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Niantic Regional Probate Court, CT Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Court | Niantic Regional Probate Court, PD-32 |
| Courthouse address | 118 Pennsylvania Avenue, Niantic, CT 06357 |
| Mailing | Use the street address. The court page does not publish a separate mailing box. |
| Phone | (860) 739-6052 |
| Fax | (860) 739-6738 |
| Hours | Monday and Tuesday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Call before traveling because hours can change. |
| Filing cost | 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. |
| Court-specific forms | The court uses the statewide Connecticut PC forms and does not publish forms of its own. |
| Online filing | Statewide eFiling is powered by TurboCourt. Attorneys must register under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 22.1; registration is optional for self-represented filers. The original will cannot be eFiled and must reach the court on paper under section 7.1a. |
| Case lookup | Use Connecticut Case Lookup at ctprobate.gov/case-lookup and filter to PD-32. Coverage for decedents' estates and trusts runs from January 5, 2011 to the present, with incomplete earlier coverage. |
| Hearing participation | Electronic participation is discretionary under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 66.1. Ask the clerk what the Niantic Regional Probate Court expects. |
| Website | https://www.ctprobate.gov/courts/niantic-regional-probate-court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before filing in the Niantic Regional Probate Court, list what the decedent owned, how each asset was titled, known debts, funeral expenses, and whether there was a will. Connecticut estate settlement depends on domicile, title, beneficiary designations, and whether any Connecticut real estate was solely owned.
Sunset's asset discovery searches across 2,300 institutions so you can identify accounts before choosing the right local filing path. That is especially useful when family members know the person lived in Niantic, East Lyme, Montville, Old Lyme or Salem but do not yet know which assets actually require Probate Court action.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Connecticut probate is handled by a separate statewide system of 54 Probate Courts, one for each Probate Court district, not by the Superior Court and not by any county (C.G.S. section 45a-2). The Niantic Regional Probate Court serves East Lyme, Montville, Old Lyme and Salem (C.G.S. section 45a-2). Niantic is the village address of the courthouse within East Lyme, not a separate town served by the court.
If the decedent was domiciled in East Lyme, Montville, Old Lyme or Salem and left a will, the application is filed in this court under C.G.S. section 45a-283. If the decedent died intestate, the Probate Court for the district where the person was domiciled has jurisdiction to grant letters of administration under C.G.S. section 45a-303. For a nonresident who owned Connecticut property, C.G.S. section 45a-287 controls the possible Connecticut districts. A Probate Court decision may be appealed to the Superior Court, generally within thirty days under C.G.S. section 45a-186.
Use the statewide Court Locator at ctprobate.gov/court-locator if you are unsure which Probate Court district applies. It is useful here because Old Lyme is served by Niantic Regional Probate Court, while Lyme is a separate town served by a different court.
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the correct court. File at the Niantic Regional Probate Court if the decedent was domiciled in East Lyme, Montville, Old Lyme or Salem (C.G.S. section 45a-283; C.G.S. section 45a-303). Use the statewide Court Locator at ctprobate.gov/court-locator if the address is unclear.
- Prepare the opening papers. For a full Connecticut estate, the opening petition is PC-200, Petition/Administration or Probate of Will, filed in the district where the decedent was domiciled at death under C.G.S. section 45a-283. Use the statewide PC forms published by the Probate Court Administrator.
- File with the court. You may file at 118 Pennsylvania Avenue in Niantic, mail the papers to the court, or use statewide eFiling under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 22.1 if you are registered. Attorneys who appear must register. Self-represented parties may register, but do not have to. The original will cannot be eFiled and must be delivered on paper under section 7.1a.
- Expect the court to bill later. 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 Niantic Regional 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 and hearing instructions. The court may set a hearing, accept waivers, or use the streamline notice procedure under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 8.6. The court's own page does not publish hearing days or a filing-to-hearing window, so call the clerk if timing matters.
- Ask about electronic participation if travel is difficult. 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 Niantic Regional Probate Court what that court expects.
- Get proof of authority after appointment. 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 Niantic Regional 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. The fiduciary handles the inventory under C.G.S. section 45a-341, creditor notice under C.G.S. section 45a-354, claims procedures under C.G.S. section 45a-356 and C.G.S. section 45a-361, the Connecticut estate tax return due within six months, and the final financial report or account. This is where careful estate settlement tracking prevents missed assets, late filings and avoidable delays.
Forms and documents
Probate forms at the Niantic Regional Probate Court
Connecticut probate forms are statewide. The Niantic Regional 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 |
|---|---|
| PC-200 | Petition to open administration or probate a will in the Probate Court district where the decedent was domiciled at death (C.G.S. section 45a-283). |
| PC-200CI | Confidential information filed with PC-200. |
| PC-212 | Affidavit in Lieu of Probate of Will/Administration for the small estates procedure under C.G.S. section 45a-273. |
| PC-212A and PC-212CI | Related forms for the C.G.S. section 45a-273 small estates procedure when required. |
| PC-2407 | Decedent's estate inventory filed with the Probate Court under C.G.S. section 45a-341. |
| PC-237 | Return of Claims and List of Notified Creditors after the claims period under C.G.S. section 45a-361. |
| PC-246 | Financial Report/Decedent's Estate under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 30.19. |
| PC-213 | Affidavit of Closing under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 36.12. |
Local nuance
Niantic Regional Probate Court district-specific considerations
The main local trap is the name Niantic. The courthouse is addressed in Niantic, CT, but Niantic is a village within East Lyme, not a separate town in the C.G.S. section 45a-2 Probate Court district list. The Niantic Regional Probate Court serves East Lyme, Montville, Old Lyme and Salem, and a person who lived in the village of Niantic is treated as having lived in East Lyme for this court-selection question.
Do not confuse Old Lyme with Lyme. Old Lyme is in the Niantic Regional Probate Court district (C.G.S. section 45a-2). Lyme is a different town served by a different Probate Court.
The court also has a shortened Friday schedule. Its published hours are Monday and Tuesday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | If the decedent was domiciled in East Lyme, Montville, Old Lyme or Salem, start with the Niantic Regional Probate Court. Joint or survivorship assets may pass outside the estate, but Connecticut still requires an estate tax return within six months, and the statutory probate fee is computed under C.G.S. section 45a-107. | Sunset helps identify accounts, title patterns and beneficiary designations before you decide what must be filed for estate settlement. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate under C.G.S. section 45a-273 | If the decedent lived in one of the four towns and the estate qualifies for the C.G.S. section 45a-273 small estates procedure, file the affidavit papers with the Niantic Regional Probate Court. If you serve as an out-of-state fiduciary in a full estate, ask about the required nonresident fiduciary paperwork. | Sunset helps gather asset information, generate the probate packet, and connect you with local help if travel or Connecticut procedure is a barrier. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If the child was domiciled in East Lyme, Montville, Old Lyme or Salem and owned a home requiring Probate Court authority, the full estate will be handled through Niantic Regional Probate Court. Expect appointment, a certificate of appointment under C.G.S. section 45a-200, inventory under C.G.S. section 45a-341, creditor steps under C.G.S. section 45a-354, and later closing papers. | Sunset helps organize the asset list, identify liens or accounts tied to the home, and find a local probate attorney when a sale or contested family issue makes counsel important. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Niantic Regional Probate Court | Filing office for estates of people who lived in East Lyme, Montville, Old Lyme or Salem. The clerk can provide PC forms and limited procedural information, but cannot give legal advice. | 118 Pennsylvania Avenue, Niantic, CT 06357; (860) 739-6052; fax (860) 739-6738; https://www.ctprobate.gov/courts/niantic-regional-probate-court |
| Connecticut Court Locator | Town-by-town tool for finding the correct Probate Court district under C.G.S. section 45a-2. | https://www.ctprobate.gov/court-locator |
| Connecticut Case Lookup | Free statewide search for decedents' estates and trusts, filterable to PD-32, with coverage from January 5, 2011 to the present. | https://www.ctprobate.gov/case-lookup |
| Connecticut probate forms | Statewide PC form catalogue, including the Trusts and Estates forms used for Connecticut estate settlement. | https://www.ctprobate.gov/forms-list and https://www.ctprobate.gov/trusts-estates/trusts-estates-forms |
| Administration of Decedents' Estates user guide | Probate Court Administrator's 2026 plain-English guide to Connecticut decedent estates. | https://www.ctprobate.gov/trusts-estates/trusts-estates-user-guides |
| Connecticut probate fee calculators | Calculators that estimate the statutory amount the Probate Court will invoice under C.G.S. section 45a-107. | https://www.ctprobate.gov/fees-expenses-calculators |
| Probate Court accommodation requests | Statewide ADA accommodation information, including form PC-2 and the request process. | https://www.ctprobate.gov/assistance-individuals-disabilities-ada |
| Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut | Legal aid intake line for people with low income in Connecticut. | 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 research resource, not a probate filing office. Check current hours before traveling. | 70 Huntington Street, New London, CT 06320; (860) 442-7561; fax (860) 442-9416; https://www.jud.ct.gov/lawlib/ |
When to hire an attorney
A lawyer is not required for every Connecticut estate, but the Probate Court Administrator says estate matters can be complex and that legal advice is often advisable. Counsel is especially useful if the will is contested, the fiduciary lives out of state, real estate must be sold, family members disagree, tax questions arise, or an appeal to the Superior Court is being considered under C.G.S. section 45a-186. Sunset connects families with a vetted probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families identify bank accounts, investment accounts, insurance, retirement assets, real estate clues and liabilities before filing. A cleaner asset picture makes the Niantic Regional Probate Court estate settlement process easier to start and easier to finish.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you gather into organized Connecticut probate forms and supporting checklists for the filing path you choose, including the local court name, PD-32, and the towns served under C.G.S. section 45a-2.
Find a local probate attorney. When a sale, dispute, tax issue, missing asset, out-of-state fiduciary issue, or court hearing makes legal help the safer path, Sunset can connect you with a Connecticut probate attorney familiar with local practice.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement, understand the next steps, and decide when professional help is needed without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate for someone who lived in Niantic?
File with the Niantic Regional Probate Court if the person lived in the village of Niantic, because Niantic is within the town of East Lyme. The district serves East Lyme, Montville, Old Lyme and Salem under C.G.S. section 45a-2. For a will, filing in the district where the person was domiciled at death follows C.G.S. section 45a-283; for an intestate estate, C.G.S. section 45a-303 applies.
Does the Niantic Regional Probate Court serve Lyme?
No. The Niantic Regional Probate Court serves Old Lyme, but not Lyme, under C.G.S. section 45a-2. Lyme is a separate town served by a different Probate Court. Use the Court Locator at ctprobate.gov/court-locator if you are unsure.
Can I use eFiling for the Niantic Regional Probate Court?
The statewide Connecticut eFiling system is available through TurboCourt under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 22.1. Attorneys who appear must register. Registration is optional for self-represented parties. The original will cannot be eFiled and must reach the court on paper under section 7.1a.
What does it cost to open an estate at the Niantic Regional Probate Court?
No filing fee is due when a decedent's estate is opened. The Probate Court invoices a statutory fee later under C.G.S. section 45a-107, based on the value of the estate. The fee is statewide and uniform under C.G.S. section 45a-105.
Can I look up a Niantic Regional probate case online?
Yes. Connecticut Case Lookup at ctprobate.gov/case-lookup lets you search decedents' estates and trusts and filter to PD-32. Coverage runs from January 5, 2011 to the present, and earlier cases may be incomplete. The tool shows case index information and fiduciary contact information, not filings.
Does the court publish hearing days or wait times?
The Niantic Regional Probate Court page lists the court address, hours, phone, fax and towns served under C.G.S. section 45a-2, but it does not post hearing days or a filing-to-hearing window. Call the clerk at (860) 739-6052 if timing affects travel, notice or a planned sale.
Can I attend a Niantic Regional Probate Court hearing by electronic means?
Maybe, but it is the court's decision. Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 66.1 allows electronic means for a hearing, conference or deposition on request or on the court's own motion. The rule names no platform and gives the court factors to consider.
Does the Niantic Regional Probate Court have its own forms?
The court uses the statewide Connecticut PC forms published by the Office of the Probate Court Administrator. For example, PC-200 is used to open a full estate in the correct district under C.G.S. section 45a-283, and PC-212 is used for the small estates procedure under C.G.S. section 45a-273. The Niantic Regional Probate Court does not publish a separate local packet.
Do I have to travel to Niantic if I live out of state?
Not always. Some filings can be mailed or submitted through eFiling under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 22.1, but the original will cannot be eFiled under section 7.1a. If a hearing is set, ask the clerk about a section 66.1 request to participate by electronic means and about any waiver or notice options that apply.
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.