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Strafford County, NH Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Court | 7th Circuit Court - Probate Division - Dover; probate is a division of the New Hampshire Circuit Court, not a separate probate court. The county Probate Courts were merged into the unified Circuit Court on July 1, 2011 |
| Filing office | The Circuit Court clerk at the Dover Probate Division (Circuit Clerk Cheryll Andrews). New Hampshire has no surrogate, and the Circuit Court clerk handles all estate filings and records; the county's separately elected probate officer has had no role in estate filings since the 2011 court merger |
| Courthouse | William A. Grimes Justice & Administration Building, 259 County Farm Road, Suite 203, Dover, NH 03820 |
| Phone | 1-855-212-1234, the New Hampshire Circuit Court statewide Call Center (from outside the US or Canada, 603-415-0162). There is no separate direct-dial probate line for the Dover location; the Call Center answers for all Circuit Court locations |
| Office hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM; closed on court holidays |
| Filing fee | Uniform statewide under Probate Division Rule 169: the Petition for Estate Administration is $150 for an estate with a gross value of $10,000 or less, $205 for more than $10,000 up to $25,000, and $305 for more than $25,000 (Rule 169, verified July 2026). The $55 notice-by-publication fee is included in the entry fee for estates over $10,000. The original Certificate of Appointment is issued at no charge. Card payments through the e-filing platforms (Odyssey File & Serve and TurboCourt) carry a 3% fee effective September 3, 2025; card payments made directly to the court carry a service charge under Rule 169 |
| Local forms | None. New Hampshire uses a statewide set of NHJB probate forms filed through the e-Court system; there are no Strafford County local probate forms or cover sheets |
| E-filing | New estate cases are filed electronically through the NH Circuit Court e-Court system at every Probate Division location. Attorneys file through Odyssey File & Serve; self-represented filers use TurboCourt. A service contact email must be added on the first filing or it is rejected |
| Case search | The NH Judicial Branch Case Access Portal (odypa.nhecourt.us/portal), free registration, gives public access to non-confidential e-filed Circuit Court cases, including estate cases. It is not the official record |
| Remote appearance | Confirm with the Circuit Court whether a given hearing can be held remotely; the statewide Call Center (1-855-212-1234) and court navigators direct remote-appearance and self-help questions |
| Website | https://www.courts.nh.gov/your-visit/find-court/7th-circuit-probate-division-dover |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Strafford County, know exactly what is in the estate. The path you take depends on whether there is a will, on who inherits, and on who will serve, because New Hampshire's simplified routes (the Waiver of Administration under RSA 553:32 and Summary Administration under RSA 553:33) are keyed to who inherits and who serves rather than to a dollar threshold. These paths and the terms that apply statewide are explained on the New Hampshire state page; identify the estate first so you and, if needed, your attorney file the right petition once.
Identify every bank and credit-union account, retirement plan, brokerage holding, life-insurance policy, vehicle, and parcel of real property, along with every debt, before you file. In Strafford County this matters for real estate in particular, because a decedent's home in Dover, Rochester, or Durham is often the largest asset and conveying it requires a personal representative with a Certificate of Appointment on record at the Strafford County Registry of Deeds. Sunset's asset-discovery work, searching more than 2,300 financial institutions, exists for this step.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The 7th Circuit Court Probate Division in Dover is the single Probate Division location for all of Strafford County. It serves the entire county, including the cities of Dover (the county seat), Rochester, and Somersworth, and the towns of Barrington, Durham, Farmington, Lee, Madbury, Middleton, Milton, New Durham, Rollinsford, and Strafford. Estates from every one of these communities are filed with the Circuit Court clerk at 259 County Farm Road, Suite 203, in Dover. Strafford is a small, compact county, so the courthouse is within a short drive of most residents; because new estate cases are filed through the e-Court system, most filing can be done without traveling to Dover at all, and the courthouse matters mainly for in-person hearings and records requests.
Venue for a decedent's estate is the county where the decedent was last an inhabitant, that is, where the decedent was domiciled at death (RSA 547:8). If the decedent lived in Strafford County, file in the Dover Probate Division. If the decedent was not a New Hampshire inhabitant but owned property in the county, venue is also proper here. The judge is a New Hampshire Circuit Court judge, and the Circuit Court clerk at the Dover location maintains the county's estate records.
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the documents. Collect the original signed will (if any), a certified copy of the death certificate, the proposed fiduciary's contact information and identification, the names and addresses of the heirs, legatees, and other interested persons, and a list of the assets and debts with values. A person named in a will to settle the estate is an executor; a person appointed where there is no will, or where the will names none, is an administrator.
- Choose the path. Depending on whether there is a will and on who inherits and serves, the route may be regular administration, the Waiver of Administration where the sole beneficiary or sole heir is appointed administrator, where all beneficiaries or all heirs serve as co-administrators, or where an appropriate person is appointed with the assent of all of them (RSA 553:32), or Summary Administration for estates outside RSA 553:32 (RSA 553:33). The details of these statewide paths are on the New Hampshire state page; identify the right one before you file.
- Prepare the New Hampshire forms. New Hampshire uses a statewide set of NHJB probate forms, led by the Petition for Estate Administration; there is no separate Strafford County form set. Self-represented filers can generate the correct forms by answering the questions in TurboCourt, which builds the NHJB forms for them.
- File electronically with the Dover Probate Division. New estate cases are filed through the NH Circuit Court e-Court system rather than on paper. Attorneys file through Odyssey File & Serve; self-represented filers use TurboCourt. Add a service contact email on the first filing, or the filing is rejected. Filing electronically means a filer in Rochester, Durham, or Milton does not have to drive to Dover to open the case.
- Pay the filing fee. The Petition for Estate Administration fee is set statewide under Probate Division Rule 169: $150 for an estate with a gross value of $10,000 or less, $205 for more than $10,000 up to $25,000, and $305 for more than $25,000 (Rule 169, verified July 2026). The $55 notice-by-publication fee is included in the entry fee for estates over $10,000. Card payments through the e-filing platforms carry a 3% fee (effective September 3, 2025), and card payments made directly to the court carry a service charge under Rule 169; a motion to waive filing fees is available for those who cannot pay.
- Give notice. The estate provides notice to the heirs, legatees, and other interested persons, and notice of the appointment is published as required. Notice to creditors runs from the grant of administration: a creditor must exhibit its demand to the administrator within 6 months after the original grant of administration (RSA 556:1, 556:3).
- Attend the hearing if one is set. Many uncontested estates proceed without an in-person hearing. Where a hearing is scheduled, confirm with the Circuit Court whether it can be held remotely; the statewide Call Center (1-855-212-1234) and court navigators ([email protected]) direct remote-appearance and self-help questions.
- Receive the Certificate of Appointment. On appointment the Probate Division issues the Certificate of Appointment (also called the Letter of Appointment), the document that proves the executor's or administrator's authority to act, open the estate account, and access assets. The original Certificate is issued at no charge; additional certificates are charged under Rule 169.
- Administer and close. Inventory the assets, pay valid claims in the order set by law, account as the path requires, distribute the remaining assets, and close the estate. If the estate includes a Strafford County home that must be sold, the personal representative records the authority and deed at the Strafford County Registry of Deeds in Dover.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Strafford County
New Hampshire has a statewide mandatory set of New Hampshire Judicial Branch (NHJB) probate forms, used at every Probate Division location, and the Dover Probate Division uses the same forms as the rest of the state; there is no separate Strafford County form set. The load-bearing forms are the Petition for Estate Administration (NHJB-2145-P), the Waiver of Full Administration Statement (NHJB-2144-P) used for the RSA 553:32 waiver route, the Motion for Summary Administration and Assent (NHJB-2149-P) for the RSA 553:33 route, and the Inventory of Fiduciary (NHJB-2125-P). Companion forms for the accounting, assents, the lists of heirs-at-law and legatees and devisees, a declination, and a request for a certificate or copy are on the same NHJB forms page. Confirm the current form and number on the courts.nh.gov e-filing forms page before you file.
In Strafford County these forms are filed with the Dover Probate Division through the e-Court system: attorneys through Odyssey File & Serve and self-represented filers through TurboCourt, which assembles the NHJB forms from your answers. For questions about intake or what the clerk needs, the statewide Call Center at 1-855-212-1234 answers for the Dover location.
| Resource | What it provides |
|---|---|
| NH Judicial Branch e-filing forms (courts.nh.gov) | The statewide NHJB probate form set, including the Petition for Estate Administration and the waiver, summary-administration, and inventory forms, with instructions |
| NH Judicial Branch self-help, Wills and Estates (courts.nh.gov) | How estate cases are filed electronically, the estate checklists, and step-by-step guidance for self-represented filers |
| TurboCourt (turbocourt.com) | The guided service self-represented filers use to answer questions and generate the NHJB forms for e-filing an estate case |
Recent updates
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Strafford County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | If the Dover or Rochester home was held in joint tenancy with right of survivorship, it passes to the surviving spouse outside probate once a death certificate is recorded at the Strafford County Registry of Deeds. If the home was in the decedent's sole name and there is a will, the spouse files the Petition for Estate Administration through the e-Court system; where the spouse is the sole beneficiary named in the will and is appointed administrator, the estate can often use the Waiver of Administration (RSA 553:32). Once appointed, the spouse receives the Certificate of Appointment. | Asset discovery to confirm how title is held and what else is in the estate. Packet generation for the Petition for Estate Administration. Guidance on recording the survivorship documents at the Strafford County Registry of Deeds. |
| Out-of-state adult child, small estate | New Hampshire has no dollar-threshold small-estate affidavit. Where the out-of-state child is the sole heir or sole beneficiary and will serve, the estate can use the Waiver of Administration (RSA 553:32); otherwise Summary Administration (RSA 553:33) ends court supervision without a final account. Either is filed electronically through TurboCourt, so a child living out of state can open and run the case without repeated trips to Dover. | Asset discovery to confirm what is in the estate and locate accounts from out of state. Packet generation for the NHJB forms, prepared so an out-of-state filer can proceed through the e-Court system. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Because the estate holds real property that must be sold, it generally proceeds through regular administration: the parent files the Petition for Estate Administration, is appointed administrator, and receives the Certificate of Appointment. With that authority the parent can sell the Strafford County home and distribute the proceeds, recording the authority and deed at the Strafford County Registry of Deeds in Dover. | Asset discovery for the child's accounts and property. Packet generation for the administration filing. Attorney referral if the sale or an heir dispute turns contested. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it offers |
|---|---|
| 7th Circuit Court - Probate Division - Dover (courts.nh.gov) | The Strafford County Probate Division location page: hours, directions, the Circuit Clerk, and location contact information |
| NH Judicial Branch self-help, Wills and Estates (courts.nh.gov/self-help/estates) | Plain-language guidance on estate cases, the estate checklists, and how new cases are filed electronically |
| NH Judicial Branch Case Access Portal (odypa.nhecourt.us/portal) | Free public lookup of non-confidential e-filed Circuit Court estate cases, after a free registration |
| Court navigators, 1-855-212-1234 ([email protected]) | In-person and phone help for self-represented filers, including with e-filing and forms |
| 603 Legal Aid, 1-800-639-5290 (603legalaid.org) | Statewide centralized intake for free civil legal help for income-eligible New Hampshire residents |
| NH Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service, (603) 229-0002 (nhbar.org) | Referrals to New Hampshire probate attorneys, plus the free LawLine phone clinic (1-800-868-1212) |
When to hire an attorney
Many Strafford County estates are uncontested and can be handled without an attorney, especially where the simplified Waiver of Administration (RSA 553:32) or Summary Administration (RSA 553:33) applies and TurboCourt guides a self-represented filer through the NHJB forms. Consider counsel when the estate holds real estate that must be sold and the will grants no clear authority, when a will contest or dispute among heirs is likely, when the estate is insolvent or a creditor is pressing a claim within the 6-month window (RSA 556:1, 556:3), or when the estate includes a business interest or out-of-state property. Court navigators and the statewide Call Center can help with procedure, but they cannot give legal advice. Sunset can connect families to a vetted New Hampshire probate attorney serving Strafford County.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions and public records to surface bank and credit-union accounts, retirement plans, brokerage holdings, life insurance, Strafford County real estate, and unclaimed property, so you know the estate's value and which New Hampshire estate settlement path fits before you file.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset assembles the New Hampshire NHJB forms for your path, including the Petition for Estate Administration and its companions, ready to file with the Dover Probate Division through the e-Court system.
Find a local probate attorney. When a matter is contested or otherwise calls for counsel, Sunset connects families to a vetted New Hampshire probate attorney serving Strafford County.
Sunset is free for families. Revenue comes from bank partners that pay Sunset while estate funds sit in an FDIC-insured estate account ($3M coverage).
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file for probate in Strafford County?
With the Circuit Court clerk at the 7th Circuit Court Probate Division in Dover, in the William A. Grimes Justice & Administration Building at 259 County Farm Road, Suite 203, Dover, NH 03820. It is the single Probate Division location for the whole county. New estate cases are filed electronically through the e-Court system rather than delivered on paper.
Do I have to file electronically for probate in Strafford County?
Yes. New estate cases are filed electronically through the NH Circuit Court e-Court system at every Probate Division location, including Dover. Attorneys file through Odyssey File & Serve, and self-represented filers use TurboCourt, which builds the NHJB forms from your answers. Remember to add a service contact email on the first filing.
Do I have to travel to Dover to settle an estate in Strafford County?
Usually not for filing. Because new estate cases are filed electronically, a filer in Rochester, Durham, or Milton can open and run the case without driving to Dover. The distance matters mainly for any in-person hearing or records request; where a hearing is set, ask whether it can be held remotely through the statewide Call Center at 1-855-212-1234.
What forms do I need for probate in Strafford County?
New Hampshire uses one statewide set of NHJB probate forms; there is no separate Strafford County form set. The core forms are the Petition for Estate Administration (NHJB-2145-P), the Waiver of Full Administration Statement (NHJB-2144-P), the Motion for Summary Administration and Assent (NHJB-2149-P), and the Inventory of Fiduciary (NHJB-2125-P). TurboCourt assembles the right forms for self-represented filers.
How much does it cost to file probate in Strafford County?
The Petition for Estate Administration fee is set statewide under Probate Division Rule 169: $150 for an estate with a gross value of $10,000 or less, $205 for more than $10,000 up to $25,000, and $305 for more than $25,000 (Rule 169, verified July 2026). The $55 publication fee is included in the entry fee for estates over $10,000, and card payments through the e-filing platforms add a 3% fee (effective September 3, 2025), with a service charge under Rule 169 for cards used directly at the court. A motion to waive filing fees is available for those who cannot pay.
Are there local Strafford County probate forms or fees?
No. New Hampshire uses a statewide NHJB form set and a statewide fee schedule (Probate Division Rule 169), so there are no Strafford County local probate forms, cover sheets, or county-specific filing fees. The fee is the same at the Dover Probate Division as at every other location.
Can I look up a Strafford County probate case online?
Yes, through the NH Judicial Branch Case Access Portal at odypa.nhecourt.us/portal, which gives public access to non-confidential e-filed Circuit Court cases, including estate cases, after a free registration. It is not the official court record; for older or non-portal records, ask the Dover Probate Division.
Who issues the authority document in a Strafford County estate?
The Probate Division issues the Certificate of Appointment (also called the Letter of Appointment), which proves the executor's or administrator's authority to act for the estate. New Hampshire does not issue a differently named document for wills versus intestate estates. The original Certificate is issued at no charge; additional certificates are charged under Rule 169.
What is the phone number for probate in Strafford County?
1-855-212-1234, the New Hampshire Circuit Court statewide Call Center, which answers for all Circuit Court locations including Dover (from outside the US or Canada, call 603-415-0162). There is no separate direct-dial probate line for Strafford County; court navigators are reachable at the same number and at [email protected].
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.