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Saybrook Probate Court, CT Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Court | Saybrook Probate Court, PD-33 |
| Courthouse address | 302 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Old Saybrook, CT 06475-2384 |
| Mailing address | Same as courthouse address |
| Phone | (860) 510-5028 |
| Fax | (860) 388-3734 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Fee to open a decedent estate | 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. |
| Forms at court | Connecticut probate forms are statewide. The Saybrook 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. |
| E-filing status | The statewide eFiling system is powered by TurboCourt. Attorneys must register under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 22.1. Registration is optional for everyone else. |
| Case lookup | Connecticut Case Lookup is available at ctprobate.gov/case-lookup for decedents' estates and trusts from January 5, 2011 to the present, with earlier coverage incomplete. |
| Remote participation | The court may allow participation by electronic means on request under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 66.1, but it is not a right and the rule names no platform. |
| Website | https://www.ctprobate.gov/courts/saybrook-probate-court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything with the Saybrook Probate Court, make a practical list of the decedent's assets, debts, beneficiaries, real estate and beneficiary-designated accounts. That work determines whether the estate settlement needs a full administration, an affidavit path under C.G.S. section 45a-273, or only the Connecticut estate tax return that must be filed with the Probate Court within six months.
For families in Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Lyme, Old Saybrook and Westbrook, Sunset can help find accounts before the first court filing. Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery helps you avoid opening an estate settlement with missing bank, brokerage, insurance or retirement information.
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 Saybrook Probate Court serves Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Lyme, Old Saybrook and Westbrook (C.G.S. section 45a-2). The courthouse is in Old Saybrook, but people from all nine towns use this court.
If the decedent was domiciled in one of those towns at death and left a will, the application for probate is filed in this district under C.G.S. section 45a-283. If the decedent died without a will, the Saybrook Probate Court has jurisdiction under C.G.S. section 45a-303. For a nonresident decedent with Connecticut property, C.G.S. section 45a-287 lists the possible Connecticut probate districts. A decision of the Probate Court may be appealed to the Superior Court, generally within thirty days (C.G.S. section 45a-186).
If you are unsure which Probate Court serves a town, use the statewide Court Locator at ctprobate.gov/court-locator.
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm that the Saybrook Probate Court is the right court. Use this court for a decedent domiciled in Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Lyme, Old Saybrook or Westbrook (C.G.S. section 45a-2). A will is presented to the Probate Court for the district where the testator was domiciled at death (C.G.S. section 45a-283), and an estate without a will is administered where the decedent was domiciled at death (C.G.S. section 45a-303).
- Prepare the opening papers. A full estate generally begins with PC-200, Petition/Administration or Probate of Will, filed in the court for the decedent's domicile (C.G.S. section 45a-283). Connecticut eFiling is available through TurboCourt, and attorneys must register 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.
- File with the Saybrook Probate Court. You may file through the statewide eFiling system if eligible under section 22.1, or send paper filings to 302 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Old Saybrook, CT 06475-2384. 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 Saybrook 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 the court's notice process. The court may set a hearing, may act after written waivers, or may use the streamline notice procedure under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 8.6. 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 Saybrook Probate Court what that court expects.
- Receive authority from the court. 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 Saybrook 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. If the court requires a bond, C.G.S. section 45a-289 governs that requirement.
- Administer the estate. File the inventory within two months after qualification unless the court extends the time for cause under C.G.S. section 45a-341. The court places the newspaper notice to creditors within 14 days after the first fiduciary is appointed under C.G.S. section 45a-354. Creditors have a 150-day claims period under C.G.S. section 45a-356, and the fiduciary files the return of claims within 60 days after that period ends under C.G.S. section 45a-361. File the Connecticut estate tax return with the Probate Court within six months of death.
- Close the estate. After assets are collected, claims and taxes are addressed, and distributions are ready, file the required financial report or account. PC-246 is the Financial Report/Decedent's Estate under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 30.19. The court reviews the closing papers, orders distribution when appropriate, and the fiduciary completes the final steps directed by the decree.
Forms and documents
Probate forms at the Saybrook Probate Court
Connecticut probate forms are statewide. The Saybrook 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/Administration or Probate of Will for a full estate filed in the district where the decedent was domiciled (C.G.S. section 45a-283). |
| PC-200CI | Confidential information filed with PC-200 for a full estate. |
| PC-212 | Affidavit in Lieu of Probate of Will/Administration for the affidavit path under C.G.S. section 45a-273. |
| PC-212A | Request for Order of Distribution used with PC-212 when the C.G.S. section 45a-273 affidavit path requires a distribution order. |
| PC-2407 | Inventory/Decedents' Estates, tied to the inventory deadline in C.G.S. section 45a-341. |
| PC-237 | Return of Claims and List of Notified Creditors, filed after the claims period under C.G.S. section 45a-361. |
| PC-246 | Financial Report/Decedent's Estate, a common closing filing under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 30.19. |
| CT-706 NT | Connecticut estate tax return for nontaxable estates, filed with the Probate Court within six months. |
| CT-706/709 | Connecticut estate and gift tax return for taxable estates, filed with the Department of Revenue Services with a copy to the Probate Court. |
Local nuance
Saybrook Probate Court district-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Nine towns use one courthouse | The Saybrook Probate Court district serves Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Lyme, Old Saybrook and Westbrook under C.G.S. section 45a-2. A family in any of those towns files at the Old Saybrook courthouse. |
| Saybrook is not the town name | The courthouse town is Old Saybrook. "Saybrook" is the court name, not a current Connecticut town in the towns served list under C.G.S. section 45a-2. |
| Use the court's published address | The court's own page lists 302 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Old Saybrook, CT 06475-2384. If another address listing shows a different ZIP extension, use the court page or call the clerk before mailing time-sensitive papers. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Scenario | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | If the decedent was domiciled in Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Lyme, Old Saybrook or Westbrook, start with the Saybrook Probate Court under C.G.S. section 45a-283 or C.G.S. section 45a-303. Even when assets pass outside probate, the Connecticut estate tax return is filed with the Probate Court within six months. | Sunset helps identify accounts, beneficiary assets and debts before the spouse decides what must be filed for estate settlement. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | If the decedent lived in one of the nine Saybrook Probate Court towns and the estate fits the affidavit path under C.G.S. section 45a-273, the filing still goes to this Probate Court. eFiling registration is optional for self-represented people under section 22.1, but the original will cannot be eFiled under section 7.1a. | Sunset helps organize the asset list and generate a filing packet so an out-of-state child can work with the Old Saybrook clerk's office more efficiently. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A solely owned home in Connecticut usually points to full administration through the Saybrook Probate Court if the child was domiciled in one of the nine towns (C.G.S. section 45a-283, C.G.S. section 45a-303). The fiduciary should ask the court what approval is needed before selling real property. | Sunset helps gather account information, organize real-property and debt details, and connect the family with a probate attorney if a sale or disagreement makes the estate settlement harder. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Saybrook Probate Court | Filing office for Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Lyme, Old Saybrook and Westbrook. The clerk can provide forms and limited procedural help but not legal advice. | 302 Main Street, 2nd Floor, Old Saybrook, CT 06475-2384; (860) 510-5028; fax (860) 388-3734; https://www.ctprobate.gov/courts/saybrook-probate-court |
| Connecticut Court Locator | Town-by-town lookup for finding the correct Probate Court. Useful if the decedent lived in one of the towns served under C.G.S. section 45a-2 and the family is unsure which court applies. | https://www.ctprobate.gov/court-locator |
| Connecticut Case Lookup | Free statewide search of decedents' estates and trusts from January 5, 2011 to the present. Filter to PD33. | https://www.ctprobate.gov/case-lookup |
| Connecticut probate forms | Statewide PC form catalogue from the Office of the Probate Court Administrator. | https://www.ctprobate.gov/forms-list |
| Administration of Decedents' Estates user guide | Probate Court Administrator's 2026 guide to Connecticut estate administration. | https://www.ctprobate.gov/trusts-estates/trusts-estates-user-guides |
| Connecticut probate fee calculators | Statewide calculators for the probate fee invoiced later under C.G.S. section 45a-107. | https://www.ctprobate.gov/fees-expenses-calculators |
| Probate Court accommodation requests | ADA information and Form PC-2. The Probate Court asks for at least ten days' notice where possible. | https://www.ctprobate.gov/assistance-individuals-disabilities-ada |
| Connecticut Judicial Branch Law Library, Connecticut Law About Probate Law | Connecticut probate research page maintained by Judicial Branch law librarians. | https://www.jud.ct.gov/lawlib/law/probatelaw.htm |
| New London Law Library | Physical Connecticut Judicial Branch law library in the region. | New London Courthouse, 70 Huntington Street, New London, CT 06320; (860) 442-7561; Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut | Legal aid intake and screening for people who cannot afford a lawyer. | 1-800-453-3320; https://slsct.org/ |
| CTLawHelp.org | Free Connecticut self-help legal library and legal help finder. | https://ctlawhelp.org/ |
When to hire an attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches for financial accounts, insurance, retirement assets and other information that families often miss at the start of estate settlement. That gives you a clearer inventory before you file with the Saybrook Probate Court.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you provide into an organized probate packet using the Connecticut statewide form set and the local Saybrook Probate Court filing details.
Find a local probate attorney. When a sale, dispute, tax issue or out-of-state fiduciary makes the case harder, Sunset can connect you with a Connecticut probate attorney familiar with the Probate Court process.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize probate, find assets and prepare for court without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate for someone who lived in Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Lyme, Old Saybrook or Westbrook?
File with the Saybrook Probate Court if the decedent was domiciled in one of those towns. A will is filed where the testator was domiciled at death (C.G.S. section 45a-283), and an estate without a will is administered where the decedent was domiciled at death (C.G.S. section 45a-303). Nonresident estates with Connecticut property follow C.G.S. section 45a-287.
Is the Saybrook Probate Court actually in Saybrook?
The courthouse is in Old Saybrook at 302 Main Street, 2nd Floor. "Saybrook" is the court name, but Old Saybrook is the town in the towns served list under C.G.S. section 45a-2.
Can I file electronically in the Saybrook Probate Court?
The Connecticut Probate Courts use a statewide eFiling system powered by TurboCourt. Attorneys must register under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 22.1, while registration is optional for everyone else. The original will cannot be eFiled and must reach the Probate Court on paper under section 7.1a.
How much do I pay when opening a decedent's estate in Saybrook Probate Court?
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. The statewide fee is the same in all Connecticut probate districts under C.G.S. section 45a-105.
Does the Saybrook Probate Court publish its own probate forms?
No. Connecticut probate forms are statewide. The Saybrook Probate Court uses the same numbered PC forms published by the Office of the Probate Court Administrator at ctprobate.gov, and the court does not publish forms of its own.
Can I appear by phone or video for a Saybrook Probate Court hearing?
Remote appearance is a request decided by the court under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 66.1. The rule allows participation by electronic means when the court permits it, but it creates no right to appear remotely and names no platform.
Can I look up a Saybrook Probate Court estate online?
Yes. Connecticut Case Lookup at ctprobate.gov/case-lookup covers decedents' estates and trusts from January 5, 2011 to the present, with incomplete earlier coverage. Filter to PD33 or the Saybrook Probate Court district.
Do I have to travel to Old Saybrook for every probate step?
Not always. The court may act after written waivers, may use the streamline notice procedure under Probate Court Rules of Procedure, section 8.6, or may allow remote participation under section 66.1. Ask the clerk what the Saybrook Probate Court expects for your filing.
What if the estate may qualify for the Connecticut small estate process?
The Connecticut affidavit path is a Probate Court filing under C.G.S. section 45a-273. If the decedent was domiciled in one of the nine Saybrook Probate Court towns, file that affidavit path with the Saybrook 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.