Estate Planning & Probate in Brooklyn, New York
There are two reasons people look up Kings County (Brooklyn) probate: to keep a family out of it, or to get a loved one's estate through it. Start with your situation below; both paths use Kings County (Brooklyn)'s actual court and recording details.
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 Kings County (Brooklyn)→Planning ahead as a property owner
Keep a Kings County (Brooklyn) home out of probate with a transfer-on-death deed or a living trust.
Estate planning in Kings County (Brooklyn)→The Probate Process in Kings County (Brooklyn)
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 Brooklyn, probate runs through the Surrogate's Court at 2 Johnson Street, Brooklyn. The court sits in the 2nd Judicial District.
Full Kings County (Brooklyn)probate guide: cost, how to file & attorneys →Probate Court Record
Surrogate's Court
Kings County (Brooklyn) · 2nd Judicial District
Recording Deeds & Property Documents
Recording Office Record
Office of the City Register
Kings County (Brooklyn) · City Register
Address
Phone
E-recording
$37 for the first page plus $5 for each additional page; a 2-page TOD deed records for $42; TOD deeds are exempt from transfer tax.
Full recording details →Verified September 8, 2026 · Source
Local Procedures at the Surrogate's Court
Run NYSCEF inquiry on decedent last name with first initial before filing. Contact court to check for wills filed for safekeeping. Do NOT call court to check if proceeding already filed. Initial entry must be identical to signature on will. No punctuation or spaces in name or AKA. 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 Kings County (Brooklyn).
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