Estate planning attorneys in Connecticut average $388Clio Compare Lawyer Rates, Connecticut: Wills and Estates rate (2025 data)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source an hour for wills and estates work. A flat-fee package runs $1,164Estimate: 3 hours at $388, Clio's Connecticut Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $2,328Estimate: 6 hours at $388, Clio's Connecticut Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for a simple individual will and $4,460Estimate: 10 hours at $446, Clio's Connecticut Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $6,690Estimate: 15 hours at $446, Clio's Connecticut Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for a basic revocable trust. An online service prices the same documents in the tens to low hundreds of dollars; the Connecticut will cost calculator sets the two side by side.
In Connecticut, estates with personal property of $40,000C.G.S. § 45a-273Verified Sep 8, 2026View source or less use the Small Estate Affidavit (Affidavit in Lieu of Probate of Will/Administration, PC-212)C.G.S. § 45a-273Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, 30 daysC.G.S. § 45a-273Verified Sep 8, 2026View source after death, a court filing short of full probate. That route is a form rather than a court case, and most families handle it without an attorney. Above the line, formal probate generally benefits from counsel for the procedural work, even when nothing is contested. The Connecticut probate calculator estimates the cost by estate value.
In Connecticut, the situations where counsel is typically worth the cost are: a blended family with children from a prior relationship; a business, rental property or significant investment assets; a dependent with special needs, who needs a special-needs trust to keep benefits; an estate near or above the Connecticut estate taxConn. Gen. Stat. § 12-391Verified Sep 15, 2026View source threshold of $15,000,000Conn. Gen. Stat. § 12-391Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; substantial property in more than one state. Where none of these apply, an online or self-help document is often enough.
Filter the directory by county and by the practice area you need, and look for experience with your situation; a board certification in estate planning, trust or probate law is a strong signal. Most Connecticut estate planning attorneys offer an initial consultation, some free and some for a flat fee. Ask up front whether the firm bills by the hour or by package, and what your situation is expected to cost.
Free forms for planning your estate in Connecticut: a will, living trust, pour-over will, both powers of attorney, living will, and TOD deed.
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
Connecticut treats a power of attorney as durable by defaultConn. Gen. Stat. §§ 1-1d, 1-350c, 1-350d, 1-350e, 1-350f, 1-350h, 1-350i, 1-350k, 1-350l, 1-350r, 1-351, 1-352, 1-362, 1-365; § 47-10Verified Sep 18, 2026View source, and it is signed before 2Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 1-1d, 1-350c, 1-350d, 1-350e, 1-350f, 1-350h, 1-350i, 1-350k, 1-350l, 1-350r, 1-351, 1-352, 1-362, 1-365; § 47-10Verified Sep 18, 2026View source witnesses.
In Connecticut, a will is signed before 2Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-251Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyConn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-251Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
Free tools for planning your estate in Connecticut: what a will or trust costs, whether you need a trust or TOD deed, and how documents are signed.
An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in Connecticut runs $4,460Estimate: 10 hours at $446, Clio's Connecticut Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $6,690Estimate: 15 hours at $446, Clio's Connecticut Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
In Connecticut, four years at a public university cost about $120,184NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 330.20, public 4-year in-state tuition, fees, room and board, academic year 2022-23Verified Oct 17, 2026View source and the cost of living is near the U.S. averageBEA Regional Price Parities, all items, by state, 2024Verified Oct 17, 2026View source; the state levies an estate taxConn. Gen. Stat. § 12-391Verified Sep 15, 2026View source above $15,000,000Conn. Gen. Stat. § 12-391Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Connecticut runs $4,460Estimate: 10 hours at $446, Clio's Connecticut Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $6,690Estimate: 15 hours at $446, Clio's Connecticut Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source and a simple will $1,164Estimate: 3 hours at $388, Clio's Connecticut Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $2,328Estimate: 6 hours at $388, Clio's Connecticut Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
Connecticut does not revoke an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceConn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-257cVerified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.
38 special needs planning firms in Connecticut, by county and firm type.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to discuss your situation and verify their current practice areas and availability.
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38 firms
FirmBristol, CT
Bristol elder law firm with a probate team of attorneys and paralegals serving families across Connecticut. Settles estates through probate, including defending a will that is contested, and handles Medicaid planning, special needs trusts, and veterans benefits.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawSpecial Needs Planningand 4 more
Solo PracticeWallingford, CT
Wallingford practice serving clients in and around the Wallingford area. Helps executors, administrators, trustees, and conservators carry out their duties, and has served hundreds of times as a fiduciary under court orders or trust designations. Also handles will contests, probate appeals, trust disputes, and Title 19 applications.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 7 more
Solo PracticeGlastonbury, CT
Estate and probate practice meeting clients by appointment in Glastonbury and West Hartford. Guides families through Connecticut probate administration with an experienced paralegal handling the court paperwork, and does not base probate fees on a percentage of the estate. Attorney Steven Basche also handles will contests and undue-influence claims, and offers Zoom and phone consultations.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationElder Lawand 3 more
Solo PracticeMarlborough, CT
Marlborough solo practice handling probate administration, conservatorships, and Medicaid (Title 19) applications, along with wills, trusts, and special needs trusts. Attorney Bulkovitch is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association Elder Law Executive Committee, and evening and weekend appointments are available.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawConservatorshipand 5 more
Solo PracticeMiddletown, CT
Middletown solo practice of Attorney Elizabeth Byrne, licensed in Connecticut since 1985 and a long-time NAELA member. Guides family members after a death through short-form probate, formal probate, and trust settlement, from setting up estate and trust accounts to final distribution. Also submits Medicaid applications and prepares Florida documents for clients who winter there.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 3 more
FirmMiddletown, CT
Middletown firm with a by-appointment office in Mystic, also serving Hartford-area towns from Glastonbury to Windsor. Handles probate and trust administration after a death, either answering an executor's questions or handling the whole process, and advises when beneficiaries disagree or a will is challenged. Most meetings, including initial consultations, can be held over Zoom or Teams.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateSpecial Needs Planningand 5 more
FirmNew London, CT
New London elder law and trusts and estates firm with a second office in Woodbury, practicing in the New London area since 1986. Represents executors and trustees from the probate application through the final accounting, represents beneficiaries when the fiduciary has another attorney, and litigates contested wills and trusts. The first meeting is a paid one-hour consultation.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 7 more
FirmOld Saybrook, CT
Old Saybrook general practice firm, tracing its roots to 1966, serving Middlesex, New London, Hartford, and New Haven counties along the Connecticut shoreline. Administers probate estates, handles guardianships, conservatorships, and probate appeals, and pursues will and trust contests in probate court for beneficiaries. Offers a free consultation, and staff speak Spanish.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationElder Lawand 8 more
FirmWest Hartford, CT
Serves Hartford and Fairfield counties from offices in West Hartford, Stamford and Greenwich; founded in 1909. Its Private Clients Group handles probate and estate administration and executor and trustee services, and a separate fiduciary and probate litigation group takes will contests, contested accountings, fiduciary removal proceedings and conservatorship and guardianship proceedings.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 6 more
FirmNew London, CT
Serves New London, Middlesex and Windham counties from New London, in practice since 1962. Its estate department guides executors and administrators from the first probate court filing through distribution and the final accounting, handles will contests, estate accounting disputes and fiduciary removal proceedings, and administers conservatorships. Offers a free initial consultation.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationElder Lawand 5 more
FirmDanbury, CT
Danbury firm established in 1963, serving Danbury, Ridgefield, New Milford, Bethel and the surrounding area. Assists executors and administrators with probating a will, notifying creditors and heirs, filing tax returns, distributing property and ancillary probate in other states, and represents heirs and beneficiaries in will challenges and actions to remove a trustee, executor or administrator.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 11 more
FirmBerlin, CT
Serves all of Connecticut from five offices including Berlin and Simsbury; formerly Czepiga Daly Pope & Perri. Takes executors through probate from the application through the inventory, claims, estate tax returns and final accounting, administers special needs trusts as trustee, and handles will contests, removal of a personal representative, conservatorship disputes and creditor claims.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 6 more
FirmManchester, CT
Manchester firm in practice since 1932, serving central and eastern Connecticut. Inventories estate assets and debts, settles debts, prepares tax returns and distributes assets for executors and trustees, and represents beneficiaries in will and trust contests and challenges to an executor or trustee. Offers a free case evaluation to new clients; Spanish translation available.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigationand 9 more
FirmNew Britain, CT
Serves clients across Connecticut from offices in New Britain and Avon. Handles probate administration for executors, from gathering and valuing assets to paying debts and taxes, and probate disputes including will contests, breach of fiduciary duty claims, fiduciary removal and conservatorships. A firm trust committee reviews trust administration questions; Medicaid applications handled in-house.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 8 more
FirmWallingford, CT
Family-owned Wallingford firm founded in 1967, serving central Connecticut. Opens full probate estates, files affidavits in lieu of administration for smaller estates and handles tax-purposes-only filings for jointly owned property, with probate paralegals on staff. Also handles Title 19 applications, conservatorships and special needs trusts.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawConservatorshipand 6 more
FirmManchester, CT
Manchester firm serving the greater Hartford area east of the river. For executors, drafts and files the application for probate, transfers accounts to the estate, deals with creditor claims and prepares the final accounting and tax returns; also handles will contests, conservatorships and Medicaid planning. NAELA member firm.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationElder Lawand 7 more
FirmSeymour, CT
Seymour firm, with an appointment-only office in Southbury, serving greater New Haven, Fairfield and Litchfield counties. Takes executors and administrators through Connecticut probate from the petition and heir notices to the inventory, creditor payments and final distribution, and handles successor-trustee administration and will and trust contests. Family law is a second practice.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 12 more
FirmBristol, CT
Bristol firm whose practice traces to 1907, now in the Federal Hill district, serving Bristol, Southington, Plainville, Plymouth, West Hartford, Farmington, New Britain and Wolcott. Probates wills, oversees guardianship proceedings and sets up special needs trusts, alongside wills, trusts and advance directives. Offers a free consultation.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateGuardianshipSpecial Needs Planningand 5 more
FirmBridgeport, CT
Bridgeport firm practicing since 1939 and serving Fairfield County, including Westport and Fairfield. Guides appointed executors and administrators through probate deadlines and represents them in probate litigation, including will contests. Planning work covers wills, trusts, special needs trusts and Medicaid planning. Offers a free consultation.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationSpecial Needs Planningand 5 more
FirmGlastonbury, CT
Glastonbury firm with six Connecticut offices, the others in Hartford, Simsbury, New Hartford, East Hampton, and Essex. Represents fiduciaries and beneficiaries in administering decedents' estates, testamentary trusts and living trusts, in conservatorships and guardianships, and in will contests, will constructions and trustee removal actions, including federal and state tax audits.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 6 more