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Essex County, VT Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Essex County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Essex County Probate Division |
| Courthouse address | 75 Courthouse Drive, Guildhall, VT 05905 |
| Mailing address | PO Box 75, Guildhall, VT 05905 |
| Phone | 802-676-3910 |
| [email protected]. This is a unit-wide mailbox for the Caledonia and Essex units; include the case number and the court in the subject line. | |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except observed holidays. Closed the second Tuesday of each month from 8:00 a.m. to noon for in service training. |
| Filing fee | $50.00 for an estate of $10,000 or less, $110.00 from $10,001 to $50,000, rising to $3,250.00 above $10,000,000 (32 V.S.A. § 1434(a), in force since July 1, 2015). |
| Essex County only forms | None. Essex County uses the Vermont Judiciary's statewide probate forms. |
| E-filing | Vermont's courts, including the Probate Division, use a statewide e-filing system. The Judiciary is moving filers from Odyssey File & Serve to its new eFileVT platform, also called eFile & Serve. Attorneys and state agencies must e-file; a self-represented filer may e-file but is not required to, and may instead file in person, by mail or by email. |
| Case information | Vermont Judiciary Public Portal at portal.vtcourts.gov. Anonymous users can see Civil Division and Judicial Bureau case summaries remotely; probate case information is available to the general public only at a courthouse public-access terminal. A party who registers and is granted elevated access can view their own probate case, its hearings and its documents online. The free Essex County Probate Division hearing calendar for the next 90 days is published at www.vtcourts.gov/court-calendars. |
| Remote appearance | Remote hearings by Zoom are used across the Vermont courts. Your hearing notice says whether your hearing is remote or in person; you can notify the court in writing to appear remotely instead, or ask permission in writing to appear in person, so that the court and the other party receive it at least three days before the hearing. |
| Website | www.vtcourts.gov/court-locations/essex-probate-division |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Guildhall, list the assets, debts and institutions involved in the estate settlement. Vermont issues two certificates of appointment at no charge with the letters of administration, and extra certificates cost $5.00 each (32 V.S.A. § 1434(c)); Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery helps you count how many banks, brokerages, insurers and other institutions you may need to contact before you leave the register's office.
File the inventory (form 700-00030) within 30 days of your appointment, which is what the Vermont Judiciary's own instructions require. The statute sets an outer limit of 60 days (14 V.S.A. § 1051) and the court can extend the time for good cause.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Essex County Probate Division at 75 Courthouse Drive in Guildhall serves the whole county. Essex County is in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, in the far northeast corner of the state; the town of Essex and Essex Junction are in Chittenden County and are not served by this court.
Communities served by the Essex County Probate Division include Guildhall, the county seat, along with Averill, Bloomfield, Brighton, Brunswick, Canaan, Concord, East Haven, Ferdinand, Granby, Lemington, Lewis, Lunenburg, Maidstone, Norton and Victory, the unorganized areas of Avery's Gore, Warner's Grant and Warren's Gore, and the communities of Island Pond, Beecher Falls and Gilman.
For a Vermont resident, open the estate in the county where the decedent lived at the time of death (4 V.S.A. § 311a(1)). For a decedent who lived outside Vermont but owned property in Vermont, the estate may be opened in any district where the Vermont property is located (4 V.S.A. § 311a(2)).
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the right statewide Vermont probate forms from the Judiciary's Court Forms page or Estates, Wills, and Trusts page. If the case is a small estate under 14 V.S.A. § 1901, use the small estate petition 700-00001SM (09/2023). For a full estate, use the full estate petition and related statewide forms.
- File with the Essex County Probate Division. You can file in person or use the drop box at 75 Courthouse Drive in Guildhall, mail papers to PO Box 75, Guildhall, VT 05905, email [email protected] with the case number and the court in the subject line, or e-file if you choose or are required to do so. The office is closed the second Tuesday of each month from 8:00 a.m. to noon for in service training.
- Pay the graduated filing fee by check or money order made out to Vermont Superior Court, by credit card, or in cash if you are filing in person. Credit card payments carry a 2.39% convenience fee at the counter or by phone, and credit card payments on the e-filing platform carry a 2.89% convenience fee. The court may waive part of the filing fee if it finds the applicant unable to pay (32 V.S.A. § 1434(b)).
- Serve notices and collect written consents where they are available. If everyone entitled to notice consents in writing, the will may be allowed without a hearing under 14 V.S.A. § 107. If a small estate under 14 V.S.A. § 1901 is noticed and no objection is filed, it can be approved without further notice or hearing.
- If a hearing is set, read the hearing notice for the date, time, place and remote or in-person instructions. The Vermont Judiciary publishes a live Essex County Probate Division calendar covering the next 90 days. In the window published on September 1, 2026, probate hearings in Essex County were set for a Thursday and a Tuesday, both in the Essex Meeting House Courtroom. Check the calendar for the current schedule.
- If the hearing notice says the hearing is in person and you want to appear remotely, notify the court in writing. If the hearing notice says the hearing is remote and you want to appear in person, ask permission in writing. In either direction, the court and the other party must receive the writing at least three days before the hearing.
- After appointment, the court issues letters of administration and two certificates of appointment at no charge (32 V.S.A. § 1434(b)). Extra certificates cost $5.00 each (32 V.S.A. § 1434(c)). Use the certificate of appointment when banks, brokerages, insurers, employers or government agencies ask for proof of authority.
- Administer the estate, file required accounts and prepare to close. Vermont will not let you close the estate until the Department of Taxes issues a tax clearance. Apply on Form E-2A. The Department will not issue it until every required Vermont return is filed, and the Probate Division will not issue the final decree of distribution until it has the clearance (32 V.S.A. § 7454; 14 V.S.A. § 1069(5)). Start the tax work early: it is the usual reason a Vermont estate stays open longer than the family expected.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Essex County
The Essex County Probate Division uses the Vermont Judiciary's statewide probate forms. There are no Essex County only probate forms and no Essex County cover sheet: the same numbered 700- series is filed in all fourteen counties, it is free, and it is published on the Judiciary's Court Forms page and its Estates, Wills, and Trusts page.
| Task | Common statewide forms |
|---|---|
| Open a full estate | 700-00001 Petition to Open Decedent's Estate; 700-00148 Notice of Appearance - Probate Division; 700-00002E List of Interested Persons for Estates; 700-00020 Estate Administration Bond; 700-00008 Certificate of Service - Probate. |
| Open a small estate under 14 V.S.A. § 1901 | 700-00001SM Petition to Open Small Estate (09/2023); 700-00148 Notice of Appearance - Probate Division; 700-0002E List of Interested Persons for Estates; 700-00030 Inventory Schedule; 700-00402 Affidavit of Paid & Outstanding Funeral Expenses and Debts for Small Estate; 700-00020PESM Small Estate Administration Bond; 600-00264 Certificate of Service. |
| Nonresident fiduciary | 700-00026 Appointment of Resident Agent, because Vermont law lets the court appoint a nonresident executor or administrator at its discretion, and a nonresident fiduciary must appoint a Vermont resident agent (14 V.S.A. § 904). |
| Creditors | PE 32 Notice to Creditors; 700-00033 Motion to Waive Notice to Creditors. |
| Sell real estate | 700-00035 Motion for License to Sell or Convey Real Estate; PE 43 Report on License to Sell, Convey, Mortgage or Lease Real Estate or Personal Property. |
| Close | 700-00152 Fiduciary's Closing Report & Discharge; 700-00153 Receipt; 700-00055 Report of Fiduciary of Small Estate. |
| Guide | 700-00302 Probating a Vermont Estate (01/2026). |
If you e-file a fillable PDF from the Judiciary's site, save it as a flat file first so the filing is not rejected.
Local nuance
Essex County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means in Essex County |
|---|---|
| Guildhall courthouse | The Essex County Probate Division sits at 75 Courthouse Drive in Guildhall. Essex County has one courthouse and every division of the court in the county shares the 75 Courthouse Drive address, so there is no separate probate building to find. |
| Caledonia and Essex unit email | The Essex County Probate Division sits in Guildhall and is administered together with the Caledonia unit, which is why one email address serves both. Use [email protected] and include the case number and the court in the subject line. |
| Monthly closure | The register's office is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except observed holidays, but closes the second Tuesday of each month from 8:00 a.m. to noon for in service training. |
| Hearing calendar | The Vermont Judiciary publishes a live Essex County Probate Division calendar covering the next 90 days. In the window published on September 1, 2026, probate hearings in Essex County were set for a Thursday and a Tuesday, both in the Essex Meeting House Courtroom. Check the calendar for the current schedule. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Essex County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Open the estate in Guildhall if the decedent lived in Essex County. A jointly held home may pass outside the estate, but the inventory still has to sort probate assets from nonprobate assets, and the spouse's rights depend on the notice and inventory steps. | Sunset helps find accounts, policies and other assets before the inventory is signed, so the spouse can make one organized filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | You can start from outside Vermont by mailing the packet to PO Box 75 or emailing the unit mailbox. A small estate must still be opened under 14 V.S.A. § 1901, and Vermont law lets the court appoint a nonresident executor or administrator at its discretion, and a nonresident fiduciary must appoint a Vermont resident agent (14 V.S.A. § 904). | Sunset helps assemble the packet remotely, identify the accounts before anyone books travel and prepare questions for the register's office. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Real estate generally means a full estate rather than the small estate route under 14 V.S.A. § 1901. A sale needs a court license, and the motion for a license to sell real estate costs $100.00 (32 V.S.A. § 1434(a)(26)). | Sunset helps organize the asset list, prepare for the court-license step and connect the family with a local attorney when a sale is involved. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Access and Resource Center | Free court process information, help with Vermont court forms and information about ways to get an attorney. Staff do not provide legal advice. Case types include full and small estates. | 802-879-1185; [email protected]. Calls and email Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed court holidays. In-person support is by appointment in Burlington. |
| Vermont Judiciary Information Center | Use this number if you do not know your case number or which court has your case. | 802-652-1900 |
| Vermont Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service | The service provides referrals to Vermont attorneys who provide an initial 30-minute consultation for no more than $25. | 800-639-7036 or the online referral form |
| Vermont Association for Justice Lawyer Referral Service | A Judiciary-listed lawyer referral service searchable by practice area and proximity. The Judiciary notes it sets no consultation rate. | Online referral service |
| VTLawHelp.org | Plain-language Vermont probate information, including guidance on going to the Probate Division in the county where the decedent lived. | vtlawhelp.org/going-through-probate |
| Vermont Department of Taxes | Issues the tax clearance the Probate Division needs before it will issue the final decree of distribution. The application is Form E-2A. | tax.vermont.gov |
When to hire an attorney
Vermont does not require counsel to open an estate in the Essex County Probate Division. The Judiciary says any interested person may file a petition to open the estate, but legal help makes sense when the estate includes real estate that must be sold under a court license, a contested will or account, an insolvent estate, or an out-of-state fiduciary who needs a Vermont resident agent. Sunset connects families to a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families identify bank accounts, investments, insurance, retirement accounts and other property before the inventory and certificate requests drive the estate settlement timeline.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the information needed for the Vermont probate forms, including the Essex County filing location, mailing address and filing method.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate involves a home sale, a dispute, an insolvent estate or a nonresident fiduciary, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Vermont probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement, find assets and prepare for probate without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Essex County, Vermont?
File with the Essex County Probate Division at 75 Courthouse Drive in Guildhall. Mail filings to PO Box 75, Guildhall, VT 05905. A Vermont resident's estate is opened in the county where the decedent lived at death (4 V.S.A. § 311a(1)).
What are the counter hours at the Essex County Probate Division?
The register's office is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except observed holidays. It is closed the second Tuesday of each month from 8:00 a.m. to noon for in service training.
Can I file by mail or email instead of driving to Guildhall?
Yes. You can mail papers to PO Box 75, Guildhall, VT 05905, or email [email protected]. This is a unit-wide mailbox for the Caledonia and Essex units; include the case number and the court in the subject line. By using this email address you agree to the Vermont Superior Trial Court Email Policy, and the court may take some time to act on an emailed filing, so consider another filing option if your filing is urgent.
Can I look up an Essex County probate case online?
The Vermont Judiciary Public Portal is at portal.vtcourts.gov. Anonymous users can see Civil Division and Judicial Bureau case summaries remotely; probate case information is available to the general public only at a courthouse public-access terminal. A party who registers and is granted elevated access can view their own probate case, its hearings and its documents online.
When does the Essex County Probate Division hold hearings?
The Vermont Judiciary publishes a live Essex County Probate Division calendar covering the next 90 days. In the window published on September 1, 2026, probate hearings in Essex County were set for a Thursday and a Tuesday, both in the Essex Meeting House Courtroom. Check the calendar for the current schedule.
Do I have to appear in person, or can I appear remotely?
Your hearing notice says whether the hearing is remote or in person. If it is in person and you want to appear remotely, notify the court in writing. If it is remote and you want to appear in person, ask permission in writing. In either direction, the court and the other party must receive the writing at least three days before the hearing.
Are there Essex County only probate forms?
No. Essex County uses the Vermont Judiciary's statewide probate forms. A small estate uses 700-00001SM Petition to Open Small Estate (09/2023) under 14 V.S.A. § 1901, and a full estate uses the statewide full estate forms.
What does it cost to open an estate in Essex County?
The filing fee is the same in every Vermont county. It is $50.00 for an estate of $10,000 or less, $110.00 from $10,001 to $50,000, and rises to $3,250.00 above $10,000,000 (32 V.S.A. § 1434(a), in force since July 1, 2015).
I live out of state and my parent lived in Essex County. Do I have to travel here?
Not for every step. You can file by mail, email or e-filing if that method works for your situation, and your hearing notice will say whether any hearing is remote or in person. Vermont law lets the court appoint a nonresident executor or administrator at its discretion, and a nonresident fiduciary must appoint a Vermont resident agent (14 V.S.A. § 904).
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.