Downtown Rutland practice where four generations of Bloomers have practiced law since the 1920s; William J. Bloomer has served the Rutland region for over 45 years. Represents executors and interested parties in probate court, provides estate settlement services, and represents guardians and wards in guardianship proceedings, alongside wills, powers of attorney and trust agreements.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Rutland County, Vermont
How probate works in Rutland County: the Superior Court - Probate Division record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Rutland County Superior Court - Probate Division
Rutland County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
83 Center Street, Rutland, VT 05701
Website
E-filing
Filing in person
Walk-ins accepted
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
E-filing
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
- Closed the first Thursday of each month, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m., for in-service training.
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Rutland 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 Rutland County, probate runs through the Superior Court - Probate Division at 83 Center Street, Rutland.
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 Rutland County
What probate costs in Rutland 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 83 Center Street, Rutland.
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 Rutland 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.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Rutland County Self-Filing Assessment.
Rutland 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
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.
SourceE-filed PDFs must be flattened
A fillable court form must be saved as a flat PDF, usually by printing it to PDF, before it is e-filed, or the filing fails.
SourceService Requirements
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.
SourceWhat to Bring
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 Rutland County
In Rutland 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
Rutland County · State vital records office
Phone
Website
Certified copies
From the Town Clerk of the town or city where the death occurred, or from Vermont Department of Health - Vital Records Office
Vermont Department of Health
Vital Records
280 State Drive
Waterbury, VT 05671-8370
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $10 |
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
State Medical Examiner
Rutland County · Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
Phone
Office
111 Colchester Avenue, Baird 1, Burlington, VT 05401
Website
Serves this county
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
Mail and offices
Fax
1-802-863-7265
Verified November 3, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in Rutland 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 City Clerk.
Deeds and other real property documents for Rutland County are recorded with the City Clerk at 1 Strongs Avenue, Rutland, VT 05701. Phone: 1-802-773-1800 ext. 5. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM (vaults close at 3:45 PM).
Documents submitted by mail go to P.O. Box 969, Rutland, VT 05702.
The City Clerk charges $15 for the first page plus $15 for each additional page.
Rutland County does not offer e-recording.
Recording Office Record
City Clerk
Rutland County
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM (vaults close at 3:45 PM)
Office
1 Strongs Avenue, Rutland, VT 05701
Website
P.O. Box 969
Rutland, VT 05702
Fax
1-802-773-1846
Recording fees
| Base fee (first page) | $15 |
| Each additional page | $15 |
| PTT-172 Vermont Property Transfer Tax ReturnRequired with most deeds | $15 |
32 V.S.A. § 1671(a)(6)
Verified October 17, 2026 · Source
Probate Attorneys Serving Rutland County
Vermont uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in Rutland 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 Rutland 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.
Rutland firm on Allen Street, founded in May 1984, serving clients in Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Its estate planning group assists executors and trustees in administering decedents' assets, handles estate probate and guardianship proceedings, and has handled international estate matters and foreign ancillary estates.
Downtown Rutland firm on Grove Street whose attorneys appear in Rutland Probate Court. Administers testate and intestate estates from the petition for appointment through the inventory, accountings and final distribution, handles ancillary proceedings for nonresidents' Vermont real estate, and represents guardians and families in guardianship proceedings.
Rutland practice on Merchants Row run by Jeffrey P. Guevin, a past president of the Vermont Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. He prepares wills and trusts, plans for incapacity and long-term care including Medicaid applications and special needs, and represents clients in guardianship proceedings and probate estates. The office makes house calls.
Rutland general civil practice firm handling probate administration with and without wills, including small estates, estate property sales, ancillary proceedings and accountings. It also takes will challenges, estate disputes, probate appeals and guardianships, and offers trust administration, including limited fiduciary services, and supplemental needs trusts.
General practice firm at 2 Park Street in Middlebury, Addison County. Benj and Lesley Deppman handle probate matters and trust and estate administration, and represent beneficiaries and fiduciaries in estate and trust disputes, including will and trust contests and claims that an executor or trustee mismanaged assets.
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)·
- 14 V.S.A. § 1065 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)
- 14 V.S.A. § 1851
- 14 V.S.A. §§ 1201-1207
- 14 V.S.A. §§ 902-906 (appointment of executors & administrators, letters, bond); §§ 902-903 (to whom letters issue); § 906 (bond) — § 901 repealed 1985
- 32 V.S.A. § 1434(a)(1)-(8)
- 32 V.S.A. § 1671(a)(6)
- Rutland County Superior Court - Probate Division, official page
- Rutland County City Clerk, official page
- Rutland County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
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.
Get the Answer
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