Rye Brook (Westchester County) firm serving Westchester, Putnam and Rockland families, including Carmel and Brewster. Handles probate administration, estate administration, trust administration and guardianship, alongside wills, trusts, Medicaid and long-term-care planning, and special-needs planning. Its two founders hold nearly six decades of combined experience.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Westchester County, New York
How probate works in Westchester County: the Surrogate's Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Westchester County Surrogate's Court
Westchester County · 9th Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, 19th Floor, White Plains, NY 10601
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
E-filing
Required for attorneysE-filing through NYSCEF is mandatory in probate, administration, accounting and miscellaneous proceedings commenced on or after May 3, 2017, and consensual in small estate and guardianship proceedings. The court does not take e-filed documents in a proceeding begun on paper unless the chief clerk's office directs it. Self-represented filers are exempt under Uniform Rule 207.4-aa(e)(1) and may choose to e-file. On paper: Small estate proceedings (consensual); Guardianship proceedings (consensual).
Self-represented filing
AllowedSelf-represented filers file on paper at the court or may choose to e-file, and the Pro Se Help Center assists them.
Accepted payment
- At the counterCredit card.Fees are paid by credit card through NYSCEF, with a card fee, or at the court until 3:30 p.m. A filing marked pay at court is deleted if the fee is not received within 14 days of e-filing.
Self-help center
- Self-help service1-914-824-5701 · westchestersurrogateshelpcenter@nycourts.govThe Pro Se Help Center assists people filing without a lawyer. It can also be reached at 914-824-5687.
County forms
- 9th Judicial District Surrogate's Court Forms and E-FilingForms, wrongful death sample petitions and the e-filing protocols for the district's Surrogate's Courts.
Fax
1-914-358-8042
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Westchester 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 Westchester County, probate runs through the Surrogate's Court at 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, 19th Floor, White Plains. The court sits in the 9th Judicial District. Probate e-filing in Westchester County runs through nycourts.gov, not the iappscontent.courts.state.ny.us portal used by most New York counties.
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 Westchester County
What probate costs in Westchester 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 111 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, 19th Floor, White Plains. The court is part of the 9th 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.
How to File Probate at the Surrogate's Court
Probate cases in Westchester County, New York are filed at the Surrogate's Court. The court sits in the 9th Judicial District. Westchester County shares the 9th Judicial District with Dutchess, Orange, Putnam and Rockland.
The Pro Se Help Center assists people filing without a lawyer. It can also be reached at 914-824-5687.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
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 Westchester County Self-Filing Assessment.
Westchester County Filing Requirements
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Before You File
Correspondence and recorded documents
General correspondence in an e-filed case is e-filed with no working copy. Recorded documents such as a power of attorney, a right of election and original bonds may be filed and paid through NYSCEF, but the originals are also filed with the court.
SourceDocument Requirements
Original will and death certificate within two business days
The will is scanned without being unstapled, and the original will is filed within two business days of e-filing. A hard copy of the death certificate, certified if required, is filed within the same two business days.
SourceWorking copies over 50 pages
Accounting and miscellaneous filings over 50 pages also go to the court as working copies with proof of e-filing attached.
SourceGetting to the Surrogate's Court
Bus
Bee-Line Bus System
Parking
Metered parking is available at the library and Galleria parking garages.
The court lists the Bee-Line Bus System and Metro-North for public transportation.
What to Bring
Filed 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.
Death Certificates and the Medical Examiner in Westchester County
In Westchester County certified copies of the death certificate come from the Registrar of Vital Statistics of the town or city where the death occurred, or from New York State Department of Health - Vital Records Section.
Vital Records Office Record
New York State Department of Health - Vital Records Section
Westchester County · State vital records office
Phone
Website
Certified copies
From the Registrar of Vital Statistics of the town or city where the death occurred, or from New York State Department of Health - Vital Records Section
New York State Department of Health
Vital Records Certification Unit
P.O. Box 2602
Albany, NY 12220-2602
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $30 |
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Medical Examiner
Westchester County · Westchester County Medical Examiner's Office, Department of Laboratories and Research
Phone
Office
10 Dana Road, Valhalla, NY 10595
Website
Release of remains
1-914-231-1600 · After hours, investigator on call · (option 1)
Mail and offices
Morgue releases
Monday-Sunday 8:00 AM-3:45 PM
Verified November 1, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in Westchester County
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 County Clerk.
Deeds and other real property documents for Westchester County are recorded with the County Clerk at 110 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, White Plains, NY 10601. Phone: 1-914-995-3080. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM.
The County Clerk charges $45 per document plus $5 for every page.
Westchester County accepts electronic recording through PREP.
Recording Office Record
County Clerk
Westchester County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Office
110 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, White Plains, NY 10601
Website
E-recording
Fees
Recording fees
| Document fee (per document) | $45 |
| Each page | $5 |
| TP-584 Combined Real Estate Transfer Tax ReturnNot required for a TOD deed | $5 |
| RP-5217 Real Property Transfer Report (Residential/Agricultural)Not required for a TOD deed | $125 |
| RP-5217 Real Property Transfer Report (Commercial/Other)Not required for a TOD deed | $250 |
| Transfer tax on a TOD deed | TOD deeds are exempt from transfer tax |
CPLR § 8021(a)(4) (county-adjustable); RPL § 333(3)(ii) (RP-5217 filing fee); county-published fee schedules
Verified October 17, 2026 · Source
Probate Attorneys Serving Westchester County
New York uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in Westchester 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 Westchester 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.
Carmel solo practice filing directly with the Putnam County Surrogate's Court, which sits in the same town. Files the original will and probate petition, notifies every legal heir and beneficiary, marshals and inventories the estate's assets, settles valid debts and the final state and federal returns, and completes the formal transfer of property to the beneficiaries.
Elmsford firm, formerly in White Plains, guiding Westchester executors through probate in the Surrogate's Court of the county where the decedent lived. Walks the executor through the probate petition and death certificate, publication and citation notice to distributees, inventorying and appraising property, paying creditors, distributing the residue, and filing the estate's income, gift and estate tax returns. Both principals are trained mediators who try to settle beneficiary disputes before litigating them.
White Plains elder law and estate firm with a second office in Somers, serving the greater Westchester County area through the Surrogate's Court. Files the will and petitions for letters testamentary, values estate assets, notifies beneficiaries, works with the family accountant on estate tax returns and distributes the estate; where there is no will, petitions for letters of administration instead. Nine attorneys, and its guardianship practice covers Article 81 guardianship of an incapacitated adult as well as 17-A special needs guardianships.
White Plains firm serving Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties. Submits a recently deceased relative's estate for probate or administration in the Surrogate's Court and carries the transfer of assets through, then litigates will contests and other estate disputes, using alternative dispute resolution where a probate fight would drain the estate. Drafts wills, powers of attorney, health care proxies and living wills alongside the firm's employment and civil-rights practice.
Yonkers firm representing Westchester executors and administrators from the first Surrogate's Court filing through the order closing the estate. Handles the probate petition for letters testamentary or the administration petition for letters of administration, determines distributees and creditors, prepares the inventory and family tree affidavits, pays debts and distributes property. Also litigates contested accountings and will contests.
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.
Legal Sources
(9)·
- N.Y. SCPA § 2402(1), (2), (7)
- 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)
- SCPA § 1408 (court must inquire into all facts before admitting a will to probate)
- SCPA § 2307
- SCPA 1802, 1803, 1810, 1811; EPTL 11-1.5
- CPLR § 8021(a)(4) (county-adjustable); RPL § 333(3)(ii) (RP-5217 filing fee); county-published fee schedules
- Westchester County Surrogate's Court, official page
- Westchester County Clerk, official page
- Westchester County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
Data sourced from New York statutes and official state code. Fee percentages are modeled estimates; each figure's note says how. How we research.
Tools for Settling an Estate in New York
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.
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.
See the Steps
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.
See the Steps
Can I Self-File Probate?
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.
Get the Answer
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