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New London Probate Court, CT Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Local details |
|---|---|
| Court | New London Probate Court, PD-31 |
| Courthouse address | 181 State Street, Room 2, New London, CT 06320 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 148, New London, CT 06320 |
| Phone | (860) 443-7121 |
| Fax | (860) 437-8155 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 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 probate forms are statewide. The New London 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. |
| eFiling status | The statewide TurboCourt eFiling system applies. Attorneys must register under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 22.1. Registration is optional for self-represented people, and the original will cannot be eFiled under section 7.1a. |
| Case lookup | Use the statewide Case Lookup at ctprobate.gov/case-lookup and filter to New London Probate Court, PD-31. Coverage for decedents' estates and trusts runs from January 5, 2011 to the present, with incomplete earlier results. |
| Remote appearance | Participation by electronic means is discretionary under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 66.1. Ask the clerk what the New London Probate Court expects. |
| Website | https://www.ctprobate.gov/courts/new-london-probate-court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything with the New London Probate Court, list the assets, debts, beneficiaries, and any Connecticut real property. That first inventory of information determines whether the estate settlement belongs in PD-31, whether a will has to be delivered on paper, and what the court will need to review.
Sunset helps families find accounts and assets across 2,300 institutions, organize what is known, and turn that information into the probate packet for the correct Connecticut Probate Court. Starting with the asset picture also helps you avoid opening the wrong estate settlement path for New London or Waterford.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Connecticut probate is handled by a separate statewide system of 54 Probate Courts, one for each probate district, not by the Superior Court and not by any county. The New London Probate Court serves New London and Waterford (C.G.S. section 45a-2). If the decedent was domiciled in one of those towns at death, that is where the estate is filed (C.G.S. section 45a-283, C.G.S. section 45a-303). A decision of the Probate Court may be appealed to the Superior Court, generally within thirty days (C.G.S. section 45a-186).
For a Connecticut-domiciled decedent who left a will, the executor applies to the Probate Court of the district where the testator was domiciled at death, within thirty days (C.G.S. section 45a-283). For an intestate decedent, the Probate Court of the district where the person was domiciled at death has jurisdiction to grant letters of administration (C.G.S. section 45a-303). For a nonresident who owned Connecticut property, C.G.S. section 45a-287 gives the possible Connecticut districts.
Use the statewide Court Locator at ctprobate.gov/court-locator if the person lived in a nearby town. East Lyme, Montville, Old Lyme, Salem, Groton, Ledyard, North Stonington, and Stonington are not in this probate district (C.G.S. section 45a-2). New London County is a legacy place name, not a probate filing venue.
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the right New London filing path. For a full estate, start with PC-200, Petition/Administration or Probate of Will, and file in the Probate Court for the district where the Connecticut resident decedent was domiciled at death (C.G.S. section 45a-283). If the person died intestate, the New London Probate Court handles New London or Waterford residents under C.G.S. section 45a-303. A small-estate filing uses the C.G.S. section 45a-273 process, and an ancillary will filing for a nonresident uses PC-201 under C.G.S. section 45a-287.
- File with the New London Probate Court. File at 181 State Street, Room 2, New London, CT 06320, or mail papers to P.O. Box 148, New London, CT 06320. The Connecticut Probate Courts run one statewide eFiling system, powered by TurboCourt. Attorneys who appear in a probate matter must register under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 22.1. Registration is optional for everyone else, including a self-represented party filing at the New London Probate Court. The original will can never be eFiled and must reach the court on paper under section 7.1a.
- Plan for the Connecticut probate charge. Connecticut does not charge an upfront filing payment 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 New London 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.
- Watch for notice from the court. The New London Probate Court may send hearing notice, may act after written waivers, or may use the streamline notice procedure under section 8.6 of the Probate Court Rules of Procedure. After appointment of the first fiduciary, the court places the newspaper notice to creditors within fourteen days under C.G.S. section 45a-354.
- Respond to hearing scheduling. The court's own page does not publish hearing days or expected wait times. If you receive a hearing notice, follow the date and instructions in that notice, or call the clerk at (860) 443-7121 with procedural questions.
- Ask early if you need electronic participation. Connecticut Probate Courts may allow a party, witness or attorney to take part in a hearing, conference or deposition by electronic means. Section 66.1 of the Probate Court Rules of Procedure lets the court permit it on request or on its own motion, weighing factors that include the nature of the proceeding, the technology available, and whether remote participation would still allow full examination of witnesses. It is a request the court decides, not a right, and the rule names no platform. Ask the clerk of the New London Probate Court what that court expects.
- Receive proof of authority. 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 New London 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 and close the estate. File the decedent's-estate inventory, usually PC-2407, within two months after qualification unless the court extends the time for cause to not more than four months (C.G.S. section 45a-341). Handle creditor claims under C.G.S. sections 45a-354, 45a-356, and 45a-361, including the return of claims when required. File the Connecticut estate tax return with the Probate Court within six months of death. When settlement is complete, file the required financial report, commonly PC-246 under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 30.19, and any court-directed PC-213 affidavit of closing under section 36.12.
Forms and documents
Probate forms at the New London Probate Court
Connecticut probate forms are statewide. The New London 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 | What it is used for | New London note |
|---|---|---|
| PC-200 | Petition/Administration or Probate of Will for a full Connecticut resident estate filed in the district where the decedent was domiciled at death (C.G.S. section 45a-283). | Use this court for a decedent domiciled in New London or Waterford. |
| PC-200CI | Confidential information filed with PC-200. | File with the opening petition when required by the statewide form set. |
| PC-201 | Petition/Ancillary Probate of Will for a nonresident decedent with Connecticut property (C.G.S. section 45a-287). | Use only if New London Probate Court is a proper Connecticut district under the nonresident venue rule. |
| PC-212 | Affidavit in Lieu of Probate of Will/Administration for the C.G.S. section 45a-273 small-estate procedure. | Filed with the Probate Court, not handed directly to a bank. |
| PC-2407 | Inventory/Decedents' Estates, the decedent's-estate inventory form tied to C.G.S. section 45a-341. | For a full estate after appointment. |
| PC-237 | Return of Claims and List of Notified Creditors after the claims period, under C.G.S. section 45a-361. | Use when the fiduciary must report claims to the court. |
| PC-246 | Financial Report/Decedent's Estate under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 30.19. | Common closing report for many estates. |
| PC-213 | Affidavit of Closing under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 36.12. | File if the court directs it after all assets are distributed. |
| CT-706 NT | Connecticut estate tax return filed with the Probate Court for estates at or below the 2026 exemption; the estate tax return is due within six months of death. | For a New London or Waterford resident decedent, file it with the New London Probate Court. |
| CT-706/709 | Connecticut estate and gift tax return for estates above the 2026 exemption, filed with the Department of Revenue Services, with a copy to the Probate Court. | The Probate Court copy goes to New London if this court has the estate. |
Local nuance
New London Probate Court district-specific considerations
The New London name needs extra care. New London Probate Court, PD-31, is the decedents'-estate court for New London and Waterford (C.G.S. section 45a-2). New London Regional Children's Probate Court, PD-57, is a separate court outside this estate-settlement page.
The court's own page publishes the New London Probate Court address, mailing box, phone, fax, hours, and towns served. It does not publish local estate forms, a local hearing calendar, a remote-hearing platform, parking information, or an email address. Call the clerk at (860) 443-7121 for current procedural instructions before making a trip.
Recent updates
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely New London path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | If the decedent was domiciled in New London or Waterford, start with the New London Probate Court. Co-owned or beneficiary-designated assets may affect what passes through probate, but the Connecticut estate tax return still must be filed with the Probate Court within six months. | Sunset helps identify accounts, titles, beneficiary designations, and debts so the spouse can see what belongs in the court file and what may pass outside it. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Confirm that New London Probate Court, PD-31, is the right district for a New London or Waterford resident decedent (C.G.S. section 45a-2). If the estate qualifies for the small-estate procedure under C.G.S. section 45a-273, file the affidavit with the Probate Court. If the child is appointed as a nonresident fiduciary, the court may require an appointment of a Connecticut agent for service. | Sunset organizes the asset list and can generate the estate settlement packet so the out-of-state child can file by mail or use statewide eFiling where allowed under section 22.1, while sending the original will on paper under section 7.1a. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If the child was domiciled in New London or Waterford, the full estate opens at the New London Probate Court. A sale of real property may require Probate Court authority unless the will authorizes it, and the fiduciary will still need the inventory under C.G.S. section 45a-341 and the Connecticut estate tax return within six months. | Sunset helps find accounts, prepare the probate packet, and connect the family with a local probate attorney when the real estate sale or family posture makes the estate settlement more complex. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| New London Probate Court | Filing office for an estate of someone who lived in New London or Waterford. The clerk can provide forms and limited procedural assistance, but cannot give legal advice. | 181 State Street, Room 2, P.O. Box 148, New London, CT 06320. Phone: (860) 443-7121. Fax: (860) 437-8155. Website: https://www.ctprobate.gov/courts/new-london-probate-court. |
| Connecticut Court Locator | Town-by-town lookup for all Connecticut towns, useful when you are unsure which probate district applies under C.G.S. section 45a-2. | https://www.ctprobate.gov/court-locator |
| Connecticut Case Lookup | Free statewide case lookup for decedents' estates and trusts, filterable to PD-31, with coverage from January 5, 2011 to the present and incomplete earlier results. | https://www.ctprobate.gov/case-lookup |
| Connecticut probate forms | Statewide numbered PC form catalogue, including the Trusts and Estates subset used by the New London Probate Court. | https://www.ctprobate.gov/forms-list and https://www.ctprobate.gov/trusts-estates/trusts-estates-forms |
| Administration of Decedents' Estates user guide | The Probate Court Administrator's 2026 plain-English guide to Connecticut estate administration. | https://www.ctprobate.gov/trusts-estates/trusts-estates-user-guides |
| Connecticut probate fee calculators | Statewide calculators, including a decedents' estates calculator, for estimating the amount later billed under C.G.S. section 45a-107. | https://www.ctprobate.gov/fees-expenses-calculators |
| Probate Court accommodation requests | A person with a disability may request a Probate Court accommodation using form PC-2, ideally with at least ten days' notice. | https://www.ctprobate.gov/assistance-individuals-disabilities-ada |
| Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut | Legal aid intake line for people with low income in Connecticut, including New London and Waterford. | 1-800-453-3320. https://slsct.org/ |
| CTLawHelp.org | Free Connecticut self-help legal library and legal help finder. | https://ctlawhelp.org/ |
| New London Law Library | Nearby public law library at the New London Courthouse. It is a research resource, not the Probate Court filing office. | 70 Huntington Street, New London, CT 06320. Phone: (860) 442-7561. Posted hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Check current hours before traveling. https://www.jud.ct.gov/lawlib/ |
When to hire an attorney
Connecticut's Probate Court guidance says a lawyer is not required, but estate matters can be complex and legal advice is often advisable. Counsel makes particular sense if the will is contested, a fiduciary lives outside Connecticut, a home must be sold, heirs disagree, tax filings are uncertain, or a deadline has already passed. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets
Sunset searches for accounts, insurance, investments, debts, and other estate information so the family can build a complete estate settlement picture before filing in New London.
Generate the probate packet
Sunset turns the information you provide into an organized probate packet for the correct Connecticut court, including the New London Probate Court when the decedent lived in New London or Waterford.
Find a local probate attorney
If the estate needs legal help, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted probate attorney who understands Connecticut Probate Court procedure and the New London Probate Court district.
Sunset is free for families
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement, prepare next steps, and decide when attorney support is needed.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate for someone who lived in New London or Waterford?
File with the New London Probate Court, PD-31, if the decedent was domiciled in New London or Waterford (C.G.S. section 45a-2). For a will, the executor applies in the district where the testator was domiciled at death (C.G.S. section 45a-283). For an intestate estate, that district has jurisdiction to grant letters of administration (C.G.S. section 45a-303).
Is New London Probate Court the same as the New London Regional Children's Probate Court?
No. New London Probate Court, PD-31, handles decedents' estates for New London and Waterford (C.G.S. section 45a-2). New London Regional Children's Probate Court, PD-57, is a different court and is not the estate-settlement court for a decedent's estate.
Can I use eFiling for the New London Probate Court?
The statewide TurboCourt eFiling system applies in Connecticut. Attorneys who appear in probate matters must register, and registration is optional for self-represented people under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 22.1. The original will cannot be eFiled and must reach the Probate Court on paper under section 7.1a.
Does the New London Probate Court publish local forms?
The New London Probate Court uses the statewide Connecticut PC forms. The court's own page does not publish a local packet, checklist, or separate form set. For a small-estate filing, use the C.G.S. section 45a-273 process and the statewide form for that procedure.
How do I look up a New London Probate Court estate case?
Use the statewide Case Lookup at ctprobate.gov/case-lookup and filter to New London Probate Court, PD-31. Case Lookup coverage for decedents' estates and trusts runs from January 5, 2011 to the present, with incomplete earlier results. It shows case index information and fiduciary contact information, not filings.
Can I attend a New London Probate Court hearing by phone or video?
Remote participation is a request the court decides. Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 66.1 lets the court allow participation by electronic means after considering factors such as the nature of the hearing, available technology, and whether witness examination will still be effective. The New London Probate Court's own page does not name a platform.
Do I have to travel to New London for probate?
Not always. The New London Probate Court may act after waivers or use the streamline notice procedure under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 8.6. If a hearing is scheduled, follow the court's notice and ask the clerk about any request to participate by electronic means under section 66.1.
What payment is due when I open a decedent's estate in New London?
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. For deaths on or after July 1, 2016, the statutory range starts at $25 and is capped at $40,000 under C.G.S. section 45a-107, with the same statutory schedule in all Connecticut probate districts under C.G.S. section 45a-105.
Where does the Connecticut estate tax return go for a New London or Waterford resident?
The Connecticut estate tax return is filed with the Probate Court within six months of death. For a decedent domiciled in New London or Waterford, that means the New London Probate Court. CT-706 NT goes to the Probate Court for estates at or below the 2026 exemption. CT-706/709 goes to the Department 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.