New York Probate Guide
County-specific probate court contacts, filing fees, required forms, and step-by-step estate settlement guidance for executors in New York.
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New York Probate Guides
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New York Probate Guide
New York probate guide covering Surrogate's Court, probate with a will, administration with no will, voluntary administration, filing fees, and first steps.
New York Probate Timeline
New York probate timeline guide covering Surrogate's Court filing, letters, creditor claims, estate tax timing, accounting, and small-estate timing.
New York Health Care Proxy
New York health care proxy guide covering agent selection, signing rules, agent authority, artificial nutrition and hydration, MOLST, and revocation.
New York Intestate Succession
New York intestate succession guide covering who inherits without a will, spouse and child shares, parents, siblings, distributees, and administration filings.
New York Power of Attorney
New York power of attorney guide covering signing rules, durability, agent authority, third-party acceptance, revocation, and health care limits.
New York Probate Costs
New York probate cost guide covering voluntary administration fees, SCPA 2402 filing fees, fiduciary commissions, estate tax timing, and case-specific costs.
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Probate Basics
1Forms & Court
3Executor Duties
1Taxes & Deadlines
2Planning Documents
1Types of Probate in New York
New York offers several probate procedures depending on estate value and circumstances.
Formal Probate
Court-supervised administration for estates that do not qualify for a shortcut.
- Timeline
- 6-12+ months
- Attorney
- Recommended
Simplified Probate
A shorter court process that may be available for qualifying estates.
- Timeline
- Varies
- Attorney
- Recommended
Small Estate Procedure
A limited shortcut for qualifying small estates.
- Timeline
- Varies
- Attorney
- Optional
New York Probate Courts by County
62 counties with detailed data
Showing 36 of 62 counties. Search by county name or show the full list.
New York Estate Law Overview
New York Estate Tax Info
New York tax information for estates
Federal estate tax info
Federal estate tax only applies to estates exceeding $15,000,000 (2026).
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Intestate succession controls who receives probate property when a New York decedent dies without a valid will.
New York Homestead Protection
New York does not have a Florida/Texas-style constitutional probate homestead shield in this scaffold. Home transfers are handled through title, TOD deed, survivorship, trust, probate, or administration paths. Property tax exemptions may apply separately.
Exempt Property
EPTL 5-3.1 sets aside specified family exemption property for a surviving spouse, or if none or disqualified, children under age 21. These items are not treated as estate assets to the extent the statute applies.