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Talbot County, MD Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Talbot County information |
|---|---|
| Filing office | Register of Wills for Talbot County, a Maryland constitutional office under Md. Const. art. IV, § 41. |
| Probate court | Orphans' Court for Talbot County, Maryland's probate court under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-101. |
| Courthouse address | Talbot County Courthouse, North Wing, Suite 14, 11 N. Washington Street, Easton, Maryland 21601. |
| Mailing address | Same as the street address. |
| Phone | 410-770-6700. Toll free: 888-822-0039. |
| Fax | 410-822-5452. The Talbot office states that filings cannot be accepted by fax. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; closed weekends and state holidays. Call before visiting to open an estate. |
| Fee timing and schedule | Maryland uses one probate fee schedule under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-206(b)(2) for estates opened on or after October 1, 2022: $0 below $50,000; $100 from $50,000 to below $100,000; $200 from $100,000 to below $500,000; $1,000 from $500,000 to below $1,000,000; $2,000 from $1,000,000 to below $2,500,000; $5,000 from $2,500,000 to below $5,000,000; $7,500 from $5,000,000 to below $7,500,000; $10,000 from $7,500,000 to below $10,000,000; and $10,000 plus 0.02% of the excess over $10,000,000. The fee is assessed when the first administration account is filed, not when the estate is opened, under ET § 2-206(b)(5)(i). |
| Local forms | No Talbot County probate forms or local cover sheet. Use the statewide Register of Wills forms. |
| E-filing status | No estate opening through Maryland Electronic Courts (MDEC). Maryland estate filings are made on paper with the Register of Wills. MDEC does not cover the Orphans' Court under Md. Rule 20-101(w), and the Register of Wills is not a court. |
| Draft review | Draft documents for auditing may be emailed to [email protected]. This is not a filing address. |
| Estate records | Use the statewide Estate Search at registers.maryland.gov and choose Talbot. Maryland Judiciary Case Search covers circuit court and District Court records, not Register of Wills estate records. |
| Orphans' Court schedule | As of the Judiciary directory revised June 4, 2026, the Orphans' Court for Talbot County sits every Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Confirm the current schedule with the Register before travelling. |
| Remote appearance | Maryland Rules Title 21 apply to the courts listed in Md. Rule 1-101(u), not the Orphans' Court. Ask the Register before assuming a remote appearance is available. |
| Website | https://registers.maryland.gov/main/talbot.html |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before calling the Easton office, identify what the estate actually contains and what debts may affect those assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions, so families can see accounts, policies and liabilities before choosing the next estate settlement step.
Talbot County will not accept the actual estate filing by email or fax, but the office will review emailed drafts for auditing before you file. If you need authority to look for a will or assets before opening the estate, ask about a Petition for Limited Orders, Form 1147 and Schedule C on Form 1148; the Registers' current fee table lists that limited order at $2.00 under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-206.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Talbot County estate settlement is served by one Register of Wills office and one Orphans' Court for Talbot County under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-101, both in the Talbot County Courthouse at 11 N. Washington Street in Easton. The county seat is Easton, and the county communities listed by Maryland Legal Aid's Upper Eastern Shore office include Bozman, Claiborne, Cordova, McDaniel, Neavitt, Newcomb, Oxford, Royal Oak, Saint Michaels, Sherwood, Tilghman, Trappe, Wittman and Wye Mills.
Venue is based on the decedent's domicile at death under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-103. Probate proceedings may be maintained in only one county. If the decedent lived outside Maryland but owned Maryland property, venue is the county where the petitioner believes the largest part in value of the Maryland property was located.
Probate in Talbot County runs through two offices. You file with the Register of Wills for Talbot County, an elected office under Md. Const. art. IV, § 41 that opens the estate, appoints the personal representative in administrative probate under ET § 5-301, and issues letters of administration under ET § 5-302. The Orphans' Court for Talbot County is Maryland's probate court under ET § 2-101; it approves administration accounts under ET § 7-305, approves commissions under ET § 7-601, approves attorney's fees and hears contested matters.
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm that Talbot County is the correct venue. Maryland venue is the county where the decedent was domiciled at death, and only one county may maintain the proceeding under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-103.
- Call the Register of Wills for Talbot County at 410-770-6700 before visiting to open an estate. The office asks callers to check what documents are needed before coming to the courthouse.
- Deliver the original will to the Register of Wills for Talbot County. After death, the custodian of the will must deliver it promptly to the proper Register under ET § 4-203(b)(1), even if no estate is opened.
- If you need authority to search for assets or a will in a safe deposit box before opening the estate, ask about Form 1147, Petition for Limited Orders, and Form 1148, Schedule C. The Registers' current fee table lists the limited order fee as $2.00 under ET § 2-206.
- Choose the statewide packet that fits the estate, such as the small estate packet under ET § 5-601 or the regular estate packet. Download the forms to your device, complete them outside the browser, and print them for paper filing.
- If you want the Talbot office to review a draft for auditing before filing, send only the draft to [email protected]. The completed filing still must be delivered on paper because the Talbot office states that Maryland law prohibits filings by email or fax.
- Bring or mail the petition to the Talbot County Courthouse, North Wing, Suite 14, 11 N. Washington Street, Easton, Maryland 21601. Courthouse visitors pass through security scanners, and weapons are not permitted.
- If the proposed personal representative lives outside Maryland, include Form 1106, Appointment of Resident Agent, signed by a Maryland resident.
- If firearms may be part of the estate, review Form 1153 before filing or administering those items.
- The Register admits the will and appoints the personal representative in administrative probate under ET § 5-301 and ET § 5-302, then issues letters of administration under ET § 5-302. No judge is involved in the ordinary administrative probate appointment.
- Give notice as the statewide packet directs, using Form 1114 for a regular estate or Form 1109 for a small estate under ET § 5-601, and file the List of Interested Persons, Form 1104.
- Track statewide deadlines. The inventory and Information Report are due within 3 months of appointment under ET § 7-201. The first administration account is due within 9 months of appointment under ET § 7-305. A claim against the estate is forever barred unless presented within the earlier of 6 months after death or 2 months after mailed notice under ET § 8-103(a).
- Pay the probate fee under ET § 2-206 when it is assessed with the first administration account, not when the petition is filed. If the fee-waiver conditions apply, ask the Register about Form 1220 under ET § 2-206(a)(4).
- If a contested matter or approval issue needs a judge, the Orphans' Court for Talbot County under ET § 2-101 sits every Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to noon as of the Judiciary directory revised June 4, 2026. Confirm the current schedule with the Register before travelling.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Talbot County
Talbot County does not publish its own probate forms or local cover sheet. Use the statewide Register of Wills forms linked from the Talbot office page, and complete them on your device before printing.
| Form | Use |
|---|---|
| Form 1103 | Petition for Administration of a Small Estate under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-601. |
| Form 1112 | Petition for Administration of Regular Estate. |
| Form 1104 | List of Interested Persons. |
| Form 1106 | Appointment of Resident Agent for an out-of-state personal representative. |
| Form 1147 and Form 1148 | Petition for Limited Orders and Schedule C. The Registers' current fee table lists the limited order fee as $2.00 under ET § 2-206. |
| Form 1153 | Affidavit about attempts to comply with firearms, ammunition and destructive-device laws. |
| Form 1220 | Request for Waiver of Fees under ET § 2-206(a)(4). |
Talbot's draft-review address is narrow. You may email drafts for auditing to [email protected], but that address does not accept filings.
Local nuance
Talbot County-specific considerations
- The Register of Wills for Talbot County, a Maryland constitutional office under Md. Const. art. IV, § 41, states that Maryland law prohibits accepting filings by email or facsimile. It will accept an emailed draft for auditing at [email protected], but that is not a filing route.
- All visitors to the Talbot County Courthouse must pass through security scanners, and no weapons of any kind are permitted.
- Talbot County elects three Orphans' Court judges under Md. Const. art. IV, § 40. Talbot is not Harford, Howard or Montgomery, so circuit court judges do not sit as the Orphans' Court here. The Orphans' Court for Talbot County is Maryland's probate court under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-101.
- The Register and the Orphans' Court share the same courthouse, phone number and fax number.
- The office asks you to call before visiting to open an estate so staff can confirm the documents needed.
- As of the Judiciary directory revised June 4, 2026, the Orphans' Court for Talbot County under ET § 2-101 sits every Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Confirm the current schedule before travelling.
Recent updates
| Update | Meaning for Talbot County |
|---|---|
| Judiciary directory revised June 4, 2026 | The published Talbot Orphans' Court schedule under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-101 is every Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to noon, subject to confirmation before travel. |
| Statewide fee schedule applies to estates opened on or after October 1, 2022 | The probate fee under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-206 is the same in Talbot County as in every Maryland jurisdiction, and it is assessed when the first administration account is filed. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Archetype | Talbot County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start with how the Easton or Saint Michaels home is titled. If an estate is opened, the small estate analysis under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-601 measures value by fair market value less debts of record secured by the property. A fee waiver under ET § 2-206(a)(4) may apply if Maryland real property will pass to an heir who lives on it and the estate cannot pay by reason of poverty. | Sunset assembles the account and property picture, flags liens and mortgages, and prepares the packet for the Talbot counter. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | An out-of-state personal representative may serve if a Maryland resident signs Form 1106 as resident agent. Talbot cannot take the completed filing by email or fax, though a draft may be emailed for auditing. Plan on mail or one courthouse trip after calling ahead. | Sunset builds the packet remotely, prepares a draft for auditing, and flags what needs a Maryland resident agent signature on Form 1106. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale can slow the estate. The Judiciary's statewide guidance says many regular estates close within 9 to 18 months unless litigation or real estate sale issues are involved. The claims deadline still runs from death: a claim against the estate is forever barred unless presented within the earlier of 6 months after death or 2 months after mailed notice under ET § 8-103(a). | Sunset finds accounts, liens, mortgages and balances needed for the inventory under ET § 7-201 and administration accounts under ET § 7-305. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Register of Wills for Talbot County | The filing office under Md. Const. art. IV, § 41. Staff may answer general questions and assist with required forms, but cannot give legal advice. Call before visiting to open an estate. | 410-770-6700; toll free 888-822-0039; Talbot County Courthouse, North Wing, Suite 14, 11 N. Washington Street, Easton, Maryland 21601; https://registers.maryland.gov/main/talbot.html |
| Maryland Legal Aid, Upper Eastern Shore Office | Free civil legal services for financially eligible households under 125% of the federal poverty income guidelines. Its published wills-and-estates service is brief advice on drafting wills and advance directives. | 106 N. Washington Street, Suite 101, Easton, Maryland 21601; local 410-763-9676; statewide intake 1-888-465-2468, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; https://www.mdlab.org/contact-us/ |
| Maryland Estate Search | Statewide Register of Wills estate lookup. Choose Talbot from the county selector. Estate Search is at registers.maryland.gov and is separate from Judiciary Case Search. | https://registers.maryland.gov/RowNetWeb/Estates/frmEstateSearch2.aspx |
| Maryland Judiciary, Orphans' Court and Wills and Estates pages | Explains that the Orphans' Court under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-101 is Maryland's probate court and that the Register of Wills is the office where estate papers are filed. | https://www.mdcourts.gov/orphanscourt and https://www.mdcourts.gov/legalhelp/willsestates |
| People's Law Library of Maryland | Consumer legal library with estate administration and probate articles. It is a library, not a legal advice provider. | https://www.peoples-law.org/cat/wills-estates-probate/estate-administration-probate |
| Maryland Court Help Centers | Free civil help for self-represented individuals, but the published service limits expressly exclude personal representatives. | 410-260-1392, 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; https://www.mdcourts.gov/helpcenter |
| Numbers published by the Talbot office | The Talbot office publishes related contacts, including the Comptroller of Maryland Estate Tax Division for estate tax under Md. Code, Tax-Gen. § 7-309, Vital Statistics for death certificates, the Maryland State Bar Association and Volunteer Lawyers Service. | Comptroller Estate Tax Division 410-260-7850; Vital Statistics 877-463-3464; Maryland State Bar Association 800-492-1964; Volunteer Lawyers Service 800-510-0050. |
When to hire an attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families identify bank accounts, investment accounts, insurance policies, debts and property information before the Talbot estate is opened. That gives the personal representative a clearer starting point for estate settlement.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family information into the Maryland Register of Wills forms used in Talbot County, including the statewide petition, interested-person information and supporting schedules. If a draft needs auditing, the family can use Talbot's draft-only email process before paper filing.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate has disputes, real estate, tax issues, a nonresident personal representative or questions the Register cannot answer, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Maryland probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset gives families a guided estate settlement workspace, document organization and local probate direction at no cost to the family.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Talbot County, Maryland?
File with the Register of Wills for Talbot County, a Maryland constitutional office under Md. Const. art. IV, § 41, at the Talbot County Courthouse, North Wing, Suite 14, 11 N. Washington Street, Easton, Maryland 21601. The Orphans' Court for Talbot County is Maryland's probate court under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-101, but the Register is the office that accepts the estate filing.
Can I open an estate online, by email, or by fax in Talbot County?
No. Estate filings are made on paper with the Register of Wills. Maryland Electronic Courts (MDEC) does not cover the Orphans' Court under Md. Rule 20-101(w), and the Register of Wills is not a court. Talbot states that Maryland law prohibits accepting filings by email or facsimile.
What is the [email protected] email for?
It is only for emailing draft documents for auditing before filing. It is not a general contact address and not a filing route. The completed estate filing still must be delivered on paper to the Register of Wills for Talbot County under Md. Const. art. IV, § 41.
What does it cost to open an estate in Talbot County?
Talbot does not set a separate local charge. Maryland uses one probate fee schedule under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-206(b)(2) for estates opened on or after October 1, 2022, and the fee is assessed when the first administration account is filed under ET § 2-206(b)(5)(i), not at the first filing.
When does the Orphans' Court for Talbot County sit, and will I have to go?
As of the Judiciary directory revised June 4, 2026, the Orphans' Court for Talbot County under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-101 sits every Tuesday from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Confirm the current schedule with the Register before travelling. Most routine estates proceed through the Register without a judge appearance.
Can I appear remotely in the Orphans' Court for Talbot County?
Do not assume that you can. Maryland Rules Title 21 apply to the courts listed in Md. Rule 1-101(u), not the Orphans' Court under ET § 2-101. Ask the Register of Wills for Talbot County before relying on any remote appearance option.
How do I look up an estate filed in Talbot County?
Use the statewide Estate Search at registers.maryland.gov and choose Talbot. Maryland Judiciary Case Search covers circuit court and District Court records; it is not the lookup system for Register of Wills estate records.
Does Talbot County have its own probate forms?
No local Talbot probate forms or cover sheet are published. Use the statewide Register of Wills forms, including Form 1103 for a small estate under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 5-601, Form 1112 for a regular estate, Form 1104 for interested persons and Form 1106 if a resident agent is needed.
I live out of state. Can I be the personal representative of a Talbot County estate?
Yes, if a Maryland resident agrees to serve as resident agent and signs Form 1106. The Talbot filing itself is still on paper, so plan for mail or a courthouse visit after calling the Register.
Can the Talbot Register help with forms or a Maryland domestic partnership registration?
The Register of Wills for Talbot County, a constitutional office under Md. Const. art. IV, § 41, may answer general questions and assist with required forms, but cannot give legal advice. Maryland domestic partnership registrations are filed with the Register of Wills in the county where the partners are domiciled under Md. Code, Est. & Trusts § 2-214.
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.