How Do I File for Probate in New Hampshire?
New Hampshire requires estate cases to be e-filed, and for self-represented filers the court's Estates Electronic Filing Center generates the Petition for Estate Administration (NHJB-2145-Pe) through its own online interview rather than accepting a petition prepared elsewhere. A self-represented person files it directly in that system; no attorney is required.
Opening an estate in New Hampshire
New Hampshire off-ramps for a FILING reason, not a form reason. The official petition (NHJB-2145-Pe, Petition for Estate Administration, rev. 04/03/2024) is a genuine fillable AcroForm — but e-filing is mandatory for estate cases, and NH routes the two filer classes down different pathways: "This form is generated through the electronic filing pathway for self-represented parties," while lawyers must complete the form and upload it through their own pathway (NH e-Filing guides 009e/010e/013e, rev. 07/01/2025). Fill-and-upload is the ATTORNEY path; the self-represented path produces the petition through a court-hosted interview and accepts no uploaded substitute. A petition we filled for a self-represented user would therefore be a document they cannot file, so New Hampshire off-ramps to the state e-file system rather than generating one. (Self-represented filing itself is expressly supported and free of any attorney mandate — the block is the portal, not the bar. The authority document is the court-issued Certificate of Appointment.)
Frequently asked questions
Yes. New Hampshire permits a self-represented person to open an estate and apply for Letters. What we do not do is produce the document for you here: new Hampshire requires estate cases to be e-filed, and for self-represented filers the court's Estates Electronic Filing Center generates the Petition for Estate Administration (NHJB-2145-Pe) through its own online interview rather than accepting a petition prepared elsewhere. A self-represented person files it directly in that system; no attorney is required.
New Hampshire Circuit Court, Probate Division handles decedents' estates in New Hampshire. Circuit Court Probate Division clerk (Estates Electronic Filing Center), after the court grants the Petition for Estate Administration issues the Letters after the court grants the petition.
In New Hampshire the court issues Certificate of Appointment to the personal representative — the executor when there is a will, or the administrator when there is none. They give that person authority to act for the estate.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
Named as Executor
What an executor actually does: getting appointed, notifying creditors, paying debts and taxes, and where personal liability starts.
Learn more
Death of a Parent
A step-by-step guide to what happens after a parent dies: the documents to find, the certificates to order, and whether probate is even required.
Learn more
Loss of a Spouse
What a surviving spouse needs to do: death certificates, survivor benefits, whether probate is even required, and the tax election that expires.
Learn moreMore tools for settling this estate
Calculators and checklists for navigating probate and estate administration.
Notice to Creditors
Prepare the creditor notice for an estate — the official state form or a notice typeset to statute, plus mailed notices for known creditors.
Small Estate Affidavit
Prepare the affidavit that collects a small estate's property without probate — the official state form or an affidavit drafted to statute, plus a presentation letter for each holder.
Estate Inventory
Prepare the probate inventory of estate property — every asset at its date-of-death value, composed to your state's statute, with the state's filing or delivery instructions.
Estate Closing
Prepare the paperwork that closes the estate — the state's closing statement, petition for discharge, or final account, with the state's closing instructions and the optional federal forms.
Letter of Instruction
Prepare the letter of instruction a bank or insurer requests during estate settlement.
Digital Assets Recovery Letter
Prepare a letter requesting a deceased person's digital-account assets from the program that holds them.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Estimate attorney fees, executor fees, court costs, and timeline for probating an estate in your state. See if the estate qualifies for simplified probate procedures.
How Much Can an Executor Charge?
Calculate how much an executor (personal representative) can charge for administering an estate. See if your state has statutory fees or uses reasonable compensation.
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Find out who inherits your estate and how much they get if you die without a will. Based on your state's intestate succession laws.
How Much Are Estate & Inheritance Taxes?
Calculate federal estate tax, state estate tax (12 states + DC), and inheritance tax (5 states) for an estate or trust.
How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?
Calculate how many certified death certificates you need based on the assets and accounts you need to close. See state-specific ordering information.
Do I Need Probate?
Answer a few questions to find out if an estate needs full probate, qualifies for simplified probate, or can avoid probate entirely with a small estate affidavit.
Hire a New Hampshire Probate Attorney
Browse 49 probate firms in New Hampshire with addresses, contact info, and practice details.
