General-practice firm in Accomac serving Accomack and Northampton counties on Virginia's Eastern Shore since 1993. Handles wills, trusts, powers of attorney, advance medical directives, and estate administration alongside real estate and family law. Attorney Anita C. Johnson is licensed in both Virginia and Maryland.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Northampton County, Virginia
How probate works in Northampton County: the Circuit Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Northampton County Circuit Court
Northampton County · 2nd Judicial Circuit
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM (except state holidays)
Office
5229 The Hornes, Eastville, VA 23347
Website
Filing in person
Appointment required
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
Filing in person
Appointment requiredProbating a will or qualifying on an estate is by appointment with the clerk or a deputy clerk, made by calling the Probate Department at 757-678-0465.
P.O. Box 36
Eastville, VA 23347-0036
Fax
1-757-678-5410
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Northampton 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 Northampton County, probate runs through the Circuit Court at 5229 The Hornes, Eastville. The court sits in the 2nd Judicial Circuit. The same 2nd Judicial Circuit also serves Accomack and Virginia Beach.
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 Virginia intestacy law when there is no will.
Most Virginia estates take 9 months to 12 months to move through this process. Creditors have 6 monthsVa. Code §§ 64.2-508.1, 64.2-528, 64.2-529, 64.2-550, 64.2-552, 64.2-556Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the first publication of the notice to creditors.
What Probate Costs in Northampton County
What probate costs in Northampton County, Virginia 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 Circuit Court at 5229 The Hornes, Eastville. The court is part of the 2nd Judicial Circuit.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: Northampton County adds a local probate tax of 33 cents per $1,000 of the estate to the state tax of $1 per $1,000, paid when the will is filed.
Virginia charges $0 - $30 (based on estate value)Va. Code § 17.1-275(A)(3)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 Virginia are negotiated, typically 2.5%Modeled estimate under Va. Code §§ 64.2-105(B)(12) (fiduciary employs and compensates counsel), 64.2-1208(A) (commissioner of accounts allows reasonable expenses; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 9, 2026View source to 3.9%Modeled estimate under Va. Code §§ 64.2-105(B)(12) (fiduciary employs and compensates counsel), 64.2-1208(A) (commissioner of accounts allows reasonable expenses; 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.
Virginia allows executors 'reasonable compensation' — around 2.2%–3.8% of a $500,000 estate, judging by what the states with statutory schedules payVa. Code § 64.2-1208(A) (commissioner of accounts allows 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.
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 Va. Code §§ 64.2-504(A) (bond required at qualification), 64.2-505(A)(2) (security waived when the will so directs)Verified Sep 9, 2026View source of estate value annually.
Probate in Virginia typically runs 9 months to 12 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the Circuit Court
Probate cases in Northampton County are filed at the Circuit Court. File in person during business hours or by mail. The court sits in the 2nd Judicial Circuit.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
In Virginia, informal probate is not available, so self-filing means a formal court petition rather than a registrar filing.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Northampton County Self-Filing Assessment.
Northampton County Filing Requirements
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Document Requirements
The original will is taken to the clerk's office with a copy of the death certificate, and the person qualifying knows the decedent's assets and their values as closely as possible.
SourceCourt Appearances
Court terms begin the second Monday of January, March, May, July, September and November. Court convenes at 9:30 a.m. with docket call at 10:00 a.m., and motions are heard the second Friday of each month at 9:30 a.m.
SourceWhat to Bring
Filed with the opening petition at the Circuit Court: Certified copy of the death certificate (or, where the clerk accepts it, a copy of the obituary); Original will and any codicils, if the decedent left a will (Va. Code §§ 64.2-443, 64.2-444); Completed Probate Information Form (CC-1650) — the application for appointment of an executor or administrator; List of Heirs (CC-1611), the decedent's heirs at law, sworn and filed at qualification whether the decedent died testate or intestate (Va. Code § 64.2-509(A)); Probate Tax Return (CC-1651), filed with the clerk when the estate exceeds $15,000 in value (Va. Code § 58.1-1714)Va. Code §§ 64.2-443 (circuit court jurisdiction), 64.2-444 (clerk authority to admit wills and qualify representatives), 64.2-500 to 64.2-508.1 (grant, oath, bond, security, certificate of qualification), 64.2-509 (list of heirs), 64.2-1426 (nonresident fiduciaries)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Medical Examiner in Northampton County
In Virginia a death is registered locally, and in Northampton County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Eastern Shore Health District, Northampton County Health Department as well as by Virginia Department of Health - Office of Vital Records.
Vital Records Office Record
Local Health Department
Northampton County · Eastern Shore Health District, Northampton County Health Department
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:15 AM-5:00 PM
Office
7114 Lankford Highway, Nassawadox, VA 23413
Website
P.O. Box 248
Nassawadox, VA 23413
Fax
1-757-442-4307
Local rule
- Records are requested in person at the Accomack or Northampton County health department with an accepted photo ID. The district gives a record only to the mother, father, current spouse, child, brother, sister or grandparent.
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $15 |
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
State Medical Examiner
Northampton County · Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Tidewater District
Phone
Office
830 Southampton Avenue, Suite 100, Norfolk, VA 23510
Website
Serves this county
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (Tidewater District)
Mail and offices
Fax
1-757-683-2589
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in Northampton 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 Clerk of the Circuit Court.
Deeds and other real property documents for Northampton County are recorded with the Clerk of the Circuit Court at 5229 The Hornes, Eastville, VA 23347. Phone: 1-757-678-0465. Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM.
Documents submitted by mail go to P.O. Box 36, Eastville, VA 23347.
The Clerk of the Circuit Court charges $26 for 1-10 pages, $40 for 11-30 pages, $60 for 31+ pages.
Northampton County accepts electronic recording through CSC.
Recording Office Record
Clerk of the Circuit Court
Northampton County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
5229 The Hornes, Eastville, VA 23347
Website
E-recording
P.O. Box 36
Eastville, VA 23347
Fax
1-757-678-5410
Recording fees
| 1-10 pages | $26 |
| 11-30 pages | $40 |
| 31+ pages | $60 |
| Open-Space Preservation Fee (Virginia Outdoors Foundation)Applies to a TOD deed | $3 |
| Land Book Transfer FeeApplies to a TOD deed | $1 |
| Deed Processing FeeNot required for a TOD deed | $20 |
| Paper-Filing Fee (clerks offering electronic land-record filing) | Up to $5.00 per instrument |
| Transfer tax on a TOD deed | TOD deeds are exempt from transfer tax |
Va. Code 17.1-275 (subdivision A 2), 17.1-279; add-ons at Va. Code 58.1-817, 58.1-3314(3), 17.1-258.3:1 and Appropriation Act Item 3-6.01
Verified October 17, 2026 · Source
Probate Attorneys Serving Northampton County
Virginia uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in Northampton 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 Virginia are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a Northampton County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Circuit 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.
Eastern Shore firm in Eastville serving Northampton and Accomack counties. Handles estate planning and administration, including probate and the settlement of estates, alongside real estate and land matters common to the region. Partner C.A. "Bert" Turner III continues a multi-generation Eastville practice dating to 1987.
Estate-planning and elder-law firm serving Fredericksburg from its Jackson Street office, part of a four-office Virginia footprint that includes Richmond, Williamsburg, and Virginia Beach. Works with families on trust-based plans, estate and trust administration, Medicaid and asset-protection planning, and guardianship and conservatorship.
Williamsburg-anchored estate firm serving the Historic Triangle and central Virginia, with offices in Richmond and satellite locations including Glen Allen and Charlottesville. Handles probate, estate and trust administration, will and trust updates, powers of attorney, and inheritance matters for estates large and small. Offers a free consultation and an ongoing plan-maintenance service.
Charlottesville firm with a statewide Virginia practice and a second office in Harrisonburg, serving Central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. Handles probate and estate administration — locating assets, paying creditors and taxes, and distributing to heirs — plus trust and estate litigation, guardianship, and Medicaid planning. Offers a free consultation and will meet clients at home.
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
(8)·
- Va. Code § 17.1-275(A)(3)
- Va. Code § 64.2-1208(A) (commissioner of accounts allows reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)
- Va. Code §§ 64.2-443 (circuit court jurisdiction), 64.2-444 (clerk authority to admit wills and qualify representatives), 64.2-500 to 64.2-508.1 (grant, oath, bond, security, certificate of qualification), 64.2-509 (list of heirs), 64.2-1426 (nonresident fiduciaries)
- Va. Code §§ 64.2-508.1, 64.2-528, 64.2-529, 64.2-550, 64.2-552, 64.2-556
- Va. Code 17.1-275 (subdivision A 2), 17.1-279; add-ons at Va. Code 58.1-817, 58.1-3314(3), 17.1-258.3:1 and Appropriation Act Item 3-6.01
- Northampton County Circuit Court, official page
- Northampton County Clerk of the Circuit Court, official page
- Northampton County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
Data sourced from Virginia 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 Virginia
Free tools for settling an estate in Virginia: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for Virginia.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Virginia: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 120 daysVa. Code § 64.2-1300Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 6 monthsVa. Code §§ 64.2-508.1, 64.2-528, 64.2-529, 64.2-550, 64.2-552, 64.2-556Verified 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 Virginia happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust CodeVa. Code § 64.2-700 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 60 daysVa. Code §§ 64.2-775, 64.2-796Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
See the Steps
Can I Self-File Probate?
In Virginia, informal probate is not available, so self-filing means a formal court petition rather than a registrar filing.
Get the Answer
Hire a Virginia Probate Attorney
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