of estate assets, appraisal of real and personal property, payment of debts, expenses and taxes, and final distribution to beneficiaries, plus estate accounting and will-contest proceedings when a family disputes the estate.

Since 1914Serves 6 countiesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationTax PlanningAsset Protection+3

White Plains trusts-and-estates firm whose six attorneys serve the New York City metro area from one Westchester Avenue office. Handles probate and estate administration for executors, administrators and trustees, trust administration and modification, trust and estate litigation and fiduciary accountings, estate and gift tax, Medicaid protective trusts, and Article 17, 17-A and 81 guardianships.

Serves 13 countiesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateTrust LitigationElder Law+3

Lake Success (Nassau County) firm guiding executors, administrators, trustees and beneficiaries through New York Surrogate's Court — probate, estate and trust administration, and contested estates and objections to a will or to fiduciary conduct. Also handles estate planning, retirement-distribution planning, Medicaid and elder law. Absorbed the Berwitz & DiTata estate practice.

Since 2000Serves 9 countiesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+4

Bronx firm on East Tremont Avenue with an appointment-only New Rochelle office, serving Bronx, Westchester, Manhattan and Queens families since 1989. Walks executors and administrators through filing the will and petition with the Surrogate's Court, getting appointed, notifying heirs, beneficiaries and creditors, collecting and valuing assets, paying debts, taxes and expenses, and distributing what remains. Also takes contested probate - will contests, undue-influence claims, disputes over asset ownership and challenges to executor authority - plus trust administration, guardianships and conservatorships, and Medicaid and special-needs planning. Consultations are free and the firm practices in Spanish.

Since 1989Serves 4 countiesFree consultationEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationElder Law+6

All 20 New York probate firms serving Ulster 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.

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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 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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