Back to Vermont
Lamoille County, VT Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Court | Lamoille Probate Division |
| Courthouse address | 154 Main Street, Hyde Park, VT 05655 |
| Mailing address | PO Box 570, Hyde Park, VT 05655 |
| Phone | 802-888-3887 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except observed holidays. Closed the second Thursday of each month, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m., for in service training. |
| Filing fee | The filing fee is statewide and graduated: $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). |
| Forms | Uses the Vermont Judiciary statewide probate forms. There are no Lamoille County only probate forms and no Lamoille County only cover sheet. |
| 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. |
| [email protected]. Use the case number and the court name in the subject line when emailing a filing or question. | |
| 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 documents online. 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/lamoille-probate-division |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Hyde Park, identify the assets, debts, beneficiaries and likely filing route. Vermont estate settlement turns on the asset list: the inventory, the filing fee bracket, the number of notices and the number of institutions that will ask for proof of authority all depend on what exists on the date of death.
Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery can help you find accounts before you contact the register's office. That matters in Vermont because the Probate Division issues two certificates of appointment at no charge with the letters of administration, and each additional certificate costs $5.00 (32 V.S.A. § 1434(c), in force since July 1, 2015).
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Lamoille Probate Division sits at 154 Main Street in Hyde Park and serves all of Lamoille County, including Belvidere, Cambridge, Eden, Elmore, Hyde Park, Johnson, Morristown, Stowe, Waterville and Wolcott. The courthouse is in Hyde Park, not Morristown, Morrisville or Stowe.
Vermont's Superior Court units follow county lines (4 V.S.A. § 30(b)), and each county has its own Probate Division under 4 V.S.A. § 272(a). For a Vermont resident's estate, file in the county where the decedent lived at death (4 V.S.A. § 311a(1)). For a nonresident decedent with Vermont property, file in any county where the Vermont property is located (4 V.S.A. § 311a(2)).
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the Vermont Judiciary probate packet for the estate. A full estate normally starts with the statewide petition, interested-person list, bond form, death certificate, will if there is one, and certificate of service. A small estate under 14 V.S.A. § 1901(a), in force since July 1, 2019, uses the statewide small estate petition and related forms.
- File with the Lamoille Probate Division in Hyde Park. A self-represented filer may file in person, by mail, by email to [email protected], or by statewide e-filing. If you e-file a fillable Vermont court PDF, save it as a flat file first.
- Pay the statewide graduated filing fee. 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). Checks and money orders are made payable to Vermont Superior Court.
- Give notice as the court directs. If notice to creditors is published, creditor claims run four months from first publication under 14 V.S.A. § 1203(a)(1). If the notice is never published, a creditor has one year from the date of death to present a claim under 14 V.S.A. § 1203(a)(2) and 14 V.S.A. § 931.
- Watch the Lamoille calendar and hearing notice. The Vermont Judiciary publishes a live Lamoille County Probate Division calendar covering the next 90 days, but the hearing notice controls whether your matter is remote or in person and what you must serve before the hearing.
- If you need to change how you appear, act in writing. For a remote appearance request, notify the court and the other party so they receive it at least three days before the hearing. If the notice sets a remote hearing and you want to appear in person, ask permission in writing on the same timing.
- After appointment, use the Vermont certificate of appointment when banks, brokerages, insurers, employers or agencies ask for proof of authority. Vermont issues letters of administration and two certificates of appointment at no charge; extra certificates cost $5.00 each (32 V.S.A. § 1434(c), in force since July 1, 2015).
- Administer and close the estate. File the inventory 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. Before closing, obtain Vermont Department of Taxes tax clearance 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 Lamoille County
The Lamoille County Probate Division uses the Vermont Judiciary's statewide probate forms. There are no Lamoille County only forms and no Lamoille County only 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 and Wills page.
| Stage | Common statewide forms |
|---|---|
| Opening a full estate | Petition to Open Decedent's Estate, List of Interested Persons for Estates, Estate Administration Bond, Certificate of Service, death certificate and the original will if there is one. |
| Opening a small estate | 700-00001SM Petition to Open Small Estate (09/2023) and related forms for a small estate under 14 V.S.A. § 1901(a), in force since July 1, 2019. |
| Inventory | 700-00030 Inventory Schedule and a certificate of service. |
| Creditor notice and claims | PE 32 Notice to Creditors, 700-00033 Motion to Waive Notice to Creditors, 700-00034PE Written Statement of Claim and 700-00003 Notice of Disallowance. |
| Real estate sale | 700-00035 Motion for License to Sell or Convey Real Estate. The motion fee is $100.00 (32 V.S.A. § 1434(a)(26), in force since July 1, 2015). |
| Closing | 700-00152 Fiduciary's Closing Report & Discharge, 700-00153 Receipt, and tax clearance through Vermont Form E-2A before the final decree under 32 V.S.A. § 7454. |
Timeline
- The Vermont Judiciary publishes a live Lamoille County Probate Division calendar covering the next 90 days. In the window published on September 1, 2026, probate hearings in Lamoille County were scheduled on Thursdays, in Lamoille Superior Courtroom #1. Check the calendar for the current schedule.
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Lamoille County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | File in Hyde Park if the decedent lived in Lamoille County at death. First sort out whether the home passes outside the probate estate because it was co-owned, then identify any accounts or other assets that still need estate settlement through the Probate Division. | Sunset helps find accounts, organize ownership details and prepare the packet before you contact the Lamoille Probate Division. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | If the estate fits the small estate route under 14 V.S.A. § 1901(a), the $45,000 ceiling has been in force since July 1, 2019. It is still an estate opened in the Probate Division. If the child is appointed as a nonresident fiduciary, the court acts under 14 V.S.A. § 904 and the fiduciary must designate a Vermont resident, Vermont attorney or Vermont resident-agent company as resident agent on form 700-00026. | Sunset helps confirm whether the asset list fits the route, generate the statewide forms and connect the family to a Vermont attorney if a resident agent or court appearance issue comes up. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Because a home sale needs court authority, expect a full estate path in the Lamoille Probate Division and a motion for license to sell real estate. The motion fee is $100.00 (32 V.S.A. § 1434(a)(26), in force since July 1, 2015). | Sunset helps gather title, mortgage, account and debt information, prepare the probate packet and find a local probate attorney for the sale motion. |
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 estates and small estates under 14 V.S.A. § 1901(a), in force since July 1, 2019. | 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 | Judiciary-listed referrals to Vermont attorneys for an initial consultation under the service's terms. | 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. The Judiciary notes it does not set a 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 under 32 V.S.A. § 7454. The application is Form E-2A. | tax.vermont.gov |
When to hire an attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families identify bank, brokerage, insurance, retirement and other accounts before they file, so the Lamoille inventory and certificate requests are based on a complete picture.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the estate information you gather into organized Vermont probate forms and filing instructions for the Lamoille Probate Division.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate needs a real estate sale, a resident agent under 14 V.S.A. § 904, a contested hearing or help with tax clearance, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Vermont probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset's estate settlement tools help you move from asset discovery to filing without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate for someone who lived in Lamoille County?
File with the Lamoille Probate Division at 154 Main Street in Hyde Park if the decedent lived in Lamoille County at death. Vermont's venue rule puts a resident decedent's estate in the county where the decedent lived at death (4 V.S.A. § 311a(1)).
What are the Lamoille Probate Division counter hours?
The Lamoille Probate Division is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except observed holidays. It is closed the second Thursday of each month, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m., for in service training.
Can I e-file a Lamoille County probate case?
Yes. Vermont's courts, including the Probate Division, use a statewide e-filing system. The Judiciary is moving filers from Odyssey File & Serve to eFileVT, also called eFile & Serve. Attorneys and state agencies must e-file; self-represented filers may e-file but are not required to, and may file in person, by mail or by email instead.
Can I see a Lamoille County probate case from home?
Not as an anonymous public user. The Vermont Judiciary Public Portal at portal.vtcourts.gov allows anonymous remote access to Civil Division and Judicial Bureau case summaries, while probate case information is available to the general public only at courthouse public access terminals. A party who registers and receives elevated access can view that party's own probate case, hearings and documents online.
When are Lamoille County probate hearings scheduled?
The Vermont Judiciary publishes a live Lamoille County Probate Division calendar covering the next 90 days. In the window published on September 1, 2026, probate hearings in Lamoille County were scheduled on Thursdays, in Lamoille Superior Courtroom #1. Check the calendar for the current schedule.
Do I have to travel to Hyde Park for a probate hearing?
Your hearing notice says whether the hearing is remote or in person. Remote hearings use Zoom. If your hearing is 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.
Does Lamoille County have its own probate forms?
No. The Lamoille Probate Division uses the Vermont Judiciary statewide probate forms. There are no Lamoille County only forms and no Lamoille County only cover sheet.
What is the filing fee for probate in Lamoille County?
The filing fee is the same in every Vermont county and is graduated by estate value: $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).
What can delay closing a Lamoille County estate?
Tax clearance is a common closing issue. Vermont will not let the Probate Division issue the final decree of distribution until the Department of Taxes issues tax clearance, and the application is Form E-2A (32 V.S.A. § 7454).
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.