Updated September 7, 2026. Quick answer: Connecticut prices probate on a sliding scale tied to estate value, with a $150.00 minimum; a $250,000 estate costs $990.00 to open.
If a trust could save your estate this fee in Connecticut
A living trust avoids probate entirely in Connecticut, which means the estate skips the $150.00 above along with every other cost the court charges once a case is open. LawDepot builds a state-specific one.
Build a living trust at LawDepot
LawDepot pays us a commission if you buy through this link, it costs you nothing extra. We are not a law firm and this is not legal advice. Affiliate Disclosure.
What Connecticut charges to open probate
Connecticut prices this as a percentage of the estate’s value rather than a flat amount, so the total scales up continuously as the estate gets larger.
| Minimum fee (estates under $10,000) | $150.00 |
| Formula from $10,000 to $500,000 | $150 plus 0.35% of the amount over $10,000 |
| Example: a $250,000 estate | $990.00 |
| Cap on the largest estates | $40,000.00 (above $8,877,000) |
Where this money goes and who sets it
The authority for this figure is Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-107. In the source’s own words: “If the basis for fees is less than ten thousand dollars and a full estate is opened, the minimum fee shall be one hundred fifty dollars.”
What this fee doesn’t cover
Because Connecticut prices this as a percentage, a larger estate pays proportionally more just to open the file, before any attorney is even hired. Either way, this is the court’s own charge just to open the file and issue letters, separate from what an attorney charges to actually handle the estate and separate from any state estate or inheritance tax the estate itself might owe.
Sources
Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-107.