If you are settling the estate of a loved one who lived in Manhattan, the cost to probate a will at the New York County Surrogate’s Court breaks down into two main categories: a graduated court filing fee set by statute (SCPA §2402) that scales with the size of the estate, plus attorney’s fees that typically range from roughly $3,000
When a loved one passes away in Manhattan, the right way to settle their estate depends largely on what they owned and how it was titled. The small estate affidavit — formally called voluntary administration under SCPA Article 13 — is a streamlined, lower-cost process for estates of limited personal property value, while full probate is the formal court proceeding
Preliminary letters testamentary are interim court credentials, issued by the New York County Surrogate’s Court under SCPA §1412, that allow the executor named in a Manhattan decedent’s will to begin administering the estate before the full probate proceeding concludes. When a will is filed for probate but the matter cannot be decided immediately — because a citation must be served,
For most uncontested estates, probate in New York County (Manhattan) takes roughly three to six months from the day the petition is filed with the Surrogate’s Court to the day Letters Testamentary are issued and the executor can begin administering the estate. That is the short answer. The full picture, however, depends on how quickly the original will and supporting
When someone dies without a will in Manhattan, New York’s intestacy statutes — not the deceased’s personal wishes — control who inherits the estate, and the matter is handled through the New York County Surrogate’s Court by a process called administration rather than probate. Because there is no will to name an executor, the court appoints an administrator and issues
Strictly speaking, New York law does not require you to hire a lawyer to probate a will in Manhattan. If you are the named executor and the estate is simple, you may file the petition yourself with the New York County Surrogate’s Court. But the honest answer most attorneys will give you is this: while you are not legally obligated
How immigration status affects inheritance and probate in New York — non-citizen spouses, foreign heirs, QDOT trusts, and when to call each specialist.