Free Vermont Petition for Probate

How to open probate in Vermont: petition the Vermont Superior Court, Probate Division and request Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration. 14 V.S.A. §§ 902-906.

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You & the Will

Vermont provides an official fillable petition; we complete it for you.

Opening probate?The whole estate, start to finish.

State Where the Estate Will Be Probated*

The state where the decedent was domiciled. Only states where a self-represented filer can prepare this document are listed.

Did the decedent leave a will?*

Yes — there is a will (request Letters Testamentary)No — there is no will (request Letters of Administration)

Your First Name*

Middle Name

Your Last Name*

Your Relationship to the Decedent*

How you are related to the person who died. Being named executor in the will is asked separately.

Your Street Address*

City*

ZIP Code*

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Frequently Asked Questions About Vermont Probate Petitions

In Vermont, you file a petition with Vermont Superior Court, Probate Division to open probate. Probate Division of the Superior Court issues Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (no will) once the court grants the appointment. See how appointment works in Vermont.

You cannot fill out Letters — they are issued by the court. The document you prepare and file is the petition (or application) for probate and for Letters. This tool prepares that petition for Vermont.

Yes. Vermont publishes a statewide fillable form, which this tool completes for you. After downloading, review and sign it, then file it with Vermont Superior Court, Probate Division.

Vermont requires a bond by default before Letters issue or the beneficiaries waive it in writing. 14 V.S.A. § 906 (bond; court sets amount and may order sureties; filed before letters issue); § 1852(c) (waiver of administration waives/discharges the bond); small estate: § 1901(a)(7) (bond without surety in the amount of the fair market value of the estate — form 700-00020PESM)

Vermont offers probate e-filing. E-filing runs through Odyssey File & Serve (OFS), hosted by Tyler Technologies. Registration offers an "independent user" path for self-represented litigants alongside firm/organizational registration. The OFS estate case type is chosen by estate value band, paired No Will / with Will at each band: Estate 1 ($10,000 or less), Estate 2 ($10,001-$50,000), Estate 3 ($50,001-$150,000), Estate 4 ($150,001-$500,000), Estate 5 ($500,001-$1,000,000), Estate 6 ($1,000,001-$5,000,000), Estate 7 ($5,000,001-$10,000,000), Estate 8 (greater than $10,000,000). Small estates have their own case types.

Along with the petition, Vermont typically requires: Entry fee; Certified copy of the death certificate; List of Interested Persons for Estates; ORIGINAL Will and any codicils; For an ancillary.

Opening Probate in Vermont

To settle an estate in Vermont, the court must first appoint a personal representative — an executor when there is a will, an administrator when there is none — and issue Letters. You apply by filing a petition with Vermont Superior Court, Probate Division; Probate Division of the Superior Court (court issues the appointment/letters after allowing the will or approving the petition) issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration once the court grants it.

Vermont publishes an official statewide petition form. This tool completes that form for you from a few questions about the decedent, the estate, and the heirs or beneficiaries. After downloading, you sign it and file it with the court in the county where the decedent lived.

You file the petition together with the supporting documents the court requires — typically a certified death certificate and, where there is a will, the original will. Vermont requires a bond before Letters issue unless it is waived or by the beneficiaries. The court reviews the petition and, if it is in order, grants it and directs that Letters issue.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Vermont Probate Petitions

Yes. Vermont publishes a statewide fillable form, which this tool completes for you. After downloading, review and sign it, then file it with Vermont Superior Court, Probate Division.

Along with the petition, Vermont typically requires: Entry fee; Certified copy of the death certificate; List of Interested Persons for Estates; ORIGINAL Will and any codicils; For an ancillary.

Opening Probate in Vermont

Free Vermont Petition for Probate

You & the Will

Frequently Asked Questions About Vermont Probate Petitions