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Connecticut Probate Court

Quick Guide to Connecticut Probate Court

Connecticut Probate Court

The Connecticut Probate Court is both immense and involved in numerous issues outside of wills and estates.  The CT Probate Court has very specific guidelines for numerous types of services, and these guidelines can be found under the judicial branch of the state government.  

The state of Connecticut has separate courts for probate issues.  You can also find a listing of names, addresses, phone numbers, and fax numbers of judges and particular districts under the State of Connecticut’s Judicial Branch Directory.  

What do Probate Courts have Jurisdiction Over?

Probate courts are generally associated with overseeing trusts and estates.  The courts will help in probating wills while determining the legal beneficiaries of real and personal property.  The courts will also help clear away any discrepancies within a will or trust.  

However, probate courts are have jurisdiction over many more issues other than estates.  Connecticut probate courts also oversee guardians and civil commitment and the following issure:

• Establishing the guardians of people with intellectual disability

• Approving the sterilizations of people with intellectual disability

• Establishing the guardian for a child

• Appointing the conservators for people incapable of self care or people with psychiatric conditions 

• Placing people with severe psychiatric disabilities in a facility that provides the proper care

• Replacing the rights of people who could not own firearms due to their former or temporary mental health condition

The same courts oversee procedures for parents and other miscellaneous situations, such as:

• Removing a child from the custody of parents who fail to provide suitable living conditions

• Paternity claims of unwed fathers

• Granting adoptions

• Granting name changes

• Overseeing and either granting or removing permission for people to marry under the age of 18 if the parent or guardian is not a U.S. resident

• Helping people obtain passports

Since probate is usually associated with estate and will issues, the following sections will provide some details that are unique to Connecticut. 

Connecticut Estate and Gift Tax

Under the CT probate court statutes, estates may be taxed anytime after January 1st of 2011 if the value of the estate exceeds $2,000,000.  A fiduciary must abide by specific steps if the estate has an estimated worth more than $2,000,000, including:

1) Filing a Connecticut Estate and Gift Tax Return Form CT-706/809

2) Providing a copy of the original form to the probate court

3) Sending any tax due to the Department of Revenue Services

Informal Probate in Connecticut

An executor of a will may be able to avoid formal and supervised probate if the total value of the personal property does not exceed $40,000.  In order to submit an affidavit to the probate a court, a surviving spouse or next of kin must submit the following to the court:

• funeral expenses

• all debts that have been paid in full or will be paid over time to cover funeral costs and medical expenses

If the following is submitted to the court and the judge approves the measure, all personal property like bank accounts, stocks, bonds, unpaid wages, and death benefits can be passed to a surviving spouse or next of kin.  

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