Estate Planning & Probate in Columbia County, New York
There are two reasons people look up Columbia 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 Surrogate's Court.
Someone died — settling an estate
Filing probate at the Surrogate's Court, what it costs, transferring property, and local attorneys.
What to do when someone dies in Columbia County→Planning ahead as a property owner
Keep a Columbia County home out of probate with a transfer-on-death deed or a living trust.
Estate planning in Columbia County→The Probate Process in Columbia 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 Columbia County, probate runs through the Surrogate's Court at 401 Union Street, Hudson. The court sits in the 3rd Judicial District.
Full Columbia Countyprobate guide: cost, how to file & attorneys →Probate Court Record
Surrogate's Court
Columbia County · 3rd Judicial District
Recording Deeds & Property Documents
Recording Office Record
County Clerk
Columbia County · County Clerk · Holly C. Tanner
Address
Phone
Fax
Hours
$45 per document plus $5 for every page; a 2-page TOD deed records for $55; TOD deeds are exempt from transfer tax.
Full recording details →Verified September 8, 2026 · Source
Local Procedures at the Surrogate's Court
Before filing, run NYSCEF inquiry on decedent last name with first initial. Contact court to check for wills filed for safekeeping. Case name must be identical to name on will. No punctuation or spaces. Name on death certificate different from will = add as AKA.
New York Estate Planning Articles
Articles about estate planning, probate, and trusts relevant to families in Columbia County.
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