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Milford-Orange Probate Court, CT Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Court | Milford-Orange Probate Court, PD-40 |
| Courthouse address | 70 West River Street, Milford, CT 06460 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 414, Milford, CT 06460-0414 |
| Phone | (203) 783-3205 |
| Fax | No fax is published for this court. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Filing fee | No filing fee is due when a decedent's estate is opened. The Probate Court invoices a statutory fee later, computed on the value of the estate under C.G.S. section 45a-107. |
| Local forms | Connecticut PC forms are statewide. The Milford-Orange Probate Court does not publish forms of its own. |
| E-filing | The Connecticut Probate Courts use TurboCourt. Attorneys must register, while registration is optional for everyone else (Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 22.1). The original will cannot be eFiled and must reach the court on paper (section 7.1a). |
| Case lookup | Use the statewide Case Lookup at ctprobate.gov/case-lookup and filter to PD-40. Coverage for decedents' estates and trusts runs from January 5, 2011 to the present, with incomplete earlier data. |
| Remote participation | Remote participation is discretionary. Section 66.1 lets the court allow participation by electronic means on request or on its own motion, but it is not a right. |
| Website | https://www.ctprobate.gov/courts/milford-orange-probate-court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file at the Milford-Orange Probate Court, make a practical list of what the decedent owned, what passed automatically to someone else, what debts exist, and whether any Connecticut real estate was solely owned. Those facts determine whether you need a full estate, a C.G.S. section 45a-273 affidavit in lieu procedure, or only an estate tax return filed with the Probate Court within six months.
Estate settlement usually starts with missing information. Sunset searches more than 2,300 institutions to help families find accounts, policies, and other assets before the paperwork goes to the Milford clerk, which can keep the first filing aligned with the assets that actually exist.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Milford-Orange Probate Court is the Probate Court for the Milford-Orange Probate Court district, PD-40. It serves the towns of Milford and Orange (C.G.S. section 45a-2). The courthouse is in Milford, so an Orange family files in Milford when this is the correct probate district.
If the decedent was domiciled in Milford or Orange and left a will, the executor applies to the Probate Court for this district, generally within thirty days of death (C.G.S. section 45a-283). If the decedent died intestate, the Probate Court for the district where the person was domiciled grants letters of administration (C.G.S. section 45a-303). If a nonresident owned Connecticut property, C.G.S. section 45a-287 supplies the possible Connecticut districts.
Use the statewide Court Locator at ctprobate.gov/court-locator if the decedent lived outside Milford or Orange. A Probate Court decree may be appealed to the Superior Court, generally within thirty days of the date the Probate Court sent the decree (C.G.S. section 45a-186).
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the correct local court. File in the Milford-Orange Probate Court if the decedent was domiciled in Milford or Orange, using the domicile rules in C.G.S. section 45a-283 and C.G.S. section 45a-303. Use the Connecticut Court Locator at ctprobate.gov/court-locator if the town was different.
- Pick the correct opening path. A full estate generally starts with PC-200, Petition/Administration or Probate of Will, filed in the domicile district under C.G.S. section 45a-283. If the estate qualifies for the small estates procedure, use PC-212 under C.G.S. section 45a-273. If there is an original will, send or bring the paper original because it cannot be eFiled under section 7.1a.
- File by eFiling, mail, or in person. Connecticut's eFiling system is governed by section 22.1 of the Probate Court Rules of Procedure. Attorneys must register, registration is optional for self-represented filers, and this court publishes no fax, so do not plan on fax filing unless the clerk gives a current instruction.
- Expect the court to handle notice and scheduling. The court may set a hearing, accept waivers, or use the streamline notice procedure under section 8.6. If you need to participate by electronic means, ask the clerk about a request under section 66.1.
- Pay nothing up front to open a decedent's estate. Connecticut does not charge a filing fee to open a decedent's estate. Under section 6.1 of the Probate Court Rules of Procedure, the statutory filing fee is due at filing in every kind of Probate Court matter except a decedent's estate and an accounting. Instead, the Milford-Orange Probate Court bills the estate later. The fee is set by statute and is the same in all 54 Connecticut probate districts (C.G.S. section 45a-105). For a person who died on or after July 1, 2016, it is graduated on the greater of the inventory, the gross estate or the Connecticut taxable estate, running from $25 up to a cap of $40,000, with a minimum of $150 where a full estate is opened on a basis under $10,000, and with any portion passing to a surviving spouse counted at half (C.G.S. section 45a-107). The fee is owed on everything the decedent owned, including assets that pass outside probate, and it is owed whether or not an estate is opened at all. Interest of 0.5 per cent per month runs on a probate fee that is unpaid thirty days after the court's invoice, and separately on the fee of an estate whose Connecticut estate tax return is filed late (C.G.S. section 45a-107). ctprobate.gov publishes a fee calculator at ctprobate.gov/fees-expenses-calculators.
- Receive authority from the clerk if the court appoints you. When the Probate Court appoints you, the court's clerk issues a certificate of your appointment as fiduciary. Under C.G.S. section 45a-200 that certificate is sufficient evidence of your authority and identity for one year from the date it is issued, so a bank or transfer agent may ask for a recently issued copy. Ask the clerk of the Milford-Orange Probate Court for as many certified copies as you expect to need, and expect to request fresh ones if the estate stays open past a year.
- Administer the estate after appointment. File the decedent's estate inventory within two months after qualification unless the court extends the time as allowed by C.G.S. section 45a-341. The court places the newspaper notice to creditors within 14 days after appointment under C.G.S. section 45a-354, and the 150-day creditor period is governed by C.G.S. section 45a-356. File the return of claims under C.G.S. section 45a-361 when it is due.
- File tax and closing documents. A Connecticut estate tax return is due within six months and is filed with the Probate Court for a Milford or Orange resident. CT-706 NT goes to the Probate Court when the estate is at or below the 2026 filing threshold; CT-706/709 goes to the Commissioner of Revenue Services with a copy to the Probate Court. When settlement is complete, file the final financial report, often PC-246 under section 30.19, or the account the court requires.
Forms and documents
Probate forms at the Milford-Orange Probate Court
Connecticut probate forms are statewide. The Milford-Orange Probate Court uses the same numbered PC forms as every other Connecticut Probate Court, published free by the Office of the Probate Court Administrator at ctprobate.gov. The court does not publish forms of its own.
| Form | Use at this court |
|---|---|
| PC-200 | Petition to open a full estate for administration or probate of a will in the proper domicile district under C.G.S. section 45a-283. |
| PC-200CI | Confidential information filed with PC-200. |
| PC-212 | Affidavit in lieu procedure for a qualifying estate under C.G.S. section 45a-273. |
| PC-212A and PC-212CI | Related small estate forms used with C.G.S. section 45a-273 when required. |
| PC-171 | Acceptance of fiduciary appointment. |
| PC-2407 | Decedent's estate inventory filed under C.G.S. section 45a-341. |
| PC-237 | Return of claims and list of notified creditors under C.G.S. section 45a-361. |
| PC-246 | Financial report for a decedent's estate under section 30.19. |
| PC-286 | Status update under section 30.21 if the estate remains open without an interim or final report or account. |
| CT-706 NT | Connecticut estate tax return filed with the Probate Court within six months when the estate is at or below the 2026 Connecticut threshold. |
| CT-706/709 | Connecticut estate and gift tax return filed with the Commissioner of Revenue Services within six months, with a copy to the Probate Court, when required. |
Local nuance
Milford-Orange Probate Court district-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means |
|---|---|
| No fax is published | The Milford-Orange Probate Court is the only Connecticut Probate Court for which no fax number is published in the court page or the 2026 Probate Court directory. Use the court's phone, mail, eFiling under section 22.1 when available, or an in-person filing path instead of assuming fax is an option. |
| Mailing address differs from street address | Use 70 West River Street, Milford, CT 06460 for the courthouse. Use P.O. Box 414, Milford, CT 06460-0414 for mail. |
| Two towns, one office | The court serves Milford and Orange (C.G.S. section 45a-2). The office is in Milford, so Orange residents use the Milford courthouse for this probate district. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | If the decedent lived in Milford or Orange, file any needed estate proceeding and the estate tax return with the Milford-Orange Probate Court. Co-owned or survivorship property may affect what needs court administration, but the estate tax return is still due within six months and the Probate Court invoices any probate fee under C.G.S. section 45a-107. | Sunset helps identify which accounts and assets were solely owned, jointly owned, or beneficiary-designated so the estate settlement plan is not built from guesses. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | If the decedent lived in Milford or Orange and the estate qualifies, the child can use the C.G.S. section 45a-273 affidavit in lieu path at the Milford-Orange Probate Court. Registration for eFiling is optional for self-represented people under section 22.1, but the original will cannot be eFiled under section 7.1a. | Sunset helps gather account information, generate a probate packet, and flag when the small estates procedure under C.G.S. section 45a-273 may be worth discussing with the clerk or an attorney. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If the child was domiciled in Milford or Orange and owned Connecticut real estate, expect a full estate at the Milford-Orange Probate Court. After appointment, the clerk issues the certificate of appointment under C.G.S. section 45a-200, and the inventory deadline is governed by C.G.S. section 45a-341. A sale may require court permission unless the will authorizes it. | Sunset helps find accounts and debts, organize the documents needed before listing or transferring property, and connect the family with local probate counsel when a home sale is part of estate settlement. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Milford-Orange Probate Court | Filing office for estates of people domiciled in Milford or Orange. The clerk can provide PC forms and limited procedural information, but cannot give legal advice. | 70 West River Street, P.O. Box 414, Milford, CT 06460; (203) 783-3205; https://www.ctprobate.gov/courts/milford-orange-probate-court |
| Connecticut Court Locator | Town-by-town tool for finding the correct Probate Court if the decedent did not live in Milford or Orange. | https://www.ctprobate.gov/court-locator |
| Connecticut Case Lookup | Free statewide search for decedents' estates and trusts, filterable to PD-40. Coverage runs from January 5, 2011 to the present, with incomplete earlier data. | https://www.ctprobate.gov/case-lookup |
| Connecticut probate forms | Statewide PC form catalogue and Trusts and Estates form set. | https://www.ctprobate.gov/forms-list; https://www.ctprobate.gov/trusts-estates/trusts-estates-forms |
| Administration of Decedents' Estates user guide | Probate Court Administrator guide to the Connecticut estate process. | https://www.ctprobate.gov/trusts-estates/trusts-estates-user-guides |
| Connecticut probate fee calculators | Calculators for estimated Probate Court charges, including decedents' estates under C.G.S. section 45a-107. | https://www.ctprobate.gov/fees-expenses-calculators |
| Probate Court accommodation requests | Statewide ADA accommodation information and form PC-2. Requests should be made with at least ten days' notice when possible. | https://www.ctprobate.gov/assistance-individuals-disabilities-ada |
| Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut | Legal aid intake line for people with low income, including residents of Milford and Orange. | 1-800-453-3320; https://slsct.org/ |
| CTLawHelp.org | Free Connecticut self-help legal library and legal help finder. | https://ctlawhelp.org/ |
| New Haven Law Library | Nearby Connecticut Judicial Branch public law library at the New Haven Courthouse. Posted hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; check current hours before traveling. | 235 Church Street, New Haven, CT 06510; (203) 503-6828; https://www.jud.ct.gov/lawlib/ |
When to hire an attorney
The Probate Court Administrator says a lawyer is not required in a Connecticut decedent's estate, but estate matters can be complex and legal advice is often advisable. Counsel is especially useful when a Milford or Orange estate involves real estate, disagreement among heirs or beneficiaries, creditor disputes, a tax question, an out-of-state fiduciary, or uncertainty about whether the C.G.S. section 45a-273 small estate path fits. Sunset connects families to a vetted probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families locate bank accounts, retirement accounts, insurance, real estate clues, and other assets before the first Probate Court filing, so the estate settlement starts with a clearer picture.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you provide into an organized probate packet for the Milford-Orange Probate Court, including the local court address and the statewide Connecticut forms that fit the path you choose.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Connecticut estate needs legal judgment, Sunset can connect you with a vetted probate attorney who understands Probate Court practice and the Milford-Orange Probate Court district.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset's estate settlement tools without paying Sunset, and without guessing which institution, form, or local court to start with.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate if the person lived in Milford or Orange?
File with the Milford-Orange Probate Court in Milford if the decedent was domiciled in Milford or Orange. For a will, the domicile rule is C.G.S. section 45a-283. For an intestate estate, letters of administration are handled under C.G.S. section 45a-303. The district serves Milford and Orange (C.G.S. section 45a-2).
Is the Milford-Orange Probate Court in Orange?
No. The court serves both Milford and Orange, but the office is at 70 West River Street in Milford. Orange residents use this court when the Milford-Orange Probate Court district is the correct district under C.G.S. section 45a-2.
Can I fax papers to the Milford-Orange Probate Court?
No fax is published for this court. Call (203) 783-3205, use mail, file in person, or use Connecticut eFiling where it applies under section 22.1. The original will cannot be eFiled and must be delivered on paper under section 7.1a.
Does the Milford-Orange Probate Court have its own probate forms?
The court uses the statewide Connecticut PC forms published by the Office of the Probate Court Administrator. For a full estate, PC-200 is the usual opening petition in the domicile district under C.G.S. section 45a-283. For a qualifying small estate, PC-212 is tied to C.G.S. section 45a-273.
How much is the filing fee to open an estate in Milford or Orange?
No filing fee is due when a decedent's estate is opened. The Probate Court invoices a statutory charge later, computed under C.G.S. section 45a-107. The same fee statute applies in all Connecticut probate districts under C.G.S. section 45a-105.
Can I appear remotely for a Milford-Orange Probate Court hearing?
You may ask. Connecticut Probate Courts may allow participation by electronic means under section 66.1, but the court decides the request and the rule names no platform. Ask the clerk what the Milford-Orange Probate Court expects for your hearing.
How do I look up a Milford-Orange probate case?
Use Connecticut's statewide Case Lookup at ctprobate.gov/case-lookup and filter to PD-40. It covers decedents' estates and trusts from January 5, 2011 to the present, with incomplete earlier data, and it shows case index information and fiduciary contact information rather than filings.
Do I have to travel to Milford to open an estate?
Not always. Connecticut permits eFiling for eligible users under section 22.1, and mail may be available for paper submissions. If there is a hearing, the court may use waivers, the streamline notice procedure under section 8.6, or a hearing, and remote participation is only by court permission under section 66.1.
Where is the Connecticut estate tax return filed for a Milford or Orange resident?
For a decedent domiciled in Milford or Orange, the Connecticut estate tax return is filed with the Milford-Orange Probate Court within six months. CT-706 NT goes to the Probate Court for an estate at or below the 2026 threshold. CT-706/709 goes to the Commissioner of Revenue Services, with a copy to the Probate Court.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.