Hiring a Wills, Trusts or Probate Lawyer in Connecticut
What Connecticut requires for a valid will, when probate applies, how estate lawyers charge, how to check a lawyer's license, and free help. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in Connecticut: fee rules
| Rules on contingency fees | Connecticut law caps contingency fees in claims for personal injury, wrongful death or property damage at 33 1/3% of the first $300,000, 25% of the next $300,000, 20% of the next $300,000, 15% of the next $300,000, and 10% of any amount over $1,200,000. A client may waive these limits only in a case that is substantially complex, unique or different, after the lawyer explains the limits and the right to seek another lawyer, and only through a written, signed and notarized agreement with a bold-type acknowledgment; even then the total fee cannot exceed 33 1/3% of the amount awarded or received. Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 52-251c |
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| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | The Connecticut Bar Association offers low-cost fee mediation or arbitration, but only if both the client and the lawyer agree to use it. The Statewide Grievance Committee can also order a lawyer to take part in fee arbitration. |
| If a lawyer takes your money | Connecticut's Client Security Fund may reimburse losses from an attorney's theft, embezzlement or wrongful taking of money or property in the course of an attorney-client relationship or related fiduciary role; in limited circumstances it may cover an attorney's refusal to refund unearned fees paid in advance. Negligence, malpractice and investment losses are not covered. Apply on form JD-GC-15, signed under oath before a notary, with copies of proof of the loss, mailed to the Client Security Fund Committee, 999 Asylum Avenue, Fifth Floor, Hartford, CT 06105. Pamphlet referenced on the form: http://www.jud.ct.gov/Publications/GC016.pdf |
Connecticut rules to know first
| Requirements for a valid will | Anyone 18 or older and of sound mind may make a will. The will must be in writing, signed by the will-maker, and signed by two witnesses, each signing in the will-maker's presence. A will made outside Connecticut that follows the law of the place where it was signed can also be admitted to probate. |
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| Small estate affidavit | If the decedent's solely owned personal property (not counting property that passes outside probate, such as joint or beneficiary-designated assets) is worth $40,000 or less and the decedent owned no real estate in Connecticut in their sole name, the surviving spouse (or, if none, next of kin, or another person with a sufficient interest) can file an affidavit with the Probate Court for the district where the decedent lived instead of opening a full probate. The affidavit lists the assets, any state aid received, and the claims, expenses and taxes owed. The court sends a copy to the Department of Administrative Services and cannot issue its decree until 30 days later; the decree then authorizes asset holders to pay creditors and transfer assets to the people entitled to them. The Probate Court form is the Affidavit in Lieu of Probate of Will/Administration, PC-212. Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-273 |
| How probate works | Main steps: (1) file the will and Petition/Administration or Probate of Will (PC-200) within 30 days of death; (2) the court appoints the executor or administrator, usually with a probate bond; (3) if there is real estate, record a Notice for Land Records/Appointment of Fiduciary (PC-251) in each town within two months; (4) file an inventory (PC-2407) within two months of appointment; (5) the court publishes notice to creditors within 14 days of appointment, and the fiduciary handles claims and files a Return of Claims (PC-237); (6) file the Connecticut estate tax return (CT-706 NT or CT-706/709) within six months of death; (7) file a final financial report or account, usually within 12 months of death; (8) distribute assets and file an affidavit of closing if the court requires one. |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | The Connecticut Bar Association offers Find a Lawyer CT, an online search of lawyers by location and area of practice; the CBA's public page lists no consultation fee or referral phone line. CBA Member Service Center: (860) 223-4400. |
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| Check that the lawyer is licensed | The Connecticut Judicial Branch's Attorney/Firm Look-up, compiled from records of the Superior Court clerk for the Hartford Judicial District and the Statewide Grievance Committee, lets you search by juris number, attorney last name or firm name, and town. Results show whether the license is active, whether it was ever inactive and why, and whether the attorney has been disciplined. The Judicial Branch does not guarantee it is a complete history; for an official licensing and disciplinary history, contact the Statewide Grievance Committee at (860) 296-3848. |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | Grievance complaints against Connecticut lawyers are reviewed, investigated and decided through the Statewide Grievance Committee (21 members, including 7 non-lawyers) with Statewide Bar Counsel. Use form JD-GC-6, filling out a separate form for each complainant and each attorney (do not name a law firm), and mail the original plus 6 identical copies, with copies of supporting documents, to Statewide Bar Counsel, Statewide Grievance Committee, 999 Asylum Avenue, Fifth Floor, Hartford, CT 06105. It is free to file. Filing does not itself get you reimbursed, though the committee can order restitution in some cases. A lawyer's disciplinary record appears in the Judicial Branch attorney look-up. Complaint form and instructions: https://www.jud.ct.gov/webforms/forms/gc006.pdf |
Free legal help
| Free legal aid | Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut is the LSC-funded legal aid organization for the state and provides free civil legal help to eligible low-income people. CT Free Legal Answers, run by the Connecticut Bar Association and the ABA, lets low-income residents submit a civil legal question online and get brief advice from a volunteer lawyer. CBA public page: https://www.ctbar.org/public |
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All legal help in Connecticut · Do I need a lawyer?
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.