Estate Planning & Probate in Kent County, Delaware
Kent County estate questions split two ways—planning so your family skips probate, or settling an estate that is already in it. This page points you to the right path—planning ahead, or settling an estate at the Register of Wills.
Someone died — settling an estate
Filing probate at the Register of Wills, what it costs, transferring property, and local attorneys.
What to do when someone dies in Kent County→Planning ahead as a property owner
Keep a Kent County home out of probate with a transfer-on-death deed or a living trust.
Estate planning in Kent County→The Probate Process in Kent County
Probate is the court-supervised process of settling someone's estate after they die — validating the will, paying debts and taxes, and transferring what's left to the heirs. In Kent County, probate runs through the Register of Wills at 555 Bay Road, Dover.
Full Kent Countyprobate guide: cost, how to file & attorneys →Probate Court Record
Register of Wills
Kent County
Address
Phone
Hours
Recording Deeds & Property Documents
Recording Office Record
Recorder of Deeds
Kent County · Recorder of Deeds · Eugenia Thornton
Address
Phone
Fax
Hours
E-recording
$36 per document plus $10 for every page.
Full recording details →Verified September 4, 2026 · Source
Local Procedures at the Register of Wills
E-filing mandatory since October 1, 2013 per Court of Chancery notice. All Kent County Register of Wills matters must be electronically filed and served through File & ServeXpress. Original will (not copy) must be filed within 10 days of death notice per Delaware law. Will becomes public record once filed.
Delaware Estate Planning Articles
Articles about estate planning, probate, and trusts relevant to families in Kent County.
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