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Grand Isle County, VT Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Grand Isle County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Grand Isle Probate Division |
| Courthouse address | 3677 US Route 2, North Hero, VT 05474 |
| Mailing address | PO Box 7, North Hero, VT 05474 |
| Phone | 802-372-8350 |
| [email protected]. Use the case number and Grand Isle Probate Division in the subject line. | |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except observed holidays. Closed the last Monday of each month, 9:00 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). |
| County-only forms | None. The Grand Isle Probate Division uses Vermont Judiciary statewide probate forms. |
| E-filing status | 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 access | 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 courthouse public access terminals. A party who registers and is granted elevated access can view their own probate case, its hearings and its filings through the portal. Free per-county Probate Division hearing calendars covering the next 90 days are 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/grand-isle-probate-division |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in North Hero, make a working list of the decedent's accounts, debts, real estate, vehicles and beneficiary-designated assets. Vermont estate settlement moves faster when you know which assets actually need probate and which pass outside the estate.
Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery helps identify banks, brokerages, insurance, retirement accounts and other institutions before you request authority. Vermont issues two certificates of appointment with the letters of administration at no charge, and each additional certificate costs $5.00 (32 V.S.A. § 1434(c)); count the institutions before you leave the register's office.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Grand Isle Probate Division sits at 3677 US Route 2 in North Hero and serves all of Grand Isle County: Alburgh, Grand Isle, Isle La Motte, North Hero and South Hero. Grand Isle County is the Lake Champlain Islands.
For a Vermont resident's estate, file where the decedent lived at death (4 V.S.A. § 311a(1)). For a nonresident decedent with Vermont property, file in a Vermont county where that property is located (4 V.S.A. § 311a(2)).
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the Vermont estate route and forms. A full estate generally starts with the statewide petition to open a decedent's estate. A route under 14 V.S.A. § 1901(a) uses form 700-00001SM (09/2023). If the proposed executor or administrator lives outside Vermont, include the Appointment of Resident Agent required by 14 V.S.A. § 904.
- File with the Grand Isle Probate Division in North Hero. You may file in person, by mail, by email to [email protected], or through Vermont's statewide e-filing system if you are allowed to use it. If you e-file a fillable court PDF, save it as a flat file first.
- Pay the graduated Vermont probate filing fee. The schedule is statewide: $50.00 for an estate of $10,000 or less, $110.00 from $10,001 to $50,000, and up to $3,250.00 above $10,000,000 (32 V.S.A. § 1434(a), in force since July 1, 2015). Checks or money orders are made out to Vermont Superior Court.
- Give notice and file proof of service. If a hearing is needed, read the hearing notice carefully and serve the petition, notice and will as directed. If notice to creditors is published, creditor claims run four months from the date of first publication (14 V.S.A. § 1203).
- Watch the Grand Isle probate calendar and your hearing notice. The Vermont Judiciary publishes a live Grand Isle County Probate Division calendar for the next 90 days, but the hearing notice controls the date, time and whether the hearing is remote or in person.
- Ask for remote participation when needed. Remote hearings use Zoom. If your hearing is set in person and you want to appear remotely, notify the court and the other party in writing so they receive it at least three days before the hearing.
- Receive authority from the court. After appointment and any required bond, Vermont issues letters of administration and two certificates of appointment at no charge (32 V.S.A. § 1434(b)). Banks and insurers usually ask for the certificate of appointment.
- Administer and close the estate. File the inventory, handle claims and taxes, account or seek an allowed waiver when available, then request closing. Vermont will not let you close the estate until the Department of Taxes issues tax clearance. Apply on Form E-2A; 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)).
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Grand Isle County
The Grand Isle County Probate Division uses the Vermont Judiciary's statewide probate forms. There are no Grand Isle County only forms and no Grand Isle County cover sheet: the same numbered 700- series is filed in all fourteen counties, it is free, and it is published at www.vtcourts.gov/court-forms and on the Judiciary's Estates, Wills, and Trusts page.
| Task | Common Vermont forms |
|---|---|
| Open a full estate | Petition to open decedent's estate, notice of appearance, list of interested persons, estate administration bond, certificate of service, original will if any, and certified death certificate. |
| Open the 14 V.S.A. § 1901(a) route | 700-00001SM Petition to Open Small Estate (09/2023), inventory schedule, affidavit of paid and outstanding funeral expenses and debts, bond without surety under 14 V.S.A. § 1901(a), and will if any. |
| Nonresident fiduciary | Appointment of Resident Agent under 14 V.S.A. § 904. |
| Sell estate real estate | Motion for license to sell or convey real estate. The motion costs $100.00 (32 V.S.A. § 1434(a)(26), in force since July 1, 2015). |
| Use the Judiciary guide | 700-00302 Probating a Vermont Estate (01/2026). |
Timeline
- The Vermont Judiciary publishes a live Grand Isle County Probate Division calendar covering the next 90 days. In the window published on September 1, 2026, probate hearings in Grand Isle County were scheduled on Tuesdays, in Grand Isle Courtroom 1. Check the calendar for the current schedule.
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Grand Isle County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | Confirm whether the North Hero filing is needed at all. A co-owned home may pass outside the estate, but Vermont estate settlement may still be needed for accounts, vehicles or other assets in the decedent's name alone. | Sunset identifies accounts and beneficiary-designated assets before you file, so you do not open a larger estate than needed. |
| out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | If the estate qualifies under 14 V.S.A. § 1901(a), the fair market value is not more than $45,000.00, in force since July 1, 2019, and the property is personal property except a permitted time-share. A nonresident fiduciary must address the resident agent requirement under 14 V.S.A. § 904. | Sunset helps prepare the asset list, identify whether the 14 V.S.A. § 1901(a) path fits, and connect you with a Vermont attorney if the resident agent issue needs legal help. |
| parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | File in the Grand Isle Probate Division if the decedent lived in Grand Isle County. A sale of estate real estate requires a court license, and the motion costs $100.00 (32 V.S.A. § 1434(a)(26), in force since July 1, 2015). | Sunset organizes accounts, debts and property information for the petition and can connect the family with a vetted Vermont probate attorney for the real estate sale. |
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 14 V.S.A. § 1901(a) estates. | 802-879-1185; [email protected]. 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 | Judiciary-listed referrals to Vermont attorneys for an initial consultation. | 800-639-7036 or the online referral form |
| Vermont Association for Justice Lawyer Referral Service | Judiciary-listed lawyer referral service searchable by practice area and proximity. | 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 required before the Probate Division will issue the final decree of distribution. | tax.vermont.gov. Use Form E-2A for tax clearance. |
When to hire an attorney
Consider a Vermont probate attorney if the will is contested, family members will not sign consents, the estate includes real estate to sell, the proposed fiduciary lives outside Vermont, creditor claims are disputed, or tax clearance is delaying estate settlement. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets
Sunset helps families find bank accounts, investments, insurance, retirement accounts and other assets before filing in Grand Isle County. A complete asset picture makes estate settlement easier and helps you know how many certificates of appointment to request.
Generate the probate packet
Sunset organizes the information needed for the Vermont probate packet, including interested persons, assets, debts and the documents the Grand Isle Probate Division will expect for the chosen route.
Find a local probate attorney
When a filing involves a nonresident fiduciary, a home sale, a dispute, or tax clearance questions, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Vermont probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to understand the work, organize the estate and decide when attorney help makes sense.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate for someone who lived in Grand Isle County?
File with the Grand Isle Probate Division at 3677 US Route 2 in North Hero. For a Vermont resident's estate, venue is where the decedent lived at death (4 V.S.A. § 311a(1)).
What are the Grand Isle Probate Division counter hours?
The counter is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except observed holidays. It is closed the last Monday of each month, 9:00 a.m. to noon, for in service training.
Does Grand Isle County have its own probate forms?
No. The Grand Isle Probate Division uses the Vermont Judiciary's statewide probate forms and has no Grand Isle County only cover sheet.
Can I e-file a Grand Isle County probate case?
Yes, Vermont's courts, including the Probate Division, use statewide e-filing. The Judiciary is moving filers from Odyssey File & Serve to eFileVT, also called eFile & Serve. Attorneys and state agencies must e-file, while self-represented filers may e-file but are not required to.
Can I see a Grand Isle County probate case from home?
Not as an anonymous member of the public. At portal.vtcourts.gov, anonymous remote case summaries are for the Civil Division and Judicial Bureau; probate case information is available to the general public only at courthouse public access terminals. A party who registers and receives elevated access can see that party's own probate case information through the portal.
When are Grand Isle County probate hearings scheduled?
The Judiciary publishes a live Grand Isle County Probate Division calendar for the next 90 days. In the window published on September 1, 2026, probate hearings were scheduled on Tuesdays in Grand Isle Courtroom 1. Check the current calendar and your hearing notice.
Can I attend a Grand Isle probate hearing by Zoom?
Your hearing notice says whether the hearing is remote or in person. Remote hearings use Zoom. If your hearing is set in person and you want to appear remotely, notify the court and the other party in writing so they receive it at least three days before the hearing.
What is the filing fee in Grand Isle County probate?
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).
Do I have to travel to North Hero to start the case?
Not always. A self-represented filer may file in person, by mail, by email to [email protected], or may choose e-filing. If a hearing is scheduled, follow the hearing notice and use the remote appearance process if you need to ask to participate by Zoom.
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.