Estate Planning & Probate in Manhattan, New York
There are two reasons people look up New York County (Manhattan) 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 Surrogate's Court 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 New York County (Manhattan) →Planning ahead as a property owner
Keep a New York County (Manhattan) home out of probate with a transfer-on-death deed or a living trust.
Estate planning in New York County (Manhattan) →The Probate Process in New York County (Manhattan)
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 Manhattan, probate runs through the Surrogate's Court at 31 Chambers Street, New York. The court sits in the 1st Judicial District.
Full New York County (Manhattan) probate guide: cost, how to file & attorneys →Probate Court Record
Surrogate's Court
New York County (Manhattan) · 1st Judicial District
Recording Deeds & Property Documents
Recording Office Record
City Register
New York County (Manhattan)
Address
Phone
E-recording
$37 for the first page plus $5 for each additional page.
Full recording details →Verified October 17, 2026 · Source
Local Procedures at the Surrogate's Court
The Surrogate's Court schedules probate hearings Administration citations are returnable in person on Tuesdays and Fridays at 10:00 a.m.
The Help Center serves people without a lawyer with information on procedure and the law, the required forms and referrals. No appointment is needed; visitors are seen first come, first served.
A small estate application for a sealed apartment can be processed the same day when it is filed in person, complete, by 3:00 p.m. The court does not review an e-filed petition or small estate affidavit until the original death certificate, and the original will where there is one, is received. Copies are enough for a petition by a creditor or litigant.
Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in New York
Free New York forms for planning an estate or settling one: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed, and the probate forms an executor files.
Last Will and Testament
In New York, a will is signed before 2EPTL § 3-2.1Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyEPTL § 3-2.1Verified 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 York, a pour-over will is signed before 2EPTL § 3-2.1Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
New York requires 2NY PHL § 2981(5)(d)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses for a healthcare power of attorney; notarization is not requiredNY PHL § 2981(5)(d)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source.
Financial Power of Attorney
New York treats a power of attorney as durable by defaultNY GOL §§ 5-1501, 5-1501A, 5-1501B, 5-1502A through 5-1502N, 5-1504, 5-1512, 5-1513Verified Sep 18, 2026View source, and it is signed before 2NY GOL §§ 5-1501, 5-1501A, 5-1501B, 5-1502A through 5-1502N, 5-1504, 5-1512, 5-1513Verified Sep 18, 2026View source witnesses and a notary.
Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in New York
Free calculators and checklists for planning or settling an estate in New York: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay, and inheritance taxes.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in New York: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 270 days22 NYCRR 207.20Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 7 monthsSCPA 1802, 1803, 1810, 1811; EPTL 11-1.5Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 7 months to 9 months.
How Do I Settle a Trust?
Settling a trust in New York happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's trust statuteN.Y. EPTL Article 7Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
Do I Need Probate?
In New York, estates with personal property of $50,000SCPA § 1301Verified Sep 8, 2026View source or less use the Voluntary AdministrationSCPA § 1301Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, a court filing short of full probate.
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Without a will in New York, a surviving spouse takes the first $50,000 plus half of the restEPTL § 4-1.1Verified Sep 10, 2026View source when every child of either spouse is a child of both, and descendants divide what passes to them per capita at each generationEPTL § 4-1.1; EPTL § 1-2.16Verified Sep 10, 2026View source.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in New York costs an estimated $35,992SCPA § 2110 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 2.5%SCPA § 2110 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 4%SCPA § 2110 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.
New York Estate Planning Articles
Articles about estate planning, probate, and trusts relevant to families in New York County (Manhattan).
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