How probate works in Queens County: the Surrogate's Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Queens County · 11th Judicial District
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Self-represented filing
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E-filing
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Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
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 Queens County, probate runs through the Surrogate's Court at 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica. The court sits in the 11th Judicial District.
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 York intestacy law when there is no will.
Most New York estates take 9 months to 15 months to move through this process. Creditors have 7 monthsSCPA 1802, 1803, 1810, 1811; EPTL 11-1.5Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the opening of the estate.
What probate costs in Queens County, New York 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 Surrogate's Court at 88-11 Sutphin Boulevard, Jamaica. The court is part of the 11th Judicial District.
New York charges $45 - $1,250 (based on estate value)N.Y. SCPA § 2402(1), (2), (7)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 York are negotiated, typically 2.5%Modeled estimate under SCPA § 2110 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 4%Modeled estimate under SCPA § 2110 (reasonable compensation; 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 York sets executor compensation by statute — about $19,000 on a $500,000 estate, roughly 3.8%SCPA § 2307Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
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 SCPA §§ 710, 801, 805Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value annually.
Probate in New York typically runs 9 months to 15 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
Probate cases in Queens County, New York are filed at the Surrogate's Court. The court sits in the 11th Judicial District.
Beside the filing office, the court lists separate lines for Accounting, Administration / Small Estates, Calendar, and Cashier.
The court lists a self-help service. Email: qnssurr-helpcenter@nycourts.gov.
In New York, informal probate is not availableSCPA § 1408 (court must inquire into all facts before admitting a will to probate)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, so self-filing means a formal court petition rather than a registrar filing.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Queens County Self-Filing Assessment.
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Hard copies of motion papers
Hard copies of all motion papers are submitted no later than the motion return date.
SourceDeath certificate and original will within two business days
After e-filing, a certified death certificate and the original will, staples intact, are filed within two business days. In guardianship proceedings the certified birth certificate and original medicals follow the same rule.
SourceRemote clerk conferences by email
A ten-minute remote conference with a department on a procedural issue in a pending matter is requested by email to that department's conference address, listed in the court's virtual conference notice. Conferences run on Microsoft Teams or by phone.
SourceExemplifications by mail or NYSCEF
Exemplifications are requested by mail or NYSCEF by the fiduciary, the attorney of record or an authorized agent, with the destination state or country named. The court does not provide apostilles.
SourceFiled with the opening petition at the Surrogate's Court: Death certificate — one must be filed on any application for letters testamentary, letters of administration, or voluntary administration; alternate evidence of death may be accepted in the court's discretion (22 NYCRR 207.15(b)); Original will and any codicils (filed with the Petition for Probate) (SCPA Art. 14); Estimate of gross estate value (personal and real property, gross rents for 18 months, and any wrongful-death/personal-injury cause of action) in the petition (22 NYCRR 207.16(a)(2))N.Y. Surrogate's Court Procedure Act Art. 14 (§§ 1401-1424, probate; § 1402 who may propound will/contents of petition; § 1414 letters testamentary); Art. 10 (§ 1001 et seq., administration); Art. 13 (§§ 1301-1312, small estate)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
In New York a death is registered locally, and in Queens County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Office of Vital Records, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Queens County as well as by New York State Department of Health - Vital Records Section.
Vital Records Office Record
Queens County · Office of Vital Records, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
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| First certified copy | $15 |
Verified November 1, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Queens County · Office of Chief Medical Examiner, Queens Family Services Center
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Serves this county
Release of remains
Verified November 1, 2026 · Source
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 City Register.
Deeds and other real property documents for Queens County are recorded with the City Register at 144-06 94th Avenue, Jamaica, NY 11435. Phone: 1-212-487-6300.
The City Register charges $37 for the first page plus $5 for each additional page.
Queens County accepts electronic recording through ACRIS.
Recording Office Record
Queens County
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E-recording
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Recording fees
| Base fee (first page) | $37 |
| Each additional page | $5 |
| TP-584-NYC Combined Real Estate Transfer Tax Return (NYC)Not required for a TOD deed | no separate City Register filing fee |
| RP-5217-NYC Real Property Transfer Report (Residential/Agricultural)Not required for a TOD deed | $125 |
| RP-5217-NYC Real Property Transfer Report (Commercial/Other)Not required for a TOD deed | $250 |
| NYC-RPT NYC Real Property Transfer Tax ReturnRequired with most deeds | no fee on a deed; $100 to file the RPTT for non-deed transfers |
| Transfer tax on a TOD deed | TOD deeds are exempt from transfer tax |
NYC Department of Finance Schedule of Property Recording Fees and Taxes; CPLR § 8021; RPL § 333(3)(ii)
Verified October 17, 2026 · Source
New York uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in Queens County — the filing sequence, notice requirements, and accounting leave little room for error. Estates under the small-estate threshold are the usual exception.
Probate attorney fees in New York are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a Queens County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Surrogate's Court, 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.
FirmBronx, NY
Bronx firm on Westchester Avenue handling probate and estate administration for executors and administrators, from the initial filing through distributing assets and closing the estate. Also drafts wills, trusts, powers of attorney and advance directives, and handles estate tax planning. Consultations are free.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateTax PlanningAsset Protection
Solo PracticeBrooklyn, NY
Brooklyn (Kings County) practice led by Theodore Alatsas, working the Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, New York and Nassau County Surrogate's Courts for nearly 30 years. Handles probate, administration proceedings, and trust administration, plus wills and trusts, Medicaid and long-term care planning, and asset protection. Runs estate planning workshops.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 2 more
FirmCollege Point, NY
College Point (Queens) firm with dedicated pages for will probate, estate administration, lost-will hearings, and spousal and beneficiary-rights disputes, taking executors from validating the will through distributing what is left, and petitioning the Surrogate's Court to admit a copy when the original will cannot be found. Also drafts wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and testamentary guardian appointments for minor children. Serves all five New York City boroughs plus Nassau and Suffolk, and offers a free consultation and case evaluation on probate matters.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbate
Solo PracticeRego Park, NY
Rego Park practice limited to New York Surrogate's Court estate cases — Seidel says plainly that he does not do estate planning. The work is the hard end of administration: kinship proceedings after the Public Administrator has filed an accounting and called the family "alleged" heirs, cousin cases, and ancillary probate for out-of-state clients holding New York assets.
PracticesProbate
Solo PracticeBrooklyn, NY
Brooklyn firm led by Pinni Bohm with a second office in Times Square, Manhattan. Petitions the New York City Surrogate's Courts for Letters Testamentary and Letters of Administration, advises executors and administrators on their duties, oversees distributions to beneficiaries and heirs, and negotiates with estate creditors. Also litigates will and trust contests, spousal right-of-election disputes, and fiduciary-misconduct claims.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigationand 2 more
FirmBronx, NY
Bronx firm on East Tremont Avenue with an appointment-only New Rochelle office, serving Bronx, Westchester, Manhattan and Queens families since 1989. Walks executors and administrators through filing the will and petition with the Surrogate's Court, getting appointed, notifying heirs, beneficiaries and creditors, collecting and valuing assets, paying debts, taxes and expenses, and distributing what remains. Also takes contested probate - will contests, undue-influence claims, disputes over asset ownership and challenges to executor authority - plus trust administration, guardianships and conservatorships, and Medicaid and special-needs planning. Consultations are free and the firm practices in Spanish.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 7 more
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.
Data sourced from New York statutes and official state code. Fee percentages are modeled estimates; each figure's note says how. How we research.
Free tools for settling an estate in New York: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for New York.
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.
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.
In New York, informal probate is not availableSCPA § 1408 (court must inquire into all facts before admitting a will to probate)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, so self-filing means a formal court petition rather than a registrar filing.
Browse vetted New York attorneys handling probate matters.
Each institution has a separate death claim process. Find yours below.
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
Enter the estate value to see New York attorney fees, executor fees, court costs and the timeline.
General information about probate costs, not legal or financial advice. Fee bases vary by state and may use gross estate, personal property, inventory value or net property after debts. Actual costs vary by county, attorney and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions.
Enter the estate value to see whether New York lets a self-represented person open probate, what the court requires, and what each route costs.
General information about filing probate without a lawyer, not legal advice. Both routes are priced by the probate cost estimator on the same estate; the attorney fee is the one line that differs. Actual costs vary by county, attorney and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions.
