Probate in Durham County

Probate Court Record

Durham County Clerk of Superior Court

Durham County · Superior Court District 16

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-5:00 PM

Office

510 South Dillard Street, Durham, NC 27701

Self-represented filing

Allowed

Self-help forms

How to file probate in Durham County →

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

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

Trust Litigation Firms Serving Durham County

Serves Mecklenburg County from Charlotte, with a second North Carolina office in Raleigh. The trust and estate administration attorneys handle probate of wills, administration of testate and intestate estates and of trusts, post-death tax planning and fiduciary tax returns, and fiduciary litigation among beneficiaries and fiduciaries. The firm is the only Charlotte-based member of the Am Law 200.

Estate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+3

A Charlotte firm founded in 1960, now more than 165 attorneys across four offices. Its trusts and estates group represents individual and corporate fiduciaries through estate and trust settlement: court inventories and accountings, estate, gift and fiduciary income tax returns, and post-mortem planning. A separate fiduciary litigation group handles trustee, executor, and beneficiary disputes.

Since 1960Estate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+2

Serves Wake County and the Triangle from three offices — Raleigh, Cary, and Wake Forest. The firm represents executors, administrators, and trustees through probate administration with and without a will, trust administration, and guardianship proceedings, and litigates will caveats, trust disputes, and financial elder abuse claims. It also runs an elder law and Medicaid practice.

Estate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+6

Serves Wake County and the Triangle from a single Raleigh office, under the Young Moore and Henderson name since 1954. The trusts and estates group counsels executors and trustees on fiduciary duties, prepares probate filings and fiduciary tax returns, and litigates will and trust challenges. Three attorneys are Board Certified Specialists in Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law.

Estate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+5

Serves Mecklenburg County from Charlotte, with a second North Carolina office in Raleigh. The trust and estate administration team advises executors and trustees on probate, estate tax returns, distributions, and trust modifications, and handles fiduciary litigation. Chambers High Net Worth ranks the practice in North Carolina private wealth law.

Serves the whole stateEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+2

Headquartered in Raleigh with offices in Asheville, Winterville (Greenville), Morehead City, New Bern, and Wilmington. Its attorneys and paralegals commence, administer, and formally close estate and probate proceedings, whoever prepared the original estate plan, and its litigation group handles will caveats. Six attorneys are Board Certified Specialists in Estate Planning and Probate Law.

Serves the whole stateEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+7

All 9 North Carolina trust litigation firms serving Durham County →

Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in North Carolina

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

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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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Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in North Carolina

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

How Do I Settle a Trust?

Settling a trust in North Carolina happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust CodeN.C.G.S. § 36C-1-101 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.

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What's Fair Trustee Compensation?

In North Carolina, trustee compensation follows "reasonable compensation" (UTC § 708 or equivalent)N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 36C-7-708, 32-54, 32-55, 32-56, 32-57, 32-58, 32-60Verified Sep 18, 2026View source unless the trust instrument sets a different amount.

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How Do I Settle an Estate?

Settling an estate in North Carolina: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 90 daysN.C.G.S. §§ 28A-20-1, 28A-20-3, 28A-20-4Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 3 monthsNCGS §§ 28A-14-1, 28A-19-1, 28A-19-3, 28A-19-6, 28A-19-16Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 9 months.

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