Probate Self-Help and E-Filing by State (2026)

Probate self-help and e-filing resources usually come from your state court system, your statewide legal-aid portal, or the county probate office that handles the estate. This directory points families to official probate self-help, guided-form, and e-filing resources, while flagging the local rules that often matter most after a death.

Use this as a starting point, not a substitute for your court's current instructions. Probate requirements, fees, and accepted filing methods can change, and many rules are county-specific.

How to use probate self-help and e-filing resources

If you are serving as executor, personal representative, administrator, or the family member trying to get probate started, begin with the court system where the person lived. In many states, probate is handled by a county court or county office, so the statewide site may only explain the basics.

A practical order is:

• Start with your state's official court self-help site or statewide legal-aid site to learn the procedure and find forms.
• Check whether your state or county supports probate e-filing. Some systems allow optional e-filing for people without lawyers.
• If a guided-interview tool is available, use it to fill out forms, then file online, by mail, or in person as your court requires.
• Keep original papers safe. Courts often require the original will, codicils, or signed papers even when other documents can be e-filed.
• Confirm filing fees, portal charges, publication costs, and fee waiver rules before submitting anything.

If you are still in the first weeks after a death, it may help to read Sunset's executor checklist for the first 30 days before filing. Probate paperwork is only one part of the estate settlement. You may also need to identify assets, protect accounts, contact beneficiaries, and track bills.

National probate form and guided-interview gateways

These national resources can help you find state and local self-help tools:

• LawHelp.org state finder, the official network of statewide legal-aid portals.
• LawHelp Interactive, also called LHI Find Forms, with free guided interviews available in 35+ states.
• Tyler Guide & File and public e-filing pages, where availability varies by state.

These tools do not replace the local court's rules. A form that is available online still may need a filing fee, a wet signature, a notarization, or an original document delivered to the clerk.

Probate self-help and e-filing directory by state

The states below are selected high-volume states. Entries favor official court sites, statewide legal-aid hubs, and county probate offices. Fee notes are examples only. Check the linked court or agency source for the current amount and local filing rules.

State	Official self-help or legal-aid resource	E-filing portal status	Guided interviews	Fee notes
California	California Courts probate self-help	County superior courts accept e-filing for probate in many counties through EFSPs, including Kern and San Bernardino; optional for self-represented filers	Some online form interviews are available through CA Courts	Typical initial probate filing fee is about $435; local add-ons may apply
Texas	Texas Court Help and Texas Law Help	Statewide eFileTexas portal; self-represented filing optional; local probate courts may impose other requirements	eFileTexas Self-Help guided interviews for select case types	EFSP and portal convenience fees vary; some probate courts expect attorney involvement
Florida	Florida Courts Help filing instructions	Statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal with a self-represented role	DIY Florida offers guided forms inside the portal for limited case types	e-Portal charges, e-check $5 and card about 3.95%, plus court fees
New York	NY CourtHelp probate	NYSCEF supports Surrogate's Court e-filing for authorized counties; EDDS is available where e-file is not authorized	LHI and Legal Aid tools vary by county	Original will must be filed in hard copy; deadlines apply
Pennsylvania	County-run Register of Wills and Orphans' Court self-help, including Philadelphia, Dauphin, and Washington examples	County portals; availability varies by county	Varies by county	Fees and procedures vary by county; confirm locally
Illinois	Illinois Legal Aid Online, ILAO	eFileIL statewide for self-represented filers and attorneys	ILAO Easy Forms for many matters	Standard court fees plus EFSP fees; confirm locally
Ohio	County probate court resources, including Franklin County as an example	County probate e-filing, including Franklin County mandatory e-filing; Supreme Court e-filing is appellate	Varies by county	Deposits and fees are set by local probate courts
Georgia	County probate self-help, including DeKalb and Coweta examples	Odyssey eFileGA in many counties; some probate courts also use TrueFiling	Georgia Guide & File for select case types	Coweta TrueFiling example adds $14 filing fee plus about 5% card fee
North Carolina	NC eCourts Guide & File	File & Serve, Odyssey, in live eCourts counties; attorneys mandatory and self-represented filers optional	Guide & File includes Probate	Rollout is by county; confirm availability and fees
Michigan	Michigan Legal Help and MiFILE resources	MiFILE statewide, with probate live in many courts	Michigan Legal Help guided tools	State e-filing system fee, such as $25 for probate, plus 3% card processing for online payments
New Jersey	NJ Courts self-help for guardianship and County Surrogate pages, including Morris	Probate is through County Surrogate; some counties offer online eProbate uploads; civil e-filing through VJEFS is attorneys only	Limited guided tools; check county	Morris County example: probate starts at about $100; administration about $125
Virginia	Circuit Court Clerk probate and qualification resources, including Fauquier and Virginia Beach	VJEFS e-filing for civil is limited to attorneys; probate is usually by in-person appointment with the Clerk	N/A	Probate and qualification by appointment; originals required
Washington	King County Superior Court e-Filing resources	eFileWA live in participating counties, including Snohomish; county portals vary	Varies by county	Temporary suspensions and maintenance may occur; check local notices
Arizona	County self-help, including Mohave and Yavapai examples	eFileAZ and AZTurboCourt for eligible probate case types	Varies by county	Training requirements may apply for a personal representative or guardian
Massachusetts	Probate & Family Court e-Filing through eFileMA	eFileMA available in all Probate & Family Court divisions	Some guided materials; check Mass.gov	Additional e-file and processing fees may apply on top of filing fees

State notes to verify before filing

Use these notes to find the source category that applies in each state. In county-based probate systems, the county page may control over a broader statewide summary.

• California: Check CA Courts probate self-help, Kern and San Bernardino Superior Court probate e-filing pages, the Sutter County eFileCA FAQ, and CA Courts filing fee guidance.
• Texas: Check Texas Court Help, Texas State Law Library probate form guidance, the official eFileTexas portal, and eFileTexas resources for self-represented filers.
• Florida: Check Florida Courts Help filing instructions, Pinellas FCCC portal fee examples, the DIY Florida program, and St. Lucie guidance.
• New York: Check NY CourtHelp probate, the NYSCEF homepage, and Surrogate's Court e-file rules under 22 NYCRR 207.4a and 207.4aa.
• Pennsylvania: Check the Philadelphia Register of Wills for matters with or without a will and records, Dauphin e-filing, Washington County Orphans' Court e-filing, and Allegheny resources.
• Illinois: Check eFileIL statewide and the Illinois Legal Aid Online form library and Easy Forms.
• Ohio: Check Franklin County Probate e-filing, where e-filing is mandatory, and remember that Supreme Court of Ohio e-filing is appellate.
• Georgia: Check Odyssey eFileGA, DeKalb Probate eFileGA pointers, the Coweta TrueFiling announcement, and Fulton Probate e-file notes.
• North Carolina: Check the NC eCourts overview for File & Serve, Guide & File, and county rollout. The Guide & File case list includes Probate.
• Michigan: Check MiFILE information and county adoption, including Oakland and Livingston, plus Michigan Legal Help information on fees and MiFILE.
• New Jersey: Check NJ Courts adult guardianship self-help, Morris County Surrogate eProbate and fees, and the NJ Surrogate role definition.
• Virginia: Check Virginia Judiciary VJEFS, which is attorneys only, county probate and qualification pages such as Fauquier, Prince William, and Virginia Beach, and VA Code probate authorities.
• Washington: Check King County e-Filing resources and Clerk notices, the eFileWA landing page, and Snohomish e-filing status.
• Arizona: Check Mohave probate and the Yavapai e-filing overview pointing to eFileAZ and AZTurboCourt.
• Massachusetts: Check the Probate & Family Court e-filing explainer, the eFileMA portal, and fee examples showing e-file fee add-ons.

Fee examples and payment details

Probate filing fees can include more than the petition fee. Some estates also pay publication charges, appraisal costs, certified copy fees, service costs, or portal processing fees. Fee waivers may be available for qualifying filers.

Examples from the source materials include:

• California: The probate petition filing fee is typically about $435, with added costs for publication, appraisals, and administration. Counties may add surcharges.
• Florida: The statewide portal adds $5 per e-check filing or about 3.95% for credit cards, on top of court filing fees.
• Michigan: An e-filing system fee is assessed when opening a new civil or probate case, such as $25 in probate, plus a 3% card processing fee if you pay online. Fee waivers are available for qualifying filers.
• Georgia: Coweta TrueFiling has an example of a $14 filing fee plus about 5% card fee.
• New Jersey: Morris County examples show probate starting at about $100 and administration at about $125.

Before you pay, confirm whether your court requires one payment to the portal and another to the court, whether card fees are refundable, and whether rejected filings still carry a processing charge.

Common probate e-filing limits

E-filing can save a trip to the courthouse, but probate often has rules that do not exist in ordinary civil cases. The biggest issue is original documents.

Original wills are the main example. Even where e-filing is allowed, courts generally require the original will and some other originals to be lodged in person or by mail. California examples list wills and codicils as ineligible for e-filing. New York Surrogate's Court requires the original will and often requires it within two business days of e-filing.

Some courts also require original signed petitions or supporting papers after the first online filing. Fulton County, Georgia, is an example where original papers may need to be delivered within 10 days. Always check the probate court's own instructions before assuming an uploaded PDF is enough.

County variation is another major issue. In Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Virginia, probate can be handled through county offices such as the Register of Wills, Surrogate, or Circuit Court Clerk. E-filing eligibility, accepted case types, appointment rules, and fees can differ by county.

If you are unsure whether probate is required at all, Sunset has a plain-English guide to when probate is required. Some smaller estates may qualify for a simplified process, and our guide to small estate affidavits explains the general idea.

How Sunset helps with probate paperwork

Sunset can help families generate state- and county-specific probate packets while they work through the larger estate settlement. Sunset's automated executor software prepares county-specific probate documents for all 50 states and 3,000+ counties, supports online notarization where available, and keeps the family in control at each step.

Sunset also searches 2,300+ financial institutions to help find accounts and assets, because probate forms are easier to complete when you have a clearer picture of what the estate owns and owes. The assets-and-liabilities-first approach can help an executor avoid filing with an incomplete inventory or missing a bank account, retirement account, life insurance policy, or other asset.

When counsel is needed, Sunset refers families to a local probate attorney. Many estates can move forward with the right forms and instructions, but some situations need legal help, such as disputes, unclear wills, creditor problems, property in more than one state, or questions about who has priority to serve.

Sunset's family product is funded through our bank partnership. The estate does not pay Sunset, and all assets go to the beneficiaries and heirs. Families can use an FDIC-insured estate account as part of the process. Sunset has helped 15,000+ families settle estates.

The source material stated that most families find 100% of assets within a week and that 98% of estates do not need a probate lawyer. Those figures depend on the facts of the estate and the records available, so families should still verify assets, debts, court requirements, and local deadlines.

A note on legal advice

This article is informational and is not legal advice. Court rules, accepted case types, fees, and e-filing access change often. Always verify requirements on your court's official site, check the county clerk or probate office instructions, and speak with a licensed attorney if you need advice about your role or the estate.

FAQ

What is the best official probate self-help site to start with?

Start with your state court's probate self-help page or your statewide legal-aid portal, such as the LawHelp.org state finder. Then check the county probate court, Register of Wills, Surrogate, or Circuit Court Clerk site, because local probate rules often control the filing process.

Can I e-file probate without a lawyer?

Sometimes. Texas, Florida, Illinois, and other states have e-filing systems that can support self-represented filers, but probate access and case types vary. Some local probate courts may expect attorney involvement or require in-person steps even if the portal accepts filings.

Do I still have to file the original will if I e-file probate forms?

Usually, yes. Many courts require the original will, codicils, or signed papers by mail or in person. California examples list wills and codicils as ineligible for e-filing, and New York Surrogate's Court requires the original will under rules that include 22 NYCRR 207.4a and 207.4aa.

How much does probate e-filing cost?

Costs vary by court and portal. Examples include a typical California initial probate filing fee of about $435, Florida portal charges of $5 for e-check or about 3.95% for cards, and a Michigan probate e-filing system fee such as $25 plus 3% card processing if paid online.

Can Sunset prepare probate forms for my county?

Sunset prepares county-specific probate documents for all 50 states and 3,000+ counties. Sunset can also help search 2,300+ financial institutions for assets and refer families to a local probate attorney when legal counsel is needed.

If you are trying to start probate and are not sure which forms apply, Sunset can help you find assets, prepare the right probate packet, and keep the next steps organized.