Estate Planning & Probate in Albemarle County, Virginia
Albemarle County estate questions split two ways—planning so your family skips probate, or settling an estate that is already in it. This page points you to the right path—planning ahead, or settling an estate at the Circuit Court.
Someone died — settling an estate
Filing probate at the Circuit Court, what it costs, transferring property, and local attorneys.
What to do when someone dies in Albemarle County→Planning ahead as a property owner
Keep a Albemarle County home out of probate with a transfer-on-death deed or a living trust.
Estate planning in Albemarle County→The Probate Process in Albemarle 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 Albemarle County, probate runs through the Circuit Court at Court Square, 350 Park Street, Charlottesville. The court sits in the 16th Judicial Circuit.
Full Albemarle Countyprobate guide: cost, how to file & attorneys →Probate Court Record
Circuit Court
Albemarle County · 16th Judicial Circuit
Recording Deeds & Property Documents
Recording Office Record
Clerk of Circuit Court
Albemarle County · Clerk · Jon R. Zug
Address
Phone
Fax
Hours
E-recording
$26 for 1-10 pages, $40 for 11-30 pages, $60 for 31+ pages.
Full recording details →Verified September 9, 2026 · Source
Local Procedures at the Circuit Court
Criminal cases are scheduled on term day. The Clerk's Office Documents Center provides a "Guide to the Administration of Decedents' Estates in VA" for self-represented filers.
Virginia Estate Planning Articles
Articles about estate planning, probate, and trusts relevant to families in Albemarle County.
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