Norwalk-Wilton Probate Court, CT Probate Information

Where do I file probate for someone who lived in Norwalk or Wilton?

File with the Norwalk-Wilton Probate Court, probate district PD-51, at 125 East Avenue in Norwalk. Norwalk and Wilton are the towns served by this district under C.G.S. section 45a-2. Venue follows the town where the person was domiciled at death for a will case under C.G.S. section 45a-283 and for an intestate estate under C.G.S. section 45a-303.

Is there a probate office in Wilton?

The court publishes one office, and it is in Norwalk at 125 East Avenue. A Wilton estate is opened there. C.G.S. section 45a-7 allows a Connecticut Probate Court to sit in another location when necessary to facilitate a party's attendance, but the Norwalk-Wilton Probate Court publishes no second public counter.

What does it cost to open an estate at the Norwalk-Wilton Probate Court?

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 Norwalk-Wilton 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.

Can I file online with the Norwalk-Wilton Probate Court?

The Connecticut Probate Courts run one statewide eFiling system, powered by TurboCourt. Attorneys who appear in a probate matter must register for it under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 22.1. Registration is optional for everyone else, and a self-represented party may open an Individual account and file at the Norwalk-Wilton Probate Court that way. Once you have eFiling access to a matter you must eFile documents in it and receive decrees and notices electronically under section 22.3. The original will can never be eFiled and must reach the court on paper under section 7.1a.

Do I have to go to the courthouse in Norwalk?

Not every estate requires an appearance. The court may set a hearing, may act on written waivers if a hearing is not needed, or may use the streamline notice procedure under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 8.6. If a hearing, conference or deposition is set, Connecticut Probate Courts may allow a party, witness or attorney to take part by electronic means. Section 66.1 lets the court permit it on request or on its own motion, weighing factors such as the nature of the proceeding, available technology 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 Norwalk-Wilton Probate Court what that court expects.

How do I look up a Norwalk or Wilton probate case?

Use the statewide Case Lookup at ctprobate.gov/case-lookup and filter to PD51. In the district list, the court appears as PD51 - Norwalk - Wilton Probate Court, with spaces around the hyphen. Coverage runs from January 5, 2011 to the present for decedents' estates and trusts. The search shows case index information and fiduciary contact information, not filings or a docket.

Does the Norwalk-Wilton Probate Court have its own forms?

No. Connecticut probate forms are statewide PC forms published free at ctprobate.gov, and the Norwalk-Wilton Probate Court uses the same forms as every other Connecticut Probate Court. PC-212 is the small estate affidavit in lieu form under C.G.S. section 45a-273, and PC-200 is the full-estate petition tied to venue under C.G.S. section 45a-283. A court may still require a document in paper form, and the original will cannot be eFiled under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 7.1a.

What are the Norwalk-Wilton Probate Court's hours and how do I reach it?

The court publishes weekday hours of Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The phone number is (203) 854-7737, and the fax number is (203) 854-7825. The court does not publish an email address, so call or write to 125 East Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06851.

How long is my certificate of appointment good for?

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. Ask the clerk of the Norwalk-Wilton 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.

Does someone have to file anything if everything was jointly owned?

Yes, Connecticut still requires the Connecticut estate tax return to be filed with the Probate Court within six months of death, whether or not a full estate is opened. The probate fee is computed under C.G.S. section 45a-107 from that return and the value of what the decedent owned, including assets that may pass outside probate.