Required for attorneysAttorneys must e-file through eFile & Serve. A self-represented filer may e-file, but once they e-file in a case they keep e-filing for the rest of it unless the court allows otherwise. E-filing adds a $14 use fee per filer per case, and card payments through it carry a 2.89% processing fee. On paper: Self-represented filers may file on paper or by email instead; The original will and certified copies of the death and birth certificates are filed by mail or hand delivery.
Filing in person
Walk-ins acceptedPapers can be handed in at the clerk's office during business hours or left in the drop box at the courthouse entrance. A filer must be in the office before it closes, and some courts stop taking filings shortly before closing. Papers can also be mailed, or emailed to the division as a PDF.
Self-represented filing
AllowedAny interested person may petition to open an estate, and a lawyer is not required. The Judiciary publishes the estate forms, the small-estate packet and the "Probating a Vermont Estate" booklet on its Estates and Wills page.
Accepted payment
At the counterCash, Check, Money order, Credit card.Checks and money orders are payable to Vermont Superior Court. A credit card payment carries a 2.39% convenience fee, and a filer who emails papers can ask to pay by card over the phone. Cash is taken in person only, never by mail.
Self-help center
Costello Courthouse, 32 Cherry Street, Burlington (by appointment)1-802-879-1185 · selfhelp@vtcourts.gov · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PMThe Access and Resource Center helps people without a lawyer in any Vermont court, including formal and small estates, with court processes and forms. Staff take calls and emails on weekdays and meet in person in Burlington by appointment. They do not give legal advice, and interpreter services are free.
About the court
The email address is shared with the Grand Isle Probate Division, so name the county in the subject line. Closed the last Monday of each month, 9:00 a.m. to noon, for in-service training.
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 Franklin County, probate runs through the Superior Court - Probate Division at 17 Church Street, St. Albans.
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 Vermont intestacy law when there is no will.
Most Vermont estates take 9 months to 15 months to move through this process. Creditors have 4 months14 V.S.A. §§ 1201-1207Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the first publication of the notice to creditors.
What Probate Costs in Franklin County
What probate costs in Franklin County, Vermont 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 Superior Court - Probate Division at 17 Church Street, St. Albans.
Vermont charges $50 - $3,250 (based on estate value)32 V.S.A. § 1434(a)(1)-(8)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 Vermont are negotiated, typically 1.7%Modeled estimate under 14 V.S.A. § 1065 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 9, 2026View source to 2.7%Modeled estimate under 14 V.S.A. § 1065 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 9, 2026View source of estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates.
Vermont allows executors 'reasonable compensation' — around 2.2%–3.8% of a $500,000 estate, judging by what the states with statutory schedules pay14 V.S.A. § 1065 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 9, 2026View source. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
Vermont requires publishing notice to creditors in a local newspaper, and the estate pays for it.
Vermont requires the executor to post a surety bond. Premiums run roughly 0.5%Industry surety premium estimate; the bond itself under 14 V.S.A. § 906; 14 V.S.A. §§ 2101-2110Verified Sep 9, 2026View source of estate value annually for the duration of probate.
Probate in Vermont typically runs 9 months to 15 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the Superior Court - Probate Division
Probate cases in Franklin County, Vermont are filed at the Superior Court - Probate Division.
The Access and Resource Center helps people without a lawyer in any Vermont court, including formal and small estates, with court processes and forms. Staff take calls and emails on weekdays and meet in person in Burlington by appointment. They do not give legal advice, and interpreter services are free.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
In Vermont, informal probate is not available14 V.S.A. § 1851Verified Sep 9, 2026View source, so self-filing means a formal court petition rather than a registrar filing.
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Before You File
The clerk names the newspaper for the Notice to Creditors
A fiduciary who publishes the Notice to Creditors does so once in a newspaper circulating where the decedent lived, and the court clerk says which newspapers can be used. A copy of the published notice is filed with the court as proof of publication.
The petition and notice are served by restricted mail
The notice and petition that open a probate proceeding go to each party by restricted mail: the Postal Service or a commercial carrier that takes a receipt signed by the addressee or a member of the household. Where delivery is refused or no receipt comes back, service is complete when the papers were also sent by first-class mail, were not returned, and tracking information is filed.
Filed with the opening petition at the Superior Court - Probate Division: Entry fee (checks or money orders payable to Vermont Superior Court); Certified copy of the death certificate (plus a certified copy of the death certificate of any heir at law who predeceased the decedent, for the List of Interested Persons); List of Interested Persons for Estates (form 700-00002E); ORIGINAL Will and any codicils (if any); For an ancillary (out-of-state) estate: authenticated copy of the will and probate from the decedent’s primary estate14 V.S.A. §§ 902-906 (appointment of executors & administrators, letters, bond); §§ 902-903 (to whom letters issue); § 906 (bond) — § 901 repealed 1985Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Medical Examiner in Franklin County
In Franklin County certified copies of the death certificate come from the Town Clerk of the town or city where the death occurred, or from Vermont Department of Health - Vital Records Office.
Vital Records Office Record
Vermont Department of Health - Vital Records Office
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 Clerk.
Deeds and other real property documents for Franklin County are recorded with the City Clerk at 100 North Main Street, St. Albans, VT 05478. Phone: 1-802-524-1500. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM.
Documents submitted by mail go to Attn: City Clerk's Office, 100 North Main Street, Saint Albans, VT 05478.
The City Clerk charges $15 for the first page plus $15 for each additional page.
Vermont uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in Franklin 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 Vermont are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a Franklin County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Superior Court - Probate Division, 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.
Colchester firm on Water Tower Circle with an office in Newport and by-appointment offices in Montpelier and St. Albans. It guides named executors and beneficiaries through the probate process and represents people seeking or opposing appointment as guardian for vulnerable or elderly adults, in contested and uncontested matters. Planning covers wills, trusts and lifetime giving plans.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateGuardianshipBusiness Lawand 2 more
Office
401 Water Tower Circle, Suite 101Colchester, VT 05446
Enosburg Falls office on Bismark Street serving Franklin County and northern Vermont. Handles probate and estate planning alongside real estate and business planning.
St. Albans law office on Congress Street in Franklin County, in practice since Michael Gawne joined its predecessor Brown & Cahill in 1976. Attorney Megan Manahan Bliss handles wills, trusts, estate administration and guardianships alongside real estate, family law, small business and mediation work.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateGuardianshipBusiness Lawand 2 more
Colchester firm on Hercules Drive in Chittenden County, established in 2010, with a by-appointment office in St. Albans. It guides executors, administrators and trustees through the Vermont Probate Division, from court filings and creditor notices to asset transfers and administration without a will, and offers guardianship representation. Managing attorney Lisa Gale has practiced in Vermont for over 30 years, and the firm pairs probate with residential real estate and title work.
St. Albans firm started by John Kissane in 1946, in the America House building on North Main Street a half block from the Franklin County courthouses. It guides clients through estate administration in probate and plans with wills and trusts, including transfers of a family farm or business and provision for a disabled child. The oldest operating law firm in Franklin County.
Burlington family law firm on Kilburn Street in Chittenden County with an estate planning practice. Its planning documents cover financial protection for children, asset protection, estate tax planning, healthcare choices, business succession and end-of-life care. Consultations are by phone or in person and billed at the attorney's hourly rate.
PracticesEstate PlanningTax PlanningAsset ProtectionFamily Lawand 2 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 Vermont 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 Vermont
Free tools for settling an estate in Vermont: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for Vermont.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Vermont: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 60 days14 V.S.A. §§ 1051-1053Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 4 months14 V.S.A. §§ 1201-1207Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 9 months.
See the Steps
How Do I Settle a Trust?
Settling a trust in Vermont happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust Code14A V.S.A. § 101 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 60 days14A V.S.A. § 813Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
See the Steps
Can I Self-File Probate?
In Vermont, informal probate is not available14 V.S.A. § 1851Verified Sep 9, 2026View source, so self-filing means a formal court petition rather than a registrar filing.
Enter the estate value to see Vermont attorney fees, executor fees, court costs and the timeline.
Examples:
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.
$
See whether you can file probate yourself
Enter the estate value to see whether Vermont 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.
