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What to Do When Someone Dies in Strafford County, New Hampshire
How probate works in Strafford County: the 7th Circuit - Probate Division record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Strafford County 7th Circuit - Probate Division
Strafford County · 7th Circuit
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
259 County Farm Road, Suite 203, Dover, NH 03820
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
E-filing
Required for attorneysEstate cases are filed electronically: self-represented filers use TurboCourt and attorneys use File & Serve. Public e-filed documents can be read in LUCIE. A card payment through either filing system carries a 3% fee. On paper: A party whose identifying or contact information is protected by law, or for whom e-filing would be a hardship that denies access to the court, may be fully excused on request (Cir. Ct. Supp. R. 1(b)(1)); For good cause the court may let a party start a case or file a document on paper (Cir. Ct. Supp. R. 1(b)(4)); Cases started on paper before e-filing began stay on paper unless the court converts them (Cir. Ct. Supp. R. 1(c)).
Self-represented filing
AllowedA self-represented filer opens an estate through TurboCourt, which completes the Petition for Estate Administration from the filer's answers. The court publishes checklists, estate overviews and the Administering an Estate booklet for executors.
Accepted payment
- At the counterCash, Check, Money order, Credit card, Debit card.Checks and money orders are payable to the 7th Circuit - Probate Division - Dover. Card payments carry a service charge, 3% through e-filing; to pay a paper filing by card, attach a note with a phone number and the court calls.
Self-help center
- Self-help service1-855-212-1234 · navigator@courts.state.nh.us · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PMThe 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.
Departments
- International callers1-603-415-0162The Circuit Court's toll number reaches the same Information Center as the toll-free line.
- Service Centerprobateservice@courts.state.nh.usThe Probate Division Service Center takes questions by email from people who cannot call during Information Center hours. It is not a filing address and accepts no attachments.
- Electronic Filing CenterThe Estates Electronic Filing Center receives the original will, the certified death certificate, bonds and e-filing exception requests for estates filed at any New Hampshire probate location.
About the court
- The Probate Division is in Suite 203 of the William A. Grimes Justice & Administration Building, about a mile down County Farm Road from Sixth Street.
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Strafford 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 Strafford County, probate runs through the 7th Circuit - Probate Division at 259 County Farm Road, Suite 203, Dover. The court sits in the 7th Circuit.
The personal representative opens the case, gives notice to heirs and creditors, files an inventory of the estate's assets, settles outstanding debts and taxes, and then distributes the remainder under the will — or under New Hampshire intestacy law when there is no will.
Most New Hampshire estates take 9 months to 15 months to move through this process. Creditors have 6 monthsRSA §§ 553:16, 554:19, 556:1, 556:2, 556:3, 556:5, 556:29Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the opening of the estate.
What Probate Costs in Strafford County
What probate costs in Strafford County, New Hampshire comes down to a handful of line items — the court filing fee, attorney and executor compensation, publication, and sometimes a bond — scaled by the estate's size and whether the will is contested. The case itself runs through the 7th Circuit - Probate Division at 259 County Farm Road, Suite 203, Dover. The court is part of the 7th Circuit.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: Estate administration filing fees by estate value; Card payments carry a service charge.
New Hampshire charges $150 - $305 (based on estate value)NH Circuit Court Probate Division Rule 169(I)(c), (j), (k)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source to open probate, the same in every county. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
Attorney fees in New Hampshire are negotiated, typically 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 estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates.
New Hampshire allows executors 'reasonable compensation' — around 2.2%–3.8% of a $500,000 estate, judging by what the states with statutory schedules payNH Circuit Court Probate Division Rule 88 (reasonable compensation determined by court; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
New Hampshire requires publishing notice to creditors in a local newspaper, and the estate pays for it.
A surety bond may be required unless the will waives it or all beneficiaries consent. Premiums run roughly 0.5%Industry surety premium estimate; the bond itself under RSA 553:13Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value annually.
Probate in New Hampshire typically runs 9 months to 15 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the 7th Circuit - Probate Division
Probate cases in Strafford County, New Hampshire are filed at the 7th Circuit - Probate Division. The court sits in the 7th Circuit.
Beside the filing office, the court lists separate lines for International callers, Service Center, and Electronic Filing Center.
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.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
New Hampshire has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is not availableRSA 552:6; RSA 553:2Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Strafford County Self-Filing Assessment.
Strafford County Filing Requirements
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Before You File
Estate cases are filed electronically
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.
SourceDocument Requirements
The original will and death certificate go to Concord
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.
SourceCertified court documents are issued electronically
A certified or attested court document in an e-filed case is sent electronically by the clerk with an electronic certification stamp. In limited cases the court directs that a paper original be issued with the court's seal.
SourceMany forms are signed before a notary public
Many court forms must be signed in front of a notary public. On an e-filed document the signer's and the notary's signatures appear as /s/ with the typed name, or as an image of the signature.
SourceService Requirements
Electronic service meets the copies-to-all-parties rule
Electronic service through the filing system meets Probate Division Rule 21, which requires copies of every pleading to go to all parties. A party excused from e-filing sends and receives paper copies.
SourceOther Requirements
Free mediation for contested matters
In contested matters the Probate Division can assign a probate-trained mediator to help settle the dispute at no charge to the parties.
SourceWhat to Bring
Filed with the opening petition at the 7th Circuit - Probate Division: Certified copy of the death record; no administrator may be appointed until it is filed with the probate court, unless the judge waives the requirement on petition (RSA 553:1-a). The original certified copy must be mailed to the Estates Electronic Filing Center; Original will and all codicils, mailed to the Estates Electronic Filing Center (the named executor must file the will within 30 days after the death or within 30 days after learning of the nomination, whichever is later) (RSA 552:3)N.H. RSA 553 (Administrators and Their Appointment; 553:2 right to administer, 553:3 preference, 553:13 bond); N.H. RSA 552 (Probate of Wills)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Medical Examiner in Strafford County
In Strafford County certified copies of the death certificate come from the Town Clerk of the town or city where the death occurred, or from New Hampshire Secretary of State - Division of Vital Records Administration.
Vital Records Office Record
New Hampshire Secretary of State - Division of Vital Records Administration
Strafford County · State vital records office
Phone
Hours
8:30 AM-3:30 PM
Office
9 Ratification Way, Concord, NH 03301
Website
Certified copies
From the Town Clerk of the town or city where the death occurred, or from New Hampshire Secretary of State - Division of Vital Records Administration
NH Department of State
Division of Vital Records Administration
Registration / Certification
9 Ratification Way
Concord, NH 03301-2455
Phone
1-603-271-46508:00 AM-4:30 PM
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $15 |
| Each additional copy ordered at the same time | $10 |
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
State Medical Examiner
Strafford County · Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
Phone
Office
279 Pleasant Street, Suite 100, Concord, NH 03301
Website
Serves this county
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
Mail and offices
Fax
1-603-271-6308
Verified November 3, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in Strafford County
Clearing title to real estate after a death, whether by a personal representative’s deed, an affidavit of survivorship, or a court order, happens at the Register of Deeds.
Deeds and other real property documents for Strafford County are recorded with the Register of Deeds at 259 County Farm Road, Suite 202, Dover, NH 03820. Phone: 1-603-742-1741. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM.
The Register of Deeds charges $12 for the first page plus $4 for each additional page.
Strafford County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile, CSC, Hopdox and Indecomm.
Recording Office Record
Register of Deeds
Strafford County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Office
259 County Farm Road, Suite 202, Dover, NH 03820
Website
Fax
1-603-749-5130
Recording fees
| Base fee (first page) | $12 |
| Each additional page | $4 |
| LCHIP Surcharge (Land and Community Heritage Investment Program)Applies to a TOD deed | $25 |
| Transfer tax on a TOD deed | TOD deeds are exempt from transfer tax where no consideration is exchanged |
RSA 478:17-g; RSA 478:17-j; RSA 78-B:1; RSA 78-B:2; RSA 78-B:4
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Probate Attorneys Serving Strafford County
New Hampshire allows independent administrationRSA 553:33Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, so the personal representative manages, pays and distributes the estate without returning to the court for approval at each step. A probate attorney earns the fee when the estate is contested, includes a business or out-of-state real estate, has unclear or insolvent debts, or when beneficiaries disagree.
Probate attorney fees in New Hampshire are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a Strafford County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the 7th Circuit - Probate Division, publishes the required creditor notices, prepares the inventory and accounting, handles creditor claims and tax filings, and guides the final distribution. They represent the personal representative — not the beneficiaries — a distinction that matters if a dispute develops.
Serves Dover and the New Hampshire Seacoast (Strafford County) from First Street, representing executors and administrators statewide. Handles probate administration end to end: will filing and intestacy, asset collection, creditor-claim review, beneficiary notice, accounting, and distribution. Offers a free initial consultation.
One of New Hampshire's oldest law firms, serving clients since 1870. Estate law attorneys have extensive experience finding the right estate and probate solutions for families.
Provides legal services in estate planning, probate, and trust administration to clients in the Lakes Region. Kristen Gardiner has over 30 years of experience in transactional real estate and estate planning across multiple states.
Two-attorney firm in Portsmouth serving Rockingham and Strafford Counties for over 20 years. Provides estate planning, probate administration, trust administration, guardianship, and real estate legal services.
Women-owned law firm organized in 2010, providing exceptional legal services throughout New Hampshire. Attorneys offer guidance on wills, estate planning, trusts, probate, guardianships, and family law matters.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.
Legal Sources
(10)·
- N.H. RSA 553 (Administrators and Their Appointment; 553:2 right to administer, 553:3 preference, 553:13 bond); N.H. RSA 552 (Probate of Wills)
- NH Circuit Court Probate Division Rule 169(I)(c), (j), (k)
- NH Circuit Court Probate Division Rule 88 (reasonable compensation determined by court; no statutory percentage)
- RSA §§ 553:16, 554:19, 556:1, 556:2, 556:3, 556:5, 556:29
- RSA 552:6; RSA 553:2
- RSA 553:33
- RSA 478:17-g; RSA 478:17-j; RSA 78-B:1; RSA 78-B:2; RSA 78-B:4
- Strafford County 7th Circuit - Probate Division, official page
- Strafford County Register of Deeds, official page
- Strafford County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
Data sourced from New Hampshire statutes and official state code. Fee percentages are modeled estimates; each figure's note says how. How we research.
Tools for Settling an Estate in New Hampshire
Free tools for settling an estate in New Hampshire: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines 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.
See the Steps
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.
See the Steps
Can I Self-File Probate?
New Hampshire has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is not availableRSA 552:6; RSA 553:2Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
Get the Answer
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