Estate Planning & Probate in Grafton County, New Hampshire
There are two reasons people look up Grafton County probate: to keep a family out of it, or to get a loved one's estate through it. Pick the path that fits, then work from the local 2nd Circuit - Probate Division details.
Someone died — settling an estate
Filing probate at the 2nd Circuit - Probate Division, what it costs, transferring property, and local attorneys.
What to do when someone dies in Grafton County →Planning ahead as a property owner
Keep a Grafton County home out of probate with a transfer-on-death deed or a living trust.
Estate planning in Grafton County →The Probate Process in Grafton 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 Grafton County, probate runs through the 2nd Circuit - Probate Division at 3785 Dartmouth College Highway, Box 3, North Haverhill. The court sits in the 2nd Circuit.
Full Grafton County probate guide: cost, how to file & attorneys →Probate Court Record
Grafton County 2nd Circuit - Probate Division
Grafton County · 2nd Circuit
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Grafton County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Recording Office Record
Register of Deeds
Grafton County
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
Recording fee
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Vital Records Office Record
New Hampshire Secretary of State - Division of Vital Records Administration
Grafton County · State vital records office
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
Certified copies
Certified copy fee
Full death certificate details →
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
State Medical Examiner
Grafton County · Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
Phone
Office
Website
Serves this county
Full coroner or medical examiner details →
Verified November 3, 2026 · Source
Local Procedures at the 2nd Circuit - Probate Division
The Judicial Branch Information Center answers questions about court procedures, forms and e-filing by phone, and gives no legal advice and no lawyer referrals. E-filing navigators meet self-represented filers at a courthouse by appointment, requested by email or through the same number.
Every estate filing goes through the court's electronic filing system unless the court excuses a party who would be denied access to the court by e-filing or whose contact information is protected by law. The original will and codicils and a certified death certificate are mailed to the Estates Electronic Filing Center, 2 Charles Doe Drive, Suite 2, Concord, NH 03301. An executor's bond on an estate over $25,000 goes there too.
Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in New Hampshire
Free New Hampshire forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for New Hampshire.
Last Will and Testament
In New Hampshire, a will is signed before 2NH RSA 551:2Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyNH RSA 551:2Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
Pour-Over Will
In New Hampshire, a pour-over will is signed before 2NH RSA 551:2Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
New Hampshire allows a choice for a healthcare power of attorney: 2RSA 137-J:20Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.
Financial Power of Attorney
New Hampshire treats a power of attorney as durable by defaultRSA 564-E:104, 564-E:105, 564-E:106, 564-E:107, 564-E:109, 564-E:113, 564-E:114, 564-E:119, 564-E:120, 564-E:201, 564-E:217, 564-E:301; RSA 477:9Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and it is signed before a notaryRSA 564-E:104, 564-E:105, 564-E:106, 564-E:107, 564-E:109, 564-E:113, 564-E:114, 564-E:119, 564-E:120, 564-E:201, 564-E:217, 564-E:301; RSA 477:9Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in New Hampshire
Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in New Hampshire: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in New Hampshire: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 90 daysRSA 554:1, 554:26-aVerified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 6 monthsRSA §§ 553:16, 554:19, 556:1, 556:2, 556:3, 556:5, 556:29Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 9 months.
How Do I Settle a Trust?
Settling a trust in New Hampshire happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust CodeRSA 564-B:1-101 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 60 daysRSA 564-B:8-813, RSA 564-B:10-1005Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
Do I Need Probate?
New Hampshire sets no dollar limit for its Waiver of AdministrationNH Probate Div. Rule 88 (fees), NH Probate Div. Rule 169 (filing feesVerified Sep 8, 2026View source; eligibility turns on other tests.
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Without a will in New Hampshire, a surviving spouse takes the first $250,000 plus half of the restRSA § 561:1Verified Oct 21, 2026View source when every child of either spouse is a child of both, and descendants divide what passes to them per capita with representationRSA § 561:1(II)(a)Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in New Hampshire costs an estimated $26,585NH Circuit Court Probate Division Rule 88 (reasonable compensation for work, responsibility, and risk; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 2%Modeled estimate under NH Circuit Court Probate Division Rule 88 (reasonable compensation for work, responsibility, and risk; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.2%Modeled estimate under NH Circuit Court Probate Division Rule 88 (reasonable compensation for work, responsibility, and risk; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.
New Hampshire Estate Planning Articles
Articles about estate planning, probate, and trusts relevant to families in Grafton County.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
