Estate Planning & Probate in Sussex County, Delaware
There are two reasons people look up Sussex County probate: to keep a family out of it, or to get a loved one's estate through 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 Sussex County→Planning ahead as a property owner
Keep a Sussex County home out of probate with a transfer-on-death deed or a living trust.
Estate planning in Sussex County→The Probate Process in Sussex 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 Sussex County, probate runs through the Register of Wills at 5 E. Pine St., Georgetown.
Full Sussex Countyprobate guide: cost, how to file & attorneys →Probate Court Record
Register of Wills
Sussex County
Address
Phone
Hours
Recording Deeds & Property Documents
Recording Office Record
Recorder of Deeds
Sussex County · Recorder of Deeds · Alexandra Reed Baker
Address
Phone
Fax
Hours
E-recording
$31 per document plus $9 for every page; a 2-page TOD deed records for $49; TOD deeds are exempt from transfer tax.
Full recording details →Verified September 4, 2026 · Source
Local Procedures at the Register of Wills
E-filing mandatory since July 1, 2015 for all matters filed in Register of Wills office. Use File & ServeXpress system. Filing fee: $6.90 per transaction; online delivery: $9.20 per transaction. Will must be filed within 10 days of learning about testator's death per Delaware law. Self-proved wills (with notarized affidavit page) bypass witness testimony requirements.
Delaware Estate Planning Articles
Articles about estate planning, probate, and trusts relevant to families in Sussex County.
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