Estate Planning & Probate in Tompkins County, New York
Tompkins County estate questions split two ways—planning so your family skips probate, or settling an estate that is already in 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 Tompkins County→Planning ahead as a property owner
Keep a Tompkins County home out of probate with a transfer-on-death deed or a living trust.
Estate planning in Tompkins County→The Probate Process in Tompkins 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 Tompkins County, probate runs through the Surrogate's Court at Tompkins County Courthouse, 320 North Tioga Street, Ithaca. The court sits in the 6th Judicial District.
Full Tompkins Countyprobate guide: cost, how to file & attorneys →Probate Court Record
Surrogate's Court
Tompkins County · 6th Judicial District
Address
Phone
Hours
Recording Deeds & Property Documents
Recording Office Record
County Clerk
Tompkins County · County Clerk · Maureen Reynolds
Address
Phone
Hours
E-recording
$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
A Family Tree is required on all new proceedings. In estates with a sole distributee, include an Affidavit of Sole Distributee or Affidavit of Heirship; neither the Family Tree nor the Affidavit may be signed by the sole distributee or their spouse or children. Scan the original will (not an attorney-certified copy); it is acceptable to unstaple it for scanning without a staple affidavit. Submit the original hard copy to the court within two (2) business days of e-filing.
New York Estate Planning Articles
Articles about estate planning, probate, and trusts relevant to families in Tompkins County.
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